Tow/Haul button: what is it for?
Hi all, very noob question. Just purchased my second RV., 2012 24' Class C on E350. The tow/haul button automatically comes on when started. Sales person said to just turn it off. What is it used...
Forum Discussion
Tow/haul cause the transmission to shift at a higher engine RPM for each gear. When the vehicle is under a load (like towing), at slower speeds, the transmission will shift up and down way too much. Sometimes, the transmission will not down-shift at the right time to keep the torque up too if you do not have tow/haul engaged. When needing to speed up, and you're expecting a down-shift to occur, sometimes they just don't.
With Tow/Haul, the shift pattern is a bit different. The transmission will stay in lower gears longer, and when climbing hills, or towing a load, the transmission will (kind of .. sort of ...) lock into a lower gear to keep the torque up. Somehow, it knows how to do this.
So, if you are on hills or in town with lots of stop and go, tow/haul is great! If driving interstate, flat and steady, and shifting is minimal, then you don't need tow/haul activated.
Another advantage of tow/haul, that I find more beneficial that then different shift pattern, is the fact, when activated, and coming down mountain roads (interstates), tow/haul will keep your transmission in a lower gear without you having to manually down shift. The engine will rev, but it will keep you in a lower gear, thus prevent you from having to ride your brakes, or manually down shift.
Once you get to the bottom of the hill, press the gas peddle slightly, and it will then shift back up to the next gear. It's really sweet the way it works. I really couldn't tell the big difference until we hit the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tenessee, and South Carolina that first time. And then .. Oh Wow!
Now, whenever I tow the trailer, I just automatically push the tow/haul button "on". Even on flat ground, in town, the higher shift pattern makes driving much nicer too.
With Tow/Haul, the shift pattern is a bit different. The transmission will stay in lower gears longer, and when climbing hills, or towing a load, the transmission will (kind of .. sort of ...) lock into a lower gear to keep the torque up. Somehow, it knows how to do this.
So, if you are on hills or in town with lots of stop and go, tow/haul is great! If driving interstate, flat and steady, and shifting is minimal, then you don't need tow/haul activated.
Another advantage of tow/haul, that I find more beneficial that then different shift pattern, is the fact, when activated, and coming down mountain roads (interstates), tow/haul will keep your transmission in a lower gear without you having to manually down shift. The engine will rev, but it will keep you in a lower gear, thus prevent you from having to ride your brakes, or manually down shift.
Once you get to the bottom of the hill, press the gas peddle slightly, and it will then shift back up to the next gear. It's really sweet the way it works. I really couldn't tell the big difference until we hit the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tenessee, and South Carolina that first time. And then .. Oh Wow!
Now, whenever I tow the trailer, I just automatically push the tow/haul button "on". Even on flat ground, in town, the higher shift pattern makes driving much nicer too.
