Cruise Control Downshifting

[flavionics]

I have a 31' Minnie Winnie on a E450 chassis and I question rather or not the Cruise Control can be adjusted somehow as to not down shift when going up the slightest hill. This usually scares the bejesus out of me and I would expect not good for the MPG and transmission. I understand this happens to maintain speed, but I would be willing to sacrifice a couple of miles per hour to keep from what I feel is a somewhat violent manuver.
My previous class A with a Ford F53, seemed a bit more resonable sacrificing MPH before the downshift.

[Oldme]

As has been stated the cruse control does not control
your transmission. You can cut off the OD with the the
leaver control, that will help. Te shift points are
computer programed in.

One of the things drivers rave about with the 5 Star Tuning
is the reprogramming of the shift points and the torque
converter lockup. From my reading the re-programing eliminates
the problems you and everyone else sees.

5 Star is on my short list to do.

[Gjac]

My MH would do this at the slightest hill or over pass when I first bought it. Adding headers, FF mufflers, CAI (about 80 more HP) fixed this problem. Another thing that helped which is cheap is adding a vacuum gauge, when I see a hill or mountain in my case I accelerate before hitting the incline and watch the vacuum gauge I slowly take my foot off the gas maintaining the vacuum above the sift point of the transmission and it will stay in high gear without down shifting.

[j-d]

Agreed, based on driving a C and an F with Truck Camper, V10/TorqShift.

But this discussion started out E4OD, and the later 4R100. 5R110 is a whole 'nother ballgame. Better for sure, and I'm a little surprised at the number of TorqShift drivers displeased with downshift behavior.

[JAXFL]

Actually, if you push the tow haul button a little before you get to the rise in the road it will normally go over the short hill without a problem they push the button again to normal cruise. saves on the tendon problems. However if your in HILLs then your going to hurt the tendon.

[DrewE]

j-d wrote:
It's actually less stressful to drive without an accessory that's there to make driving less stressful...

That's true only if you find the automatic transmission's automatic shifting of gears to be stressful. If you're willing to accept its shift logic, even when it's noisy and arguably sub-optimal, then the cruise control can make for less stressful highway driving.

I've found the cruise control to be handy on every vehicle I've owned. It's one of the very few gizmos that I would be loathe to do without. I'd probably even choose cruise control over air conditioning, if I had to choose, though would probably change if I lived someplace with less moderate summer temperatures.

[pnichols]

j-d wrote:
It's actually less stressful to drive without an accessory that's there to make driving less stressful...

Unless ... you have occasional tendon problems in your right foot so it's painful/stressful to have to hold it almost stationary on the gas pedal hour after hour!!

Sometimes when in cruise control in our E450 motorhome, I stick my right leg out straight (past the brake pedal) to both stretch out it's leg muscles, and relieve the foot tendons. FWIW, when I was stationed in Utah I used to drive back to CA in the Mustang with no cruise control in Northern Nevada by wedging a stick between the seat and the gas pedal - stretched my right leg out across the passenger seat.

[j-d]

It's actually less stressful to drive without an accessory that's there to make driving less stressful...

[JAXFL]

Road Runners wrote:
I have learned to help the cruise control on slight grades, such as going up on an overpass. I press the accelerator down slightly which increases the speed slightly. I hold the accelerator down till I have topped the grade and then slowly take my foot off the accelerator. It takes a few tries to learn how to do it correctly.

X2 This is how you do it... cruise control in not an auto pilot and you must actively participate in the driving part.

[RVWithTito]

TucsonJim wrote:
I'd suggest you take it out of cruise control when entering hill country. The cruise control is doing it's intended job of trying to maintain speed.

I use cruise control but switch it off when approaching a hill then back on when it flattens back out. I also switch my E-450 to tow mode on steep downhills to control the speed.

[2oldman]

DrewE wrote:

2oldman wrote:
I just remembered.. I did not downshift my 450, I took it out of overdrive.

Isn't taking it out of overdrive by definition an instance of downshifting? :h

yes

[time2roll]

I used a programmer to set the max RPM down from 5000 to 4500.
Definitely holds the gear longer until the shift will be well under 4500.
My peak TQ is 2500 and HP 4500. I know the v-10 is higher rpm but still an option.

[DrewE]

2oldman wrote:
I just remembered.. I did not downshift my 450, I took it out of overdrive.

Isn't taking it out of overdrive by definition an instance of downshifting? :h

[2oldman]

I just remembered.. I did not downshift my 450, I took it out of overdrive.

[Hickey]

I've got a 2009 chassis with 5 speed and 4.88 gears, and the gear spread is too broad. I hate the way it shifts when in cruise control.

4700 rpm freaks my wife out, and she gives me that look like "OMG YOU'RE GONNA BLOW IT UP!" at 45 mph.