shifting on downhills

wowens79 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Should always be in Tow/Haul! Anytime the engine is started, turn it on.

This kind of baffles me. MHs should be set up to be in Tow/Haul as the default and you should have to turn it off manually if you don't want it for some reason. Same with trucks...the trucks know if a trailer is hooked up, so if it senses one, it should go into tow/haul as the default.

My F-350, once you put it hook up the trailer and put it in tow/haul mode, it stays in it when you stop for gas etc. Then when you disconnect the trailer it asks if you want to stay in tow/haul. I don't think I'd want my truck to automatically go into it. If I'm pulling my 14' jon boat, I don't want tow/haul. On a motorhome I agree, it might as well only have tow/haul mode.

It's a nuisance more than anything but have found myself tapping the brake going down a hill and it doesn't downshift...before I realize I didn't turn it on.

Particularly for 3/4 & 1 ton trucks, I'm betting when it senses a trailer hooked up, 95% of people should be in tow/haul.

Of course, with modern electronics, it should be easy enough to have a setting so the owner can select what they want to happen and the stray guy who needs a diesel dually to pull a jon boat can set it to be turned off unless they manually activate it.

Alternatively, if you are pulling a jon boat, it's probably a 4 wire connection, so if the truck doesn't find a brake circuit, it could leave tow/haul off.

valhalla360 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Should always be in Tow/Haul! Anytime the engine is started, turn it on.

This kind of baffles me. MHs should be set up to be in Tow/Haul as the default and you should have to turn it off manually if you don't want it for some reason. Same with trucks...the trucks know if a trailer is hooked up, so if it senses one, it should go into tow/haul as the default.

My F-350, once you put it hook up the trailer and put it in tow/haul mode, it stays in it when you stop for gas etc. Then when you disconnect the trailer it asks if you want to stay in tow/haul. I don't think I'd want my truck to automatically go into it. If I'm pulling my 14' jon boat, I don't want tow/haul. On a motorhome I agree, it might as well only have tow/haul mode.

dodge guy wrote:
Should always be in Tow/Haul! Anytime the engine is started, turn it on.

This kind of baffles me. MHs should be set up to be in Tow/Haul as the default and you should have to turn it off manually if you don't want it for some reason. Same with trucks...the trucks know if a trailer is hooked up, so if it senses one, it should go into tow/haul as the default.

Should always be in Tow/Haul! Anytime the engine is started, turn it on. When descending press the brake pedal. Each press of the brake will downshift the trans one gear. Don’t worry about the rpm, the computer will handle it!

There are several ways to downshift. Press the brake pedal and hold for 2-3 seconds and the transmission will go down one gear.

Put the gear shift in manual mode and select the gear you want-within reason.

Also, the transmission will not downshift out of its range. It will not exceed the rpm programed into the operating software. One gear at a time is about it.

^The issue that instigated the question? It’s nothing to do with the vehicle.
But quite likely, almost certainly, a result of there being ZERO requirement to have any competency or capabilities or understanding whatsoever, aside from having a basic drivers license that hasn’t been suspended or revoked and enough money to buy a 3 to 13 ton machine and go play in traffic with it.

way2roll wrote:
I don't know about the newer models but in previous versions that's what the tow/haul mode was for. When descending if you tapped the brakes it would downshift.

This and if it's not downshifting enough, you should be able to manually force it down a gear using the gear selector.

Of course, it would be helpful to know what the problem was that instigated the thread....

Just do what you have to to avoid riding the brakes down the hill. If your speed climbs too high, brake fairly hard but short, and realize you should have been down a gear or too more.
Accept slower speeds, both up and down.

Put it in Tow haul and let it do its thing.
Or don’t worry about it on the uphills as it will downshift as needed. Lock in a top gear you want if it’s hunting (not likely on a new rig).
Downhill, you can manually downshift it a cog or 2 to use engine braking if you don’t want to let tow haul do its thing.
You’re not gonna hurt anything by keeping the rpm’s up but you’ll use more brakes going down if it’s coasting in top gear at low rpm’s and you’ll have less power going up if it doesn’t downshift.
But it will do both for you about as intuitively as the average driver would do it.

I don't know about the newer models but in previous versions that's what the tow/haul mode was for. When descending if you tapped the brakes it would downshift.