Tow Haul

[w3ozwizard]

I did a search on this subject and did not get much of an answer. So I am asking you folks who probably know more about the subject than any other place on the Internet. Here goes..... When I got my Ford E-450 based Class C. The dealer told me when I asked to keep the vehicle in Tow Haul as he thinks it improves gas mileage. Well I have been running that way, not knowing REALLY what the feature is supposed to do. I have read that it changes the shifting control and allows for better control in some situations. OK but what is really happening? On our last trip I had it in the Tow Haul condition and when I went down a sharp hill, the MH went into some kind of condition with a lot of noise and it seemed to have shifted the transmission or engine into another gear. Kind of like when you hit the passing gear on your car. At the end of the hill all went back to normal. On the way home on the same hill the same thing happened this time going up the hill. If I am not towing anything do I need to have it in this mode? Does it really make for better mileage? Seems to me that it revved up everything and sounded more stressful on the transmission and engine and I don't want to do that if it is not necessary. Any thoughts?

[tpi]

It is certainly fine to shift in and out of tow haul on the fly. Sure it can drop to 2nd gear inappropriately, but tow haul can do that anyway. Tap the brakes on a downhill and watch the revs soar. You love 5000 RPM for no reason, you'll love tow haul mode!

I'm on the lighter end of E450 and personally only use it for downhill compression braking. It simply cannot read the road and be more useful than applying it manually when needed.

I'd much rather have paddle shifters.

I can see nothing about tow haul which would improve fuel economy-quite the opposite. For compression braking on as needed basis it is fine. For uphills if it selects a better gear for climbing it may be fine too. But to leave it on all the time....eewwww lol.

[fortytwo]

I like the Tow Haul feature, compared to my old 4 speed tranny on a 2000 F53. The downhill engine braking is the best feature. F53 chassis had great brakes, but you really needed them with the 4 speed.

I would not use it all the time. I find the tranny upshifts 2-300 yards later at the top of a hill in Tow Haul (cruise control on). Same on a start from a stop. I maunally switch out to eliminate that extended time in a lower gear. If you have a ScanGuage you can see the difference in fuel use. Anything that reduces transmission heat in city or hill driving is a plus.

[w3ozwizard]

Thank You everyone for your efforts. I am not sure I really know the answer as there seems to be a big difference of opinion on the topic. But at least I know the sounds and symptoms I had experienced going down and up a hill with Tow Haul on was pretty much normal and nothing apparently to worry about. The E-450 runs great and is very quiet so when it went into those gyrations it kind of set me back and as it is a used MH every squeak and noise makes me a little worried. Someone posted from the manual that if it is in TH that it will return to normal when you start up the next time. Maybe that is on a new rig. Mine stays in TH until I press the button on the shiftier to shut it off. But thanks for the information anyway it was helpful.

[NWboondocker]

cgmartine wrote:
Desert Captain, if that is so, go ahead and shift it into Tow Haul while you are doing 55 mph and come back and tells us how your engine reacted. At that speed, it is no different than if you dropped it into 2nd gear. And that is all I have to say about that!!!

No such thing happens, unless going downhill and braking @55, in which case it gently downshifts to assist in braking. Hardly the slamming it into 2nd gear behavior you're describing, unless you have something seriously wrong.

[Desert_Captain]

cgmartine wrote:
Desert Captain, if that is so, go ahead and shift it into Tow Haul while you are doing 55 mph and come back and tells us how your engine reacted. At that speed, it is no different than if you dropped it into 2nd gear. And that is all I have to say about that!!!

Sorry, but you could not be more wrong. I go in and out of TH all the time and have never experienced what you describe. It will go from 5th to 4th with a barely discernible, very smooth increase in rpm and that is exactly what it is suppose to do. Clearly you have something seriously wrong with your trans if it behaves as you described.

:C

[derh20]

Here are my experiences and thoughts. I don't place much value on the manual as it is probably written for the majority of uses for the E-450. Being much heavier, I consider a MH much different. I engage T/H when driving in cities where there is a lot of stop and go or I am exiting a freeway and need to slow down. On straight aways, I disengage it. I do use T/H going up and down mountain areas. I do have a problem on some long, steep downhills where a slight press of the break brings the MH to a too low of a gear. If I see this as a potential, I take it our of T/H and downshift manually. Any thoughts or comments are welcome.

[DocP]

Taken directly from the Ford 2015 E-Series Owner’s Manual:

Tow/haul delays upshifts to reduce frequency of transmission shifting. Tow/haul also provides engine braking in all forward gears when the transmission is in the D (Overdrive) position; this engine braking will slow the vehicle and assist the driver in controlling the vehicle when descending a grade. Depending on driving conditions and load conditions, the transmission may downshift, slow the vehicle and control the vehicle speed when descending a hill, without the accelerator pedal being pressed. The amount of downshift braking provided will vary based upon the amount the brake pedal is depressed.

To deactivate the tow/haul feature and return to normal driving mode, press the button on the end of the gearshift lever. The TOW HAUL light will no longer be illuminated.

When you shut-off and restart the engine, the transmission will automatically return to normal D (Overdrive) mode (Tow/Haul OFF).

[cgmartine]

Desert Captain, if that is so, go ahead and shift it into Tow Haul while you are doing 55 mph and come back and tells us how your engine reacted. At that speed, it is no different than if you dropped it into 2nd gear. And that is all I have to say about that!!!

[klutchdust]

Ray & June wrote:

klutchdust wrote:

mlts22 wrote:
If worried about it, and the rig isn't in warranty, hit a place like Five Star Tuning, and get a tuner, which will help with shift points and gear use. I've read good things about those devices, but personally have not used one.

Be careful using a tuner. Enough engineering went into this engine/transmission combination . I don't see where a tuner will benefit anyone but the seller of said product.

The engineering that goes into vehicles today by the manufacturers is designed to be cheap for them to build, last through the warranty period, and appeal to the majority of the drivers.

Not all drivers fit that majority class. I don't and maybe mlts22 doesn't either.

If there wasn't a need for special tuning, why have places like: Shelby, Hooker, K&N, Brembo, Lingenfelter, Ruff, Cobb, and dozens of others made a wonderful living and a joyous experience for their customers.

I bought a new class A on a F53 chassis and was horribly disapointed in the shift points of the transmission. It would shift from TCLU (overdrive) down to third gear when approaching a overpass on the freeway. Skipped fifth and fourth altogether.

After attending the "5 star tuning" seminar at the good sam rally, I ordered their chip. What a huge difference. I would strongly recommend them to someone who is unhappy with their Ford transmission.

As an aside; the Ford manual says the "normal" mode of driving is with the "tow-haul" off. I think if they wanted you to drive in "tow-haul" all the time, it wouldn't be optional.

Take your rig in for warranty work and see what they say if you have engine or transmission problems and have a chip or tuner.

[Ray___June]

klutchdust wrote:

mlts22 wrote:
If worried about it, and the rig isn't in warranty, hit a place like Five Star Tuning, and get a tuner, which will help with shift points and gear use. I've read good things about those devices, but personally have not used one.

Be careful using a tuner. Enough engineering went into this engine/transmission combination . I don't see where a tuner will benefit anyone but the seller of said product.

The engineering that goes into vehicles today by the manufacturers is designed to be cheap for them to build, last through the warranty period, and appeal to the majority of the drivers.

Not all drivers fit that majority class. I don't and maybe mlts22 doesn't either.

If there wasn't a need for special tuning, why have places like: Shelby, Hooker, K&N, Brembo, Lingenfelter, Ruff, Cobb, and dozens of others made a wonderful living and a joyous experience for their customers.

I bought a new class A on a F53 chassis and was horribly disapointed in the shift points of the transmission. It would shift from TCLU (overdrive) down to third gear when approaching a overpass on the freeway. Skipped fifth and fourth altogether.

After attending the "5 star tuning" seminar at the good sam rally, I ordered their chip. What a huge difference. I would strongly recommend them to someone who is unhappy with their Ford transmission.

As an aside; the Ford manual says the "normal" mode of driving is with the "tow-haul" off. I think if they wanted you to drive in "tow-haul" all the time, it wouldn't be optional.

[DrewE]

cgmartine wrote:
Contrary to popular opinion, my suggestion is to keep if off tow haul unless you are climbing or going down hill. On a flat road, there is not need for Tow Haul, which would be like driving in low gear. I have tow haul on my e450, and I only use it during those conditions. Do not, I repeat, engage Tow Haul at high speeds, because it will be like putting it into low gear at 50 miles per hour and you will get a very abrupt slow down.

Tow/haul on the Ford chassis does not lock out overdrive, which is what you are describing. On a flat stretch, it will stay in overdrive with the torque converter locked.

(The older Ford transmissions, before the 5 speed torque-flight, did not have a tow/haul mode. There is a button on the end of the shift lever in the same place, but it is labeled as overdrive off and does exactly what the label says. That's a different story—there, on the flat, it generally is better to use overdrive.)

[klutchdust]

mlts22 wrote:
If worried about it, and the rig isn't in warranty, hit a place like Five Star Tuning, and get a tuner, which will help with shift points and gear use. I've read good things about those devices, but personally have not used one.

Be careful using a tuner. Enough engineering went into this engine/transmission combination . I don't see where a tuner will benefit anyone but the seller of said product.

[quingus]

I think when you have a heavy rig 30ft or more, loaded or unloaded It is my humble opinion you are in tow haul territory. That being said, I have used it both ways. Love it going up big long grades and down works great. It doesn't search as much or at all for the right hear. That's what I'm looking for. Another plus is tranny temp that stays down. Talked to a Ford mechanic when having service asked about it. 25 years experience his like for the TH was up/down grades. He also added that with my rig, no slide, I had more ccc, but regardless he said I was already towing, why not use it. In addition the TH mated to the 5sd torqshift was in tented in this manner. On the flats dealers choice. Just my 2c's.

[KD4UPL]

What your rig did coming down the hill is what it's supposed to do. It downshifted to a lower gear to help slow the descent. If you just rode the brakes all the way down the hill and didn't take advantage of the engine braking you would at have very hot brakes at the bottom and have to frequently change your brake pads.
I keep my truck in T/H almost all the time. The front brake pads are original at 198,000 miles. The rear were changed about 170,000 miles.
The statement that shifting in to T/H is like putting your transmission in low gear is not quite true. If your just cruising down a flat road it should make no difference. If you're in a towing situation or a hill decent situation where you'd be better off in a lower gear than putting it in T/H may very well cause a down shift, as it should.