[ramdog]

When do you guys use tow haul mode? My travel trailer is only 6700lbs should I still use it. What does it do exactly? Also when your in tow haul mode should you let the truck pick the best gears or should you put it on a gear manually?

 

[Rockwerx]

I just put it in D and let it do the work. When I first got my new truck I wanted to see how it would tow in extreme road conditions and situations with a smaller trailer at first. When I hit some old logging roads I put it into tow/haul mode. I was very impressed how it opperated. It held back the truck and trailer on twisty down hill grades.

When the grades got steeper the E-brake kept my speeds under control. I did not find that I had to down shift manually unless I wanted to play with the switch. For instance...I would be traveling along a narrow twisty mountain logging trail at say 35 mph and come to a down hill section...I would let off the go pedal and the truck would start to slow down and down shift gear by gear unless it was steep enough then the truck would maintain the same speed. When I was towing larger loads the truck handled them in a similar fashion.

After you drive it and shake it down a bit you will figure out when you may want to use the manual gear selector switch, but for towing around your 6700 lb trailer you would probably want to use the tow/haul switch and leave it in drive...that is why you got an automatic. When the switch is engaged the ecm keeps the torque converter locked up longer and it also runs different shift programming to help you when towing. Good luck with your new truck!

 

[Guest]

I'd use tow haul if I were you. My travel trailer weighs around 10000. Tow haul gives you some really aggressive down shifting. That along with the exhaust brake, really saves the brakes. You can leave it in "D" if it's not downshifting a whole lot, but if your in the hills you should pick the proper gear. Try to avoid the tranny kicking down and back up as much as possible.

 

[BillG]

I really like the tow/haul mode even when not towing and driving through the city. It's aggressive downshifting really utilizes the exhaust break, and looking at the monitor (Insight), when the EB is actively engaged, EGR % drops to 0 (reduced soot).

 

[niedhogg]

I don't use it until I at least have the weight of my bike in the back, about 900lbs, that way the downshifts aren't so harsh. But definatly would use anytime towing or hauling any kind of weight. It'll save on your brakes as well.

 

[CFNibertCC]

I use my towhaul since I have no exhaust brake and it seemed to help the dpf clean with higher rpms, while saving the brakes.

 

[Rizzo]

Use it!!! That's what it is there for.

I still use my O/D off when I get into the mountains. That way, I stay in one gear all the way up. I wait for it to shift down and then lock it out. As long as you aren't gear hunting, you'll be OK IMO.

Other than that, I use my Tow/Haul and let the tranny do what it needs to do.

 

[Ram3500Dually]

I don't like the harsh downshifts of tow/haul so I don't use it.

 

[CheddarWedge]

Anytime I hook up to a trailer its on. The shifts are stiff, but it really slows the truck in combination with the exhaust brake.

 

[rthrbelsewhere]

I've used the tow/haul mode for a while now, it was just really an experiment to see what exactly it did and how it effects mileage and so on. I now use it all the time, towing or not...I have a topper on the bed and some firewood that I keep in there so when we go camping, i don't have to pack and unpack. So the load i have right now is near nothing, but over time, i've noticed that the shifting has really become smoother, not that harsh engage/disengage like everyone is noticing. As for mileage, I actually see an increase in mileage when i'm driving around town in the 40/45mph zones...nothing different on the highways tho(75). When i tow my camper or the dump trailer, i notice that the shifting pattern allows me get going a bit quicker then having it in non-t/h mode, without as much effort and that could be important, depending on the traffic around you. As others have said, use it...you'll notice a difference and probably for the better.