Downshift or exhaust brake?

Me Again wrote:

larry barnhart wrote:
We use the cabbage patch going home and have a very controled tow just using the Allison. More trailer weight would want me to have an exhaust brake. Chevman

You confirm that the grade braking with the V-8's works better than the Cummins I-6. Chris

Same for the 3500 8.1 dually with the same fifth. Same hill. I have been impressed with grade braking on a gas and then diesel.
chevman

I agree on the automatic brakes with cruise control thing. Not something I'd want but generally I don't like a lot of the new "safety feature that take driver control out of the drivers control.
Adaptive cruise uses brakes, so I bet "trailer" cruise may be starting to be programmed in as well. Just don't know how it would work with hydro boost vs electric boost which is where I've experienced brakes used with cruise on.

larry barnhart wrote:
We use the cabbage patch going home and have a very controled tow just using the Allison. More trailer weight would want me to have an exhaust brake. Chevman

You confirm that the grade braking with the V-8's works better than the Cummins I-6. Chris

We use the cabbage patch going home and have a very controled tow just using the Allison. More trailer weight would want me to have an exhaust brake. Chevman

I accidentally found channel 350 Red White &Booze on SIRIUSXM a few years ago. It’s a great channel!!!

rhagfo wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
I haven't towed hills with my Ford enough to know how to use the system on a hill like that. What I do know is that if I set the cruise control to 35 mph it would descend the hill at 35 mph. My wheel brakes might be very hot at the bottom of the hill though. If I used cruise and I needed to slow a little more for a corner I would have to manually brake which would cancel the cruise and I have to hit resume.

I wouldn't want my service brakes getting hot so on the Ford I wouldn't use cruise. I would try setting my exhaust brake to auto. My expectation with the Ford exhaust brake set to auto is that the system would adjust the exhaust brake based on the brake pedal and accelerator use. So if I slowed to 30 mph using the brake pedal it would try to maintain 30 mph. If it could only mai tain 35 or 40 mph that is how fast I would be descending the grade. If it was maintaining 30 mph and I wanted to go a little faster I would touch the accelerator and speed up to say 35 mph. When I take my foot off the accelerator my expectation would be that the auto system would now be trying to maintain 35 mph.

What are you saying? Do you feel that your Ford uses service brakes to slow when the cruise is on?
I have set my cruise at 55 (not towing)going over Cape Foulweather, and it will apply the EB to slow, if I want to slow more I tap the service brakes, and the EB on full will apply and slow even more.

That system is on the top tier Ford trucks. I think it is a very dangerous system that not all owners are aware of. Sort of like the 737 Max MCAS system. It has the truck applying the brakes for you, and may also apply the trailer brakes, along with the exhaust brake. I do not know what happens if one does not turn on the exhaust brake and is not aware of it not being on.

When he uses it down Cabbage Patch he can report back to us his heat gun readings of the trucks rotors and trailer brakes. Maybe he should make two runs down Cabbage Patch one with the exhaust brake on and one with it not on.

I wonder if that is why he does not think the exhaust holds back much more than grade braking? Are his service brakes in play here?

Our Class A F53 Motorhome has the V10 and 5 speed Torqshift which downshifts automatically. The GVWR is 22,000# and we also tow a CRV. We have takes in the mountains of the East as well as the US and Canadian Rockies and this combination is more than sufficient at keeping us at a safe speed going downgrade.

4x4ord wrote:
I haven't towed hills with my Ford enough to know how to use the system on a hill like that. What I do know is that if I set the cruise control to 35 mph it would descend the hill at 35 mph. My wheel brakes might be very hot at the bottom of the hill though. If I used cruise and I needed to slow a little more for a corner I would have to manually brake which would cancel the cruise and I have to hit resume.

I wouldn't want my service brakes getting hot so on the Ford I wouldn't use cruise. I would try setting my exhaust brake to auto. My expectation with the Ford exhaust brake set to auto is that the system would adjust the exhaust brake based on the brake pedal and accelerator use. So if I slowed to 30 mph using the brake pedal it would try to maintain 30 mph. If it could only mai tain 35 or 40 mph that is how fast I would be descending the grade. If it was maintaining 30 mph and I wanted to go a little faster I would touch the accelerator and speed up to say 35 mph. When I take my foot off the accelerator my expectation would be that the auto system would now be trying to maintain 35 mph.

What are you saying? Do you feel that your Ford uses service brakes to slow when the cruise is on?
I have set my cruise at 55 (not towing)going over Cape Foulweather, and it will apply the EB to slow, if I want to slow more I tap the service brakes, and the EB on full will apply and slow even more.

I haven't towed hills with my Ford enough to know how to use the system on a hill like that. What I do know is that if I set the cruise control to 35 mph it would descend the hill at 35 mph. My wheel brakes might be very hot at the bottom of the hill though. If I used cruise and I needed to slow a little more for a corner I would have to manually brake which would cancel the cruise and I have to hit resume.

I wouldn't want my service brakes getting hot so on the Ford I wouldn't use cruise. I would try setting my exhaust brake to auto. My expectation with the Ford exhaust brake set to auto is that the system would adjust the exhaust brake based on the brake pedal and accelerator use. So if I slowed to 30 mph using the brake pedal it would try to maintain 30 mph. If it could only mai tain 35 or 40 mph that is how fast I would be descending the grade. If it was maintaining 30 mph and I wanted to go a little faster I would touch the accelerator and speed up to say 35 mph. When I take my foot off the accelerator my expectation would be that the auto system would now be trying to maintain 35 mph.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
So far not one person has come forward that knows a LoadLeash owner!

33k descending miles of this at 30-35 locked in second with cruise control on. Don't see a need for the LoadLeash.

Nice choice in Music! Red, White,& Booze!