2006 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab Dualie Exhaust and Gauge Installation
Diesel Power is going to build the best tow rig possible using a stock diesel truck, and you can make the same modifications to your toy-hauler in the driveway without voiding the warranty. For our tow rig, we chose an '06 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab dualie with a 5.9L Cummins rated at 325 hp. We could have picked up a Ford Super Duty or GM Duramax truck with dual rear wheels, but decided the Dodge was the best buy because it just received upgrades to the interior and exterior. The GM and Ford trucks will get full makeovers in the near future, and that would leave us driving a "new" truck with an "old" look, plus it would hurt the resale value, so we grabbed a 1-ton Ram by the horns.
With our stock truck in hand, we started working on plans to build it into a cross-country hauler that will get better fuel economy, have more range, be more comfortable to tow with, and won't void the factory warranty. When it came to optioning the Ram, we began with a two-wheel-drive truck for a better ride and maximum fuel economy. An automatic transmission was then ordered for ease of operation. We chose the dual rear wheels to give the truck a bigger footprint for traction and stability when towing a large trailer loaded with project trucks. The trailer towing package was also ordered so the truck came with a seven-pin wiring harness, a 750-amp battery, and a Class IV trailer hitch.
That's a good start, but we have a lot more planned for this tow truck. We'll bring you future installments where we'll double the truck's range, improve its braking, install a gooseneck trailer hitch in the bed, and add a locking storage box in the bed. Before we do that, we need to know what's going on under the hood and give our Cummins engine the freedom to breathe. That's why our first upgrades are to install a warranty-safe, 4-inch Banks Monster exhaust system and then add a set of gauges to watch the exhaust gas temperature, transmission temperature, and turbo boost level. Follow the install pictures to see how to make a good tow rig even better.
