So we keep forgetting we have poor memories!After crossing the siskiyou pass again we remembered the mh has the tow haul feature.What difference does it make?We tow a 1997 honda crv.Thanks all.

Assuming your MH works like my truck (is that possible)? When in tow mode two things happen. 1) your transmissions shifts at a higher RPM, giving you more torque to pull up-hills without degrading your speed.Second, if going down-hill, the opposite will occur. Tow mode will prevent the transmission from up-shifting, causing you to go faster and faster and faster, causing you to constantly ride the brakes or manually down shifting.I know my truck is not a MH, but even when not towing, tow mode is nice in the heavy hills or mountains (well, if you call the Smokeies and the Blue Ridge "mountains" ... compared to the rockies), but .. steep hills are still steep hills.So even without towing, tow mode will keep the truck from upshifting into higher gears when going down a very steep incline. Granted, your RPM's will be higher, but you won't have to manually shift back and forth to maintain a steady speed going down hill.I love my tow mode now once I actually got into some mountains where I could see it work. Indiana is just too flat. So, no need to use it, unless I'm actually towing. That's when the higher RPM's between shifts is nice (when speeding up).Hope this helps ...

And, the tow/haul setting locks the torque converter earlier in the shifting to reduce transmission fluid heat buildup.

The tranny will never see "overdrive" in tow/haul mode.In mountains, the tranny will shift a lot less, and last a lot longer.

RJsfishin wrote:The tranny will never see "overdrive" in tow/haul mode.In mountains, the tranny will shift a lot less, and last a lot longer.For the modern Ford 5-speed transmissions, tow/haul does not lock out overdrive. It only adjusts the shift points and general transmission logic, and really works quite well.The older four speed transmissions often had a button in the same place (on the end of the shift lever) that did nothing more or less than lock out overdrive, and was labeled as such ("O/D Off" or something very similar, not "Tow/Haul").

Tow haul mode can be much more sophisticated than just "shifts later".My 99 tahoe had no tow haul mode or button. I changed the PCM to an LS1B computer and gained the ability to add that tow haul mode with a button that momentarily grounds a wire going to the PCM. After opening the tune file in EFI Live tuning software I was able to adjust Trans shift points for speed, load, throttle position, rpm, coolant temps, etc. You can raise the trans fluid line pressures, change when the torque converter locks up and unlocks under different loads, rpms, speeds and throttle positions to limit constant hunting of gears, etc. All this is to maximize hp/tq and limit constant shifting and torque converter unlocking which keeps the trans temps cooler.This is 2001 PCM.I can imagine that they have the tune files and shifting strategies pretty well figured out by 2015.Use the tow haul button!

tow haul feature. | Good Sam Community

RJsfishin
Explorer
Mar 30, 2015
The tranny will never see "overdrive" in tow/haul mode.
In mountains, the tranny will shift a lot less, and last a lot longer.
Jframpey
Explorer
Mar 30, 2015
And, the tow/haul setting locks the torque converter earlier in the shifting to reduce transmission fluid heat buildup.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Mar 29, 2015
Assuming your MH works like my truck (is that possible)? When in tow mode two things happen. 1) your transmissions shifts at a higher RPM, giving you more torque to pull up-hills without degrading your speed.

Second, if going down-hill, the opposite will occur. Tow mode will prevent the transmission from up-shifting, causing you to go faster and faster and faster, causing you to constantly ride the brakes or manually down shifting.

I know my truck is not a MH, but even when not towing, tow mode is nice in the heavy hills or mountains (well, if you call the Smokeies and the Blue Ridge "mountains" ... compared to the rockies), but .. steep hills are still steep hills.

So even without towing, tow mode will keep the truck from upshifting into higher gears when going down a very steep incline. Granted, your RPM's will be higher, but you won't have to manually shift back and forth to maintain a steady speed going down hill.

I love my tow mode now once I actually got into some mountains where I could see it work. Indiana is just too flat. So, no need to use it, unless I'm actually towing. That's when the higher RPM's between shifts is nice (when speeding up).

Hope this helps ...

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