Cruise while towing?

[Live.2.Fish]

   Just wondering what you guys thinks about using your cruise control while pulling your boats.  I have a 2004 F-150 5.4l v-8 and my dealer said that it wouldn't be a problem.  But on my last fishing trip my buddy said that he never uses it and that it not good for the truck to use your cruise while towing.  Just wondering what you guys think and do while towing your rigs.  Thanks for the input.

-late

[Javelin_Venom]

Good question, I don't know the answer to that either.  I have used my cruise while towing several times, but now that you ask, I am curious too?

[Ben]

I always use cruise while towing, but almost never use overdrive. The only dfference between cruise and no cruise is if your not in cruise, you can feather the gas pedal and let your speed drop while going up hills so the transmission does not have to down shift or come out of lock-up as often. In cruise, it's going to try to maintain your set speed, no matter how many times it has to down shift. The trick to that is just don't use overdrive if it's in areas it has to make a lot of down shifts to maintain speed. Where I live, I'm almost always going up hill or down hill, so I very seldom use overdrive, plus I find my truck gets 2 mpg better gas milage towing my boat in drive at 65 - 70 mph than it does in over overdrive. Mine truck is a 98 4WD Chevy 350 V8 with a higly modified 4L60E transmission that will tow 6,000 in overdrive if I wanted to but like I said, I get better milage with 3,500 lbs of boat and trailer behind me in drive.

[flechero]

The newer model GM trucks have the tow/haul mode, I had several mechanics say no problem with cruise or O/D if you have (and use) that feature. It keeps your rpm's in the higher range of torque and while accellerating, and it raises the shift points to keep you from cruising at too low of rpm's.

I get better milage with 3,500 lbs of boat and trailer behind me in drive

You are probably in the rpm range that is high on the torque curve. I had the same experience with my last 2 trucks.

[Team_Dougherty]

I have seen this question debated to no end on various other news groups and Bulletin Boards. The discussions always turn into a big flame fest. The same always happens to the talks about towing in over drive. Want some entertaining reading? Go to rec.boats at google and search on this subject. This board seems more mature so I do not see that happening here.

Now after saying all of the above here is what I do.

I use cruise control and tow in over drive. The only thing I do when towing in OD is down shift manually to Drive when going up long hills so the transmission does not keep shifting form OD and D on its own. I then return to OD when going down the hill and on flat sections. I do not have to manually downshift as much in my Grand Cherokee with a V8 as I do my S10 with a V6. I guess the V8 and perhaps different rear it can stay in drive better.

The things to remember are use a transmission cooler. The bigger the better. If you do use cruise in OD do not let the tranny shift from OD to D a lot. The shifting is what develops the heat and wears the tranny out.

My S10 Blazer has 180,000 miles on it and I only rebuilt the tranny once at 120,000. But that may have been caused by getting stuck in mud more than a few times up to the bumpers. I drive this car like I stole it, a lot.

My Grand Cherokee has 50,000 miles and still going strong. But, it is a Chrysler product and we know how their trannies are. It actually has a transmission over temp light. It has never come on while driving. This is my wife's ride so it gets treated with kid gloves. It has never been off road. Let alone in the mud. I did race it a couple of times at the local drag strip when the have grudge night.

This is my opinion. Your mileage may very, literally. Others will have theirs.

Paul

[preach4bass]

I have seen this question debated to no end on various other news groups and Bulletin Boards. The discussions always turn into a big flame fest. The same always happens to the talks about towing in over drive. Want some entertaining reading? Go to rec.boats at google and search on this subject. This board seems more mature so I do not see that happening here.

Now after saying all of the above here is what I do.

I use cruise control and tow in over drive. The only thing I do when towing in OD is down shift manually to Drive when going up long hills so the transmission does not keep shifting form OD and D on its own. I then return to OD when going down the hill and on flat sections. I do not have to manually downshift as much in my Grand Cherokee with a V8 as I do my S10 with a V6. I guess the V8 and perhaps different rear it can stay in drive better.

The things to remember are use a transmission cooler. The bigger the better. If you do use cruise in OD do not let the tranny shift from OD to D a lot. The shifting is what develops the heat and wears the tranny out.

My S10 Blazer has 180,000 miles on it and I only rebuilt the tranny once at 120,000. But that may have been caused by getting stuck in mud more than a few times up to the bumpers. I drive this car like I stole it, a lot.

My Grand Cherokee has 50,000 miles and still going strong. But, it is a Chrysler product and we know how their trannies are. It actually has a transmission over temp light. It has never come on while driving. This is my wife's ride so it gets treated with kid gloves. It has never been off road. Let alone in the mud. I did race it a couple of times at the local drag strip when the have grudge night.

This is my opinion. Your mileage may very, literally. Others will have theirs.

Paul

> What!  You are wrong.  You probably don't even have a boat.  It wouldn't surprise me if you don't even own a truck.  You might not even exist Paul, you're so wrong. >

Just kidding  You don't have to worry about a "flame fest" here!  Welcome aboard.  This is a good thread.

[Team_Dougherty]

> What!  You are wrong.  You probably don't even have a boat.  It wouldn't surprise me if you don't even own a truck.  You might not even exist Paul, you're so wrong. >

Just kidding  You don't have to worry about a "flame fest" here!  Welcome aboard.  This is a good thread.

preach4bass,

I see you have been there.

Paul

[Guest JoshKeller]

I personally tow in 5th gear (5 spd), and use the cruise control while towing with my 2001 4 cylinder s-10. 128,000 miles and still going strong. However, here in S. Texas, the hills are maybe 25 - 50 feet high.

[ironbeer78]

but doesn't  cruis when pulling a boat make yer engine work that much harder then not using cruise? I don't use cruise cause i hate it when my engine downshifts to keep the speed at a certain mark. I would rather like the other guy said feather my moter and not work it as hard goin up a hill. I have a 5.2 engine that pulls my boat

steve

[Team_Dougherty]

but doesn't  cruis when pulling a boat make yer engine work that much harder then not using cruise? I don't use cruise cause i hate it when my engine downshifts to keep the speed at a certain mark. I would rather like the other guy said feather my moter and not work it as hard goin up a hill. I have a 5.2 engine that pulls my boat

steve

I think your engine will work harder if the tranny is in OD going up a hill as opposed to D. The only thing I would do it keep it in D manually until you crest the hill. The difference in my vehicles is around 1000, it maybe less. I never really looked at it closely, rpms between OD and D. So at 65MPH in OD it turns around 2000 rpms and D it is around 3000 rpms. So you engine maybe turning faster but working less.

Paul