kylestarks162
Junior Member
Is the 4.7l the same as a 318 and is it a good engine for towing when property maintened
Is the 4.7 l the same as a 318 or 360 is it good for towing
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tron67j
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It is a 286. For towing, if your truck is empty and towing a small trailer with not much weight to it, maybe you get by. The more you work it the more unhappy you will be. This is very general, it has its uses and don't know your needs. You might be the target market for the set up.
hunterdan
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4.7 is a completely different block the the 318/360 (5.2/5.9). The 4.7 was an ohc motor whereas the 318/360 had the cam inside the engine block, not a part of the head assembly. Compared to the 318, the latest versions of the 4.7 made significantly more power.
Wild one
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The 4.7 has no torque below 3500,and i wouldn't tow a kids powerwheels jeep with one. It pulls okay above 3500,but you got to get it to 3500 rpm 
Throw in the fact it's getting harder to find parts for the engine,as it hasn't been in production for close to 12 years now.
Throw in the fact it's getting harder to find parts for the engine,as it hasn't been in production for close to 12 years now.
caulk04
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Why is this even in the 4th gen sub? The 318/360 is nearly an entire generation removed from the 4th gen and the 4.7 barely existed in the 4th gen.
The 4.7 is fine, but I wouldn't choose it for REGULAR towing duty. Recreational duty, sure. Everything else behind the 4.7 is the same you'll find in a Hemi.
The 4.7 is fine, but I wouldn't choose it for REGULAR towing duty. Recreational duty, sure. Everything else behind the 4.7 is the same you'll find in a Hemi.
Jeepwalker
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First question I would ask is WHAT are you towing? And where and how far? A 5th wheel gooseneck trailer with a Cat 292D? Or a tongue-hitched camper for 50 miles on flat ground, 5x a year? What and how matters a lot. If you have to tow a backhoe up the front range from Denver, a 4.7L probably aint gonna cut it! LOL
Like described above, gearing matters. A lot of people are down on 4.7's, they had a few teething issues early on. But I have a HO one that is great in a Jeep GC. 245k miles on it. Never missed a beat, doesn't burn oil. Lots of off-the-line torque. A neighbor had one too for a long time that ran great. They don't have nonsense cylinder deactivation, and don't eat cams like Hemi's do.
But again, it also really matters what you're towing, where & how.
Like described above, gearing matters. A lot of people are down on 4.7's, they had a few teething issues early on. But I have a HO one that is great in a Jeep GC. 245k miles on it. Never missed a beat, doesn't burn oil. Lots of off-the-line torque. A neighbor had one too for a long time that ran great. They don't have nonsense cylinder deactivation, and don't eat cams like Hemi's do.
But again, it also really matters what you're towing, where & how.
Flryder
Member
I have one and I tow with it. The truck has 3.92 gears and the tow package. The 4.7 has 310 hp and 330 ft lbs of torque for my model year. My truck is rated for 7244 lbs towing and 1444 !ax payload according to ram trucks.com/towing-guide. The biggest thing I tow is a Rpod 192 camper that is about 3500 lbs empty. With a camper this size the frontal area is more of an impact than the weight at highway speeds. I don't go much over 70 when towing the camper on the highway. I average between 10 and 11 mpg when towing the camper from Bradenton FL to St. Augustine FL and it is a very comfortable Trip. Of course, it all depends on what your planning to tow.
4.7s were the new generation Chrysler V8. Not based on the LA small block platform. Closest to the 273 (4.5) in terms of cubic inches. Not really comparable though. Hp/torque of a 318 Magnum may have been similar, but that's about it.
In our 4th gen 4.7's even different than a lot of the third generation years. 16 spark plugs, overhead cam, etc, it has all the upgrades that the early 2000s wanted. Gas mileage is similar to the 5.7, maybe a little better or worse depending on the setup, but not much. Still gotta move the same weight.
My 4.7 (330hp) 3.92 gear towed just fine a few weeks ago and it crossed the 200k odometer mark. No, it doesn't have a hemi hp and the higher torq. I don't pull a camp trailer either. For that I'd have bought a least a 2500 with a hemi or a cummins.
The tow/haul button is there for a reason, to maintain speed on the hills and mountains it towed a medium sized covered teailer fine.
Only 3-4mpg hit with the trailer on, loaded or not. Probably hauled about 3500 lbs back with me on that trip. IMO. If you want to max payload get a bigger truck.
In our 4th gen 4.7's even different than a lot of the third generation years. 16 spark plugs, overhead cam, etc, it has all the upgrades that the early 2000s wanted. Gas mileage is similar to the 5.7, maybe a little better or worse depending on the setup, but not much. Still gotta move the same weight.
My 4.7 (330hp) 3.92 gear towed just fine a few weeks ago and it crossed the 200k odometer mark. No, it doesn't have a hemi hp and the higher torq. I don't pull a camp trailer either. For that I'd have bought a least a 2500 with a hemi or a cummins.
The tow/haul button is there for a reason, to maintain speed on the hills and mountains it towed a medium sized covered teailer fine.
Only 3-4mpg hit with the trailer on, loaded or not. Probably hauled about 3500 lbs back with me on that trip. IMO. If you want to max payload get a bigger truck.
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The 318/360 engines had much more low end torque and would start a load much easier then the little 4.7. I had the 4.7 in my old Dakota. It was a little hotrod when you wound it up. As was previously mention under 3500 the 4.7 is a slug, twist her tail a bit and get her in tht 3500-5500 rpm band and she will haul the mail. But she has to wound up to make the power. When I got my Dakota I was going to go with the 318 untill I saw the oil capacity or rather the lack of it in that chassis so went with the 4.7 it was a real good motor in the Dakota's.
Trashy2121
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The 4.7l makes more power than either 5.9 or 5.2. It's capable of producing more torque than the 5.2l. It's usually the transmissions behind the engine that are the problem. Keep it cool, change fluids and she will take care of you.
392heminut
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I had a 2012 Ram 1500 crew cab with a 4.7 and towed a 5K pound toyhauler RV with it. I never had a problem doing so and usually got about 9 MPG while towing.
Dusty
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I had a 4.7 in an '03 Dakota and still think it was one sweet motor. It was always very smooth and quiet, all the way to 143,000 when I sold it. For me in a Dakota with 3.55s it had plenty of torque and was quick as hell. Although I never had any engine problems, the only recognized weak area was a tendency to warp a head if overheated.
It'll do the job but will always live in the shadow of a 5.7 Hemi.
Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 114332 miles.
It'll do the job but will always live in the shadow of a 5.7 Hemi.
Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 114332 miles.
Tominator223
Senior Member
If you already own it. The good thing about the 4.7 truck is it’s easier to change to the 5.7 when it’s time.
bigdog85
Junior Member
it will tow just fine we use to tow campers with v8's that made a whopping 150hp the 4.7 makes 235hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. too many of these guys think you need a chipped diesel to tow a row boat
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