Pls explain the tow/haul engine braking on my Winnebago

A 5/6 speed Torqshift transmission.

He mentioned Ford and V-10

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:
That's correct. The Tow/Haul button is an on/off switch. Hit it once, it's on, hit it again, it's off.

Ford, GM, Ram, and even Toyota have "tow/haul". The features are not necessarily identical. They all change the transmission's shift points to better match both pulling heavy loads, and provide better engine braking. Some may also lock out the overdrive and/or lock the torque converter.

If you're running in tow/haul mode when you AREN'T heavy loaded, you won't hurt anything, but you probably won't get as good a gas mileage as you would without it on.

Original Poster has a Winnebago. Just off hand, I don't know whose chassis that's built on. Ford? GM?

OP said Ford V10 so I assume Ford F53/F59 chassis.

That's correct. The Tow/Haul button is an on/off switch. Hit it once, it's on, hit it again, it's off.

Ford, GM, Ram, and even Toyota have "tow/haul". The features are not necessarily identical. They all change the transmission's shift points to better match both pulling heavy loads, and provide better engine braking. Some may also lock out the overdrive and/or lock the torque converter.

If you're running in tow/haul mode when you AREN'T heavy loaded, you won't hurt anything, but you probably won't get as good a gas mileage as you would without it on.

Original Poster has a Winnebago. Just off hand, I don't know whose chassis that's built on. Ford? GM?

Folks, I think the terms are confusing to some. I have tow haul mode. Turn it on when towing. When you tap the brakes, the transmission will downshift. From some of the posts above, it may make people think you tap the tow haul button or you have to hit tap hit the tow haul button, then brake (one right after the other)

luberhill wrote:
Ok I’ve read that if going down a big hill tap the brake twice on the coach will slow down on its own ???
It’s a 2013 Itasca 26he with Ford v10

More or less. may take one or two taps. What will happen is this.

When you double tap. the Computer checks the RPM's and if it's safe to do so it DOWNSHIFTS the transmission so as to better employ engine braking.. NOW if the hill is steep enough you will pick up speed and eventually the computer will shift back up.

What I do at this point is break hard to take say 5-10 MPH off the speed. (NOTE NOT locked wheel brake but very firm) then let the engine hold it down while the brakes cool off.

If you are on Cruse Control you will have to double tap.

IF you are going too fast to safely downshift. The computer won't do it. One thing I like about that computer is it is smarter than many people. (IE ME)

When you apply your brakes going down hill, you will hear your motor RPM increase. If you need more "hold back" power, apply your brakes again and you will hear your motor RPMs increase again. From there, you can just touch the brakes just to control your motor RPMs. I try to limit my RPMs going down long steep grades at around 4,000-4,200 RPMs. Just a light touch of your brakes will slow your RPMs. If more braking is necessary to control your speed, use short "jabs" allowing your brakes to cool, in-between those jabs. Do not ride your brakes down a long steep grade, your motor and transmission are designed to hold you back, use them. JH

I use tow haul all the time even if I'm not towing. You get cooler transmission temperatures all the time that way. When you go up hill, tow haul holds it in gear longer so the transmission doesn't hunt; which drives up temperature and wear. When you go down hill, one solid tap will downshift it one gear, another tap downshifts it again. It really saves the brakes on the rig from overheating. It's especially nice when you get off one of those steep downward off ramps. A couple taps and it really slows it down.

There is no active engine braking. It's just more intuitive transmission programming to downshift more aggressively and without manually downshifting.
No differnet than the old way of manually downshifting an auto trans to use rpms and backpressure to control speed.

You don't have to tap the breaks twice. Press the tow/haul button on the end of the gear shift lever. If the speed is increasing going down the hill, push the break pedal and the tranny will downshift and hold the speed. If the speed is still increasing, push the break pedal again and the tranny will downshift again.