TRANSMISSION TOW HAUL FEATURE ON 2016 F53 CHASSIS DEFECTIVE

hfbundy wrote:
DSDP Don, you seem terribly smart for not even owning one of the motorhomes in question. If you have time to read LVRVLUVR's posts on irv2 Ford forum, go back and read my posts. Most threads include the word "downshifting" in the title. You will find that I was the first owner to definitively diagnose the tow haul feature on the 2016 F53 6 speed as nonfunctional. jharrell and several other owners confirmed my diagnosis. The purpose of this post is not to diagnose the problem, but to try to persuade Ford to acknowledge and fix it.

I doubt Ford reads this forum.

Don't have to own one to know how they work!!!!!

DSDP Don, you seem terribly smart for not even owning one of the motorhomes in question. If you have time to read LVRVLUVR's posts on irv2 Ford forum, go back and read my posts. Most threads include the word "downshifting" in the title. You will find that I was the first owner to definitively diagnose the tow haul feature on the 2016 F53 6 speed as nonfunctional. jharrell and several other owners confirmed my diagnosis. The purpose of this post is not to diagnose the problem, but to try to persuade Ford to acknowledge and fix it.

"hfbundy"......First off, this is quite a post for your first one on this forum, along with the fact you told others not to address your complaint because you know what you're doing!

I looked at the other posts on IRV2 and I hope you're not listening to anything "LVRVLUVR" is saying or discussing. I would have to say he's the biggest knucklehead I've ever seen on any forum. Go back and read his posts. He's had at least 6-7 RV's in the last two years and EVERYONE of them has had some major issue that he has complained about. My favorite was his previous Ford chassis that kept eating wheel bearings. He shows up on the forum every few months and starts some outrageous post. I'm guessing this happens when he sobers up for a few weeks.

I've driven coaches/trucks with a tow haul feaure and usually one of two things need to occur to cause a downshift, either the cruise needs to be on and the coach tries to maintain the speed or you apply the brakes. It doesn't know you're going down a hill otherwise. In your description, you state you can't MANUALLY downshift, they weren't designed to do that. In the new multi speed transmissions they don't necessarily let you have access to all the gears for various reasons.

Reading the other posts about the issue, it seems that most are working properly and only a few have issues, but aren't sure how its suppose to work. So other than "LVRVLUVR" who is an idiot, there is really no big story here that I can see, other than a brake light issue some are having.

A couple of thoughts, as I believe you have the same transmission that is in my Super Duty;

1. You're not supposed to manually downshift it, it does that on it's own.

2. Try tapping the brakes when you feel you need the transmission to kick in and help with the braking. I have found on my truck if I just let it go it provides some engine braking. If I just tap the brake pedal once the engine braking becomes far more aggressive.

Hopefully that will work for you as well.

Please no more suggestions on how to drive. This has all been discussed on the irv2 Ford forum under a half dozen different threads. It is not the same transmission as the Ford super duty, but the tow haul feature should work the same way. I traded a 2011 F53 in on this unit and the tow haul feature worked as described in the owner's manual. I currently own a 2013 F150 and the tow haul feature functions identically to the 2011 F53. I have been down 6-8 percent grades in the 2016 F53 with tow haul engaged at least 50 times usually various braking techniques and the transmission never downshifted once. Other owners have had similar experience with these units.

Hiker_01 wrote:

hfbundy wrote:
What is the last 5 digits of your Thor VIN and what month was it built?

The VIN ends in 01566. Not sure when it was built. Dealer received it in September 2015. First trip I drove was when I took delivery. Did not tow and did not have tow/haul engaged. Drove through hilly areas and transmission acted normal. Have taken two trips along same route while towing and tow/haul engaged and transmission downshifted to control speed when appropriate.

Can't argue against you that there may be a problem - I just know mine seems to be working they way it is supposed to be.


Don

You said it is a 2016 Thor, but what is the chassis model year? If it is a 2106 F53 chassis, the 10th character in the VIN will be a G. My Winnebago was delivered in late August and my VIN numbers are 00311. I am not sure how many F53 chassis delivered in a short period of time, but 1255 units seems a lot.

hfbundy wrote:
This defect which appears to be inherent to all 2016 Ford F53 chassis with 16,000# and 18,000# ratings and is discussed extensively under several threads on the irv2.com forum. Specifically page 33 of the owner's manual states in part: The tow haul feature Provides engine braking in all forward gears, which will slow your vehicle and assist you in controlling your vehicle when descending a grade. Depending on driving conditions and load conditions, may downshift the transmission, slow your vehicle and control your vehicle speed when descending a hill, without pressing the accelerator pedal.....

It should be noted that adequate manual downshift engine braking is not possible because gears 5 and 3 cannot be manually selected.

My experience and that of many other owners of smaller motorhomes having the 2016 Ford F53 chassis with the 6 speed transmission is that they perform none of these functions. The tow haul feature in the heavier chassis appears to be working as described. We have filed numerous complaints with the Ford Customer Relationship Center without obtaining any positive responses.

A couple of thoughts, as I believe you have the same transmission that is in my Super Duty;

1. You're not supposed to manually downshift it, it does that on it's own.

2. Try tapping the brakes when you feel you need the transmission to kick in and help with the braking. I have found on my truck if I just let it go it provides some engine braking. If I just tap the brake pedal once the engine braking becomes far more aggressive.

Hopefully that will work for you as well.

hfbundy wrote:
What is the last 5 digits of your Thor VIN and what month was it built?

The VIN ends in 01566. Not sure when it was built. Dealer received it in September 2015. First trip I drove was when I took delivery. Did not tow and did not have tow/haul engaged. Drove through hilly areas and transmission acted normal. Have taken two trips along same route while towing and tow/haul engaged and transmission downshifted to control speed when appropriate.

Can't argue against you that there may be a problem - I just know mine seems to be working they way it is supposed to be.


Don

What is the last 5 digits of your Thor VIN and what month was it built? I know of one other example for which the owner said that the tow haul in an 18,000# chassis worked. It was built in December and although the tow haul worked, it could not be turned off. It was always in the tow haul mode. It appears that Ford may be trying to fix this problem without telling anyone. I consider it unsatisfactory if the tow haul feature cannot be turned off. This would be detrimental to my fuel economy.

hfbundy wrote:
My experience and that of many other owners of smaller motorhomes having the 2016 Ford F53 chassis with the 6 speed transmission is that they perform none of these functions.

I bought a 2016 Thor ACE 30.1 (31 ft class A) and during the last two trips the tow/haul function seems to have been working fine. Depending on how steep the hill, whether my foot is pressing on the gas pedal or not, determines if it will downshift, but it will downshift.


Don