Tow Vehicle Cruise Control Usage

[WildPeace]

We will soon tow round trip from Tulsa, Ok. to Page, Az. Boat/trailer weight near 10% tow vehicle maximum. Obviously lots of hills and a continental divide to be crossed on I-40. As a general rule, I do not use cruise control because it forces the transmission to shift gears frequently. Looking for your opinions which are much appreciated. Thanks.

[MartinCaron]

I only use cruise when towing on flat otherwise the trany down**** and the engine start reving like there's no tomorow... being gentle on transmission is always a good idea

[Willski]

Same here. I'll tow with the cruise until I get alot of shifting, then turn it off.

[06197ttlq9-footer]

Originally Posted by willski

Same here. I'll tow with the cruise until I get alot of shifting, then turn it off.

Ditto, Also not hard to Double the size of your trans cooler with aftermarket parts.

[Ski-me]

It depend on your vehicle but I basically just listen to what the truck is doing. I use cruise all the time unless I'm going up a large grade. My truck want to downshift too far so I just back off on the speed as it climbs. I will just manually shift it down if needed.

While on cruise, if the tranny is shifting back and forth too much, I'll just drop it down a grear. I have the 8.1L engine in our suburban and it doesn't really have any problems. While towing I also use my "tow/haul" button. This will allow the tranny to shift a little more firm (to create less heat) and also does a decent job "braking" a little while going down long grades....keeps me off the brakes.

[thatsmrmastercraft]

If your trans is wanting to downshift out of OD, its because you are in a situation where you shouldn't be in OD. Your engine isn't turning enough RPMs to stay in the power band and you are probably using more gas, and certainly being harder on the transmission than you want to. Turning the cruise control off only makes the problem less noticeable.

So many people don't remember the days before OD and hearing the engine work a little more. Granted OD is a great thing - it just can't, or shouldn't, be used all the time.

[deminimis]

Ditto. Drive slower and do not use OD is my recommendation. If your rig has a trailering/tow mode, then that takes care of it. I always trailer in tow mode (now anyway). Depending on make, you might get the added benefit of engine braking when needed. As a cautionary tale, I destroyed a trans towing a light dune buggy on a light trailer in OD (V-8 Jeep Grand Cherokee...POS).

[thatsmrmastercraft]

I use OD when I am on flat ground, just shift out of it when I am in hilly areas.

I tend to drive slower - I try to stay under 70MPH.

[joecarew3]

Originally Posted by thatsmrmastercraft

If your trans is wanting to downshift out of OD, its because you are in a situation where you shouldn't be in OD. Your engine isn't turning enough RPMs to stay in the power band and you are probably using more gas, and certainly being harder on the transmission than you want to. Turning the cruise control off only makes the problem less noticeable.

So many people don't remember the days before OD and hearing the engine work a little more. Granted OD is a great thing - it just can't, or shouldn't, be used all the time.

Could you go into more detail on this? I was under the assumption if you are towing a decent load that you should have OD on? If I am understanding this correctly you should not use OD in hilly areas because of the constant shifting. I only towed my boat over 50 miles one time and that was the case, constantly shifting up and down some smaller hills. Any input is appreciated.

As far as that tranny cooler upgrade, how much could you expect to pay, and I imagine it would benefit for plowing in the winter as well???

Thanks guys... sorry for the threadjack

[deminimis]

Probably the best advice on towing will be found on a rig-specific forum. For example, those that tow with a D-Max dually will often suggest always trailer in tow mode if so equiped (engine braking benefits, out of OD, etc.). The Power Smoke folks (I'm a former) will often suggest taking it out of OD whenever the trans is searching for gears (hills, flat or whatever (which is pretty good advice)). A VW forum would ask why are you towing a boat with a VW?