anyone tow with a 6.8 v-10?

A possible solution
two i-pods each with ( bose ) over the ear headphones .
when you come to a steep hill ( Eisenhower Tunnel , Asheville eastbound , grapevine , dunsmuir , and so forth ) get out the ipods for you and the missus .
Play your favorite tunes .
Get in the RIGHT hand lane .
Spin that V-10 at about 3 /4 throttle and climb at 40 - 45 .
The music will calm your urge to go .
The headphones will cancel the extra engine noise .
OR get back into diesel power .
p.s. my 2002 duramax , bought new , has been trouble free .
and i would have no problem with a cummins or powerstroke as a TV .

DB Cooper wrote:
You probably cross the mountain at the same place I do - Santiam Pass.

I usually take Tombstone Pass, unless I'm fully loaded in which case I do take Santiam since the passing lanes on Tombstone are only about 2 car-lengths long and all uphill (going east) so if I get stuck behind a slow car, not much I can do about it when I'm towing heavy.

I usually take WIllamette pass when I'm heading to Nevada. While not as steep and winding as Tombstone, its long and steady.


The transmission is certainly the weak point behind the 7.3L, but it seems to generally hold find behind the V10, at least since the 4R100 came out. I think it's actually more of shift programming issue. The V10 with the 4R100 locks the T/C in every gear under hard load, but it seems the 7.3L programming only lets it lock in 3rd and 4th, so the same transmission behind the diesel can run LOTS hotter.

carringb wrote:

DB Cooper wrote:
I tow a 9k trailer with an '02 that I bought new. 7-8 mpg towing, 8 mpg around town and 11 mpg highway. I wish it had a manual trans and maybe some gears lower than 3.73 (35 in tires). Over the Cascade Mountains max speed is 50 at around 3500 rpm. With only 85,000 miles, I worry about the transmission but it has only got warm once.

Most of my towing is mountain towing. Coming up on 370,000 and transmission still shifts like new. I change all the fluid every 100k, and installed a MagnaFine filter so I don't have to drop the pan anymore. Lower gears are a huge help for the V10. Also nothing wrong with letting it rev. I raised my rev limiter so I can cruise up grades at 5,000+ RPM.

I've heard the trans is the weak link but that definitely hasn't been your experience. I do try to keep the RPMs up but sometimes I have to shift manually because it doesn't want to drop down a gear. I've changed the oil and filter every two years. You probably cross the mountain at the same place I do - Santiam Pass.

DB Cooper wrote:
I tow a 9k trailer with an '02 that I bought new. 7-8 mpg towing, 8 mpg around town and 11 mpg highway. I wish it had a manual trans and maybe some gears lower than 3.73 (35 in tires). Over the Cascade Mountains max speed is 50 at around 3500 rpm. With only 85,000 miles, I worry about the transmission but it has only got warm once.

Most of my towing is mountain towing. Coming up on 370,000 and transmission still shifts like new. I change all the fluid every 100k, and installed a MagnaFine filter so I don't have to drop the pan anymore. Lower gears are a huge help for the V10. Also nothing wrong with letting it rev. I raised my rev limiter so I can cruise up grades at 5,000+ RPM.

I tow a 9k trailer with an '02 that I bought new. 7-8 mpg towing, 8 mpg around town and 11 mpg highway. I wish it had a manual trans and maybe some gears lower than 3.73 (35 in tires). Over the Cascade Mountains max speed is 50 at around 3500 rpm. With only 85,000 miles, I worry about the transmission but it has only got warm once.

I had an '06 f250 with 4::10
As mentioned the truck will pull it no problem it just needs to be up around 5k rpm
Which it is designed for- just loud :)

The problem with the V10 is that it really likes to drink the gas. Even while not towing once you get it over 65 it drinks in copious amounts and it is really hard to drive it on the freeway at 65 or less.

Unless all your towing is uphill, both ways, I'd leave it stock and go. For the minimum towing you state I'd load her up and go. I'd say if you need to "tune" your gas engine to get the job done, you should probably be looking at a diesel. Pick your manufacturer.

I had the V10 for towing a 8,500# camper. Flats and low hills it was relatively ok. Going down Rte 77 through W. VA, Va, and some of those hills, not quite so good. It got the job done, but as some like to say "let 'er rev", and that doesn't work for me. A V10 screaming along at 4500-5000 rpm does not make for a relaxing ride for me.

Bought new camper, twice the weight, bought different truck with a diesel, and rarely crack 3000 rpm. Most of the time that happens on a downhill. For me that low rpm towing grunt makes for a much more enjoyable ride.

I went to MT last summer from CT and back. First tow with truck ('99 CC SB 4WD) and Prowler 25'.
The early 6.8's were 2V the later ('03+?) we're 3V. The 3V had much more HP than the 2V. Mine has a 3 speed + OD auto and 4.30 gears. It also has a BANKS TransCommand Trans controller. No Tow/Haul in these older models. I was getting 6-9 in the city and hilly terrain, and 10-12 on the flats. Flat ran out of power on long/steep hills. Especially if I couldn't get a running start. If that happened, 45mph was all.......oh yeah, wide open throttle=no A/C. I am currently getting ready to put in an order for a new truck. It will be a diesel!
NOTE: the original owner had put a full banks big dog exhaust headers to tip, banks ram air filter and the Trans command. I'm sure all this helped and I didn't have to lay out the cash for it!
MikeH

dougford wrote:
Most of the gas motor homes use the Ford V10. I wonder why?

The old Chevy 8.1 big block engines were dropped from production, thus ended the era of the Workhorse/Chevy. Ford is really all that is left in the gas market for the time being.

Most of the gas motor homes use the Ford V10. I wonder why?