Towing in 3rd gear on a 1300 mile trip
I have a 1997 GMC k1500 Z71 5.7 liter with 20000 miles and a 4L60e transmission with only 2000 miles, I will be towing a 3000# dry weight TT from Louisiana to Colorado. I plan on breaking the trip int...
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Won't hurt a thing. I have a small 17 foot 3500 lb RV, and my 2006 with a 5.3L pulls it in 3rd all day long. Setting cruise at 65-68mph, and using tow/haul mode, it drops into 4th (OD) but loses speed and then downshifts to 3rd (direct - meaning 1:1) and stays there @ about 2700-2800 RPM. It's the wind resistance of the 8' wide RV more than the weight when towing on flat terrain. The weight has a greater effect in the hills.
Just as an FYI, in previous vehicles that had an "instant" mpg readout, while towing, using one lower gear and higher RPM gave roughly the same mpg as one gear up at lower RPM. The vehicle I'm referring to is my previous 2014 RAM 2500/6.4L Hemi. It would tow in 4th (out of 6) or 5th. The RPM was lower in 5th obviously, but the mpg was the same in both gears.
Just as an FYI, in previous vehicles that had an "instant" mpg readout, while towing, using one lower gear and higher RPM gave roughly the same mpg as one gear up at lower RPM. The vehicle I'm referring to is my previous 2014 RAM 2500/6.4L Hemi. It would tow in 4th (out of 6) or 5th. The RPM was lower in 5th obviously, but the mpg was the same in both gears.
