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I've got the isb6.7 300hp on our 26,000lb chassis, with a loaded weight of about 25,750 and towing a 2,800lb Focus...
we typically have no issues traversing and descending mountains... while on lower grades I typically leave it in 'mode', for economy, some steeper grades will have me taking it out of 'mode' to give it quicker downshifting as needed, like this week returning from SC thru the mountain grades coming into the Asheville NC area on Interstate 26, and then thru the 40 miles of turns, curves, switchbacks, and mountains between Hendersonville NC and Franklin NC on US64.... what a drive!(?)
I'm not a speed demon, and don't care about driving 'faster' than everyone else when ascending mountain grades. We may drop down to 45mph, or a few times even 35 on steep grades, but the torque never waivers, only the speed. I'm also not one that drops into a gear manually, though many will say that is how you should do it, but I let the expensive Allison 2100MH transmission I paid for handle it for me. The exhaust brake is also you best friend on the way down the other side(s)! Let it do it's job. On flat land, though, I don't use the exhaust brake much, I like to 'coast' between red lights in towns and not have to come to a stop if I don't absolutely have to. The service brakes work very well.
As for the toad, I don't even know it's back there, and if it wasn't for the rear monitor, or late day shadows, I wouldn't be able to see it.
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Linear Mode
