Towing with overdrive or lower gear
- Thread starter Gas20
- Start date
gwalter
Retired Colorado Chapter Leaders
While not the heaviest FW, I tow in tow/haul and it will go into overdrive on its own and running at the same RPM as if it were not in tow/haul mode. I also use cruise control whenever traffic/roads allow it up to 62 MPH max. The engine/tranny seems to figure things out pretty well. I do this over the mountains and on the flats as well.
pegmikef
Well-known member
Ditto
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
Gary, as long as the trans isn't constantly shifting in & out of overdrive, you'll be fine. If your Dodge has a tow haul mode, use it.
mattpopp
Trouble Maker
During my last trip I believe I was seeing around 200. Never turn OD off. I usually tow between 60 to 75. Just depends on the roads, traffic conditions, and speed limits. 75mph just happens to be the trailer tires speed ratings but I won't go any faster. Trailer doesn't like it much over that.
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Last edited:
bighorn3370
Well-known member
I always shut overdrive off. Ernie
In your ram, 5th and 6th are overdrive. I always stick it in drive with tow/haul and exhaust brake on. Let it do its thing. Like said above, if it is hunting, drop a gear, if not 2 to stop it from hunting. I have done this in both my 08 and 10 Rams, with a combined mileage of over 150,000 miles of towing between them with the same fifth wheel, I have never had an issue.
mobilcastle
Well-known member
I use tow haul-tranny runs cooler because it changes shift points.
porthole
Retired
Most of the time in T/H and cruise.
If the decel downshifting is more aggressive then I care for I dis-engage the cruise as I crest the the hill.
If it think it is downshifting too much I will shift into manual and leave it locked in 6th. If the trailer starts to slow more then a couple MPH's going up I tap down into 5th.
If the decel downshifting is more aggressive then I care for I dis-engage the cruise as I crest the the hill.
If it think it is downshifting too much I will shift into manual and leave it locked in 6th. If the trailer starts to slow more then a couple MPH's going up I tap down into 5th.
I find it quite easy to simply use the T/H function with the exhaust brake button engaged and the rig cruises along happy as a clam at high tide. It will bump down to 5th or even 4th gear on occasion, but the system works great and stays in 6th gear most of the time, allowing me to get 11 to 11.2 mpg.. I've never seen my tranny temp over 180..... Ever... GB
wdk450
Well-known member
In my first 3 years of towing the Bighorn, I found I could take the tranny out of Tow/Haul mode on long, flat drives like down the central California Valley on I-5 or Ca99. I found my fuel economy was about 3 mpg better out of tow/haul mode on the same flat, level road. I now use tow haul if going up/down grades, or the EGT starts hitting 1000 degrees in regular (ovedrdrive) mode.
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