Do you turn off the overdrive?

[komodo]

When pulling your camper do you turn off the overdrive?

[xteacher]

With my tow vehicle, yes. My transmission will thank me in the long run.

[dave54]

Off on hills, traffic, or curvy roads. On when driving flat straight highways with light traffic. It lets me know when working too hard.

[opnspaces]

I would say your owners manual is the best source of information. But with almost 200,000 on my Suburban I always turn off overdrive when towing even though the manual says I don't have to.

[Old-Biscuit]

Dream Girl wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Only if tranny starts hunting gears........

If it just downshifts due to grade and then upshifts afterwards no.

I towed my old pop-up around Canada all summer long on overdrive, Jeep NEVER hunted for gears, but when I had to change the gear oil I wished that I did turn off the overdrive... (Black and lots of metal shavings)

Now when I tow (pop-up or TT), I always turn off the overdrive -
ALWAYS!

Sorry to hear that.

BUT something else was going on.
Even your Jeep Owners Manual states it's OK UNLESS 'frequenting shifting' occurs.

[mileshuff]

I manually downshift as needed depending on terrain, road or traffic.

My 2007 Dodge has always had a serious programming issue that prevents me from using tow haul. It causes a very severe 4-3 shift issue. Slams gears extremely hard. There was a TSB for this back in 2007 but it did nothing and Chrysler has never acknowledged the problem any further. Manual shifting works much better anyways to keep it in the proper gear.

[Dream_Girl]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Only if tranny starts hunting gears........

If it just downshifts due to grade and then upshifts afterwards no.

I towed my old pop-up around Canada all summer long on overdrive, Jeep NEVER hunted for gears, but when I had to change the gear oil I wished that I did turn off the overdrive... (Black and lots of metal shavings)

Now when I tow (pop-up or TT), I always turn off the overdrive -
ALWAYS!

[p220sigman]

Only if I have to go up Florida's hill, otherwise, it stays on all the time. I do watch for the transmission to start hunting. If that happens, I'll turn it off.

[time2roll]

When my F150 was pulling the Coleman PUP it was mostly in OD.
Hold the gear down only if hunting.

[johntank]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Only if tranny starts hunting gears........

If it just downshifts due to grade and then upshifts afterwards no.

I agree with this.

[OH48Lt]

I use the tow haul feature, but usually leave it in 5th gear when towing. The truck tows just fine in 6th and doesn't hunt around for the proper gear, but I get about an extra mile per gallon if I stay in 5th. Must be something to do with hitting the sweet spot in the torque curve.

[naturist]

depends on the tow vehicle and the load and the road conditions and whether you are at altitude with a non-turbo motor and how fast you are going and whether the engine seems to be struggling and how hot the engine is getting and . . . .

[GordonThree]

DownTheAvenue wrote:

eubank wrote:
Read your owner's manual and follow what it says.
Lynn

X2

X3 ... for my vehicle, I do not turn off overdrive. town haul mode mostly takes care of that, and even in mountains areas i've never experienced so-called hunting

[DownTheAvenue]

eubank wrote:
Read your owner's manual and follow what it says.
Lynn

X2

[eubank]

Read your owner's manual and follow what it says.
Lynn