jymbee
Well-known member
I use Tow/Haul haul mode often when going down hills but it's not clear to me how it's intended to work when going up hills. Does it just reduce the amount of downshifting, or... ?
If your rolling along in top gear,, and slip it into tow/ haul,, your tach. will raise about 6 to 8 hundred RPM to give you more power when needed.
Gary RV_Wizard said:I think his 2012 coach has a Ford V10 engine and the Ford 5-speed auto tranny (5R110). Tow-haul on that is smart and should not drop you out of the top gear (overdrive) unless the engine load actually demands more power. It's not just an OD on/off switch as was present on the earlier 4-speed (4R100 tranny), so doesn't inhibit OD. Therefore the rpms won't increase if cruising along on a fairly level stretch, but it should downshift quickly when a grade in encountered and stay in the lower gear(s) longer than with the normal mode shift pattern. That's what eliminates the gear "hunting" that disystox mentioned.
One source of confusion is that Ford's Tow-Haul works differently on high-torque diesel engines than on gas V8 or V10's. The engine performs differently, both up and down hill, so the Tow-Haul management is programmed differently to match the engine performance. It's the same switch, in the same location, but it changes engine/tranny management in different ways.
To me, towing is pulling a second vehicle along with you, while hauling is carrying more stuff on board. But it's a minor distinction. :jymbee said:Ok, one final question-- the name "Tow/Haul". I assume that describes the basic use of the system-- going up and going down grades. But when going down, are you "towing" or "hauling"? To my way of thinking both names imply the same thing. Never really understood the derivation of the term! ???
jymbee said:There has been times when after descending a grade I failed to shut off the Tow/Haul only to notice it some time later. I assume that this is not that much of an issue?...
Timmy_B said:If you then press your cruise (speed) control, it will stay in that gear all the way down the grade. If you want to cancel that and have the transmission shift back into 5th or 6th, simply kill the Tow/Haul button. Once you get used to it, you will not want to go without it.
jymbee said:That's interesting. I never thought of using cruise in that manner. I will definitely give it a try next time out and see if it works the same way with our 5 speed. Thanks!
Could be either or both, so don't try to read a lot into the labels. Both Tow & Haul are simply indicative of extra load (weight) conditions that can be aided by a change in the engine & transmission management algorithm. It makes no difference whether you are towing the extra load or carrying (hauling) it.Ok, one final question-- the name "Tow/Haul". I assume that describes the basic use of the system-- going up and going down grades. But when going down, are you "towing" or "hauling"? To my way of thinking both names imply the same thing. Never really understood the derivation of the term!