I have had my 24ft class c for a little over a year now. It is on a Ford 350 chassis with the v-10 and have hardly used that feature. This weekend I was heading into a 25 to 30 mph wind and it was downshifting and running up to 4500 rpm so thought I would give the tow/haul a try being as after thinking about it I am hauling a lot of weight with the camper built on that 350 chassis. Wow! what a diferance that makes. We tow a small boat and I have never thought I needed it being as the boat is so light. We didn't have the boat along this trip but I used it anyway. Don't think I will even try it without the tow/haul on anymore unless I am on flat ground with the wind at my back. Seemed to work so much better using it. Not so much downshifting and no more 4500 rpms. Am I the only one that didn't use the tow/haul before?

The RV, by itself, weighs enough to need the TOW/HAUL, in my humble opinion.

jamesk1 wrote:Am I the only one that didn't use the tow/haul before? Probably not by a long stretch.Judging by the amount of times I see folks in the forums asking about "what it's for" and "how/when to use it", I doubt that it's used much in E350/E450 motorhomes.I know what it does and still don't use it much ... except for sometimes in the mountains when I want to keep the cruise control engaged so I can stretch out my right leg. With Tow/Haul mode engaged and with cruise control ON, the cruise control also regulates your downhill speed to what you set it at by automatically downshifting the transmission - hence helping your brakes out by using strong engine braking without you even having to touch the shift lever. However I have a Class C that underloads it's E450 motorhome with it's 4:56 diferential so engine braking is more pronounced all the time and anytime, even when not in Tow/Haul mode.

jamesk1 wrote: Am I the only one that didn't use the tow/haul before?I've had an E450 for about 16 months and just used the Tow/Haul mode for the first time last weekend. I noticed that whenever I took my foot off the gas ( I don't use cruise control that often) it felt like I was applying the brakes - strange/different feeling, and this was in flat South Florida.I also made a conscious effort to drive a little slower, hardly ever hitting 60,drove in the upper 50's. My gas mileage went from a "normal" little over 8 mpg to 9.5 mpg. on this 300 mile round trip.The previous weekend I had 180 mile round trip and got the same mpg, (actually 1 way was 9.7 mpg) just by driving slower, but not using the tow haul mode. I'm pretty sure if I was to take a longer trip, the mpg would be even better.

Most of the areas I drive are up and down hills so it was always shifting. Didn't seem as bad with the cruise on but if it was very steep it would downshift into the lower gears and jump to the high rpms. Not near as bad with the tow/haul on. I did notice that it would downshift and use engine breaking coming into town but not on the rolling hills. Not sure about gas mileage yet as I haven't filled but looked as if I used less on this trip than on the last trip going to the same area.

Tow/Haul | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

Mich_F
Explorer
Jul 28, 2014
jamesk1 wrote:
Am I the only one that didn't use the tow/haul before?

I've had an E450 for about 16 months and just used the Tow/Haul mode for the first time last weekend. I noticed that whenever I took my foot off the gas ( I don't use cruise control that often) it felt like I was applying the brakes - strange/different feeling, and this was in flat South Florida.
I also made a conscious effort to drive a little slower, hardly ever hitting 60,drove in the upper 50's. My gas mileage went from a "normal" little over 8 mpg to 9.5 mpg. on this 300 mile round trip.
The previous weekend I had 180 mile round trip and got the same mpg, (actually 1 way was 9.7 mpg) just by driving slower, but not using the tow haul mode. I'm pretty sure if I was to take a longer trip, the mpg would be even better.
pnichols
Explorer II
Jul 27, 2014
jamesk1 wrote:
Am I the only one that didn't use the tow/haul before?

Probably not by a long stretch.

Judging by the amount of times I see folks in the forums asking about "what it's for" and "how/when to use it", I doubt that it's used much in E350/E450 motorhomes.

I know what it does and still don't use it much ... except for sometimes in the mountains when I want to keep the cruise control engaged so I can stretch out my right leg. With Tow/Haul mode engaged and with cruise control ON, the cruise control also regulates your downhill speed to what you set it at by automatically downshifting the transmission - hence helping your brakes out by using strong engine braking without you even having to touch the shift lever. However I have a Class C that underloads it's E450 motorhome with it's 4:56 diferential so engine braking is more pronounced all the time and anytime, even when not in Tow/Haul mode.
Bobbo
Explorer III
Jul 27, 2014
The RV, by itself, weighs enough to need the TOW/HAUL, in my humble opinion.
bgum
Explorer
Jul 27, 2014
Yep.

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Tow/Haul

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