Use tow/haul mode or no?

[Rob Hentges]

I just flat towed my 2 door wrangler for the first time from NJ to VA. It towed great. When I almost got to my destination, I remembered that my Newmar V10 has a tow/haul mode. Question is, should I use that mode? And if so, why?

[riverforest]

if it pulled great your o.k. I use tow haul when I'm climbing hills, when I'm descending hills, or when I want to accelerate back on to the roadway. keeps me in a lower gear sooner. now just driving down level interstate I don't use it.

[Gold Pot]

I agree with Riverforest's comments and I will add that I like tow haul when in stop and go traffic (going from 0 to 45 or so) because tow haul downshifts to help with stopping distance.

[twinboat]

I use mine all of the time. It just changes the shifting strategy for a heavier load, like hauling a fully loaded chassis and towing a car.
Its for towing or hauling, we do both.

I like the downshifting during a stop, helps keep the brakes cool.

It has no effect cruising down the straight and flat highway.

[scbwr]

I stay in tow haul mode for the downshifting benefit. Gas mileage is never going to be good, so I'm not going to worry about whether I could get better gas mileage by not being in tow haul mode (as I've seen some posters share). The safety benefits of the the tow haul mode make it worth using, at least for me.

[LenR]

Ford tow haul tends to keep the torque converter locked more reducing its enemy--heat.

[rwhite1223]

As soon as you hitch something up you should use tow mode or you'll fry your transmission, rainforests will burn, you'll void your warranty and take on such an enormous liability that your insurance company will deny all claims and cancel you. Kidding, but you may hear some comments like that. They are normally designed to keep the transmission from hunting for gears up hill and provide some reduced gearing down hill. As long as the transmission is not hunting for gears and you're not lugging the motor you'll be fine.

[Sbrownstein]

With my F53 and a 4300 lb TOAD, I have used both modes. Tow Haul is nice on climbing passes and especially downgrades. I can do the same thing manually (and have) by downshifting the transmission, but TH allows me to just tap the brakes to get a downshift without looking at the shift lever and doing it manually. On flat roads I use the normal mode.

[Mike8253]

I run with mine in tow/haul all the time. I like the shift points better, and like the downshift braking assist also. Seems to me that the shift points when not in tow/haul load the transmission up a bit when accelerating.

[aether_one]

I only use T/H mode when decelerating for the added braking benefit. Regular mode works better for accelerating as it keeps the RPMS in the best torque range for the V10.

Doesn't matter if I'm towing or not, I'm hauling a motor home.

[EdInArk]

We use Tow / Haul most of the time and can't tell any difference in mileage. RPM in high gear is the same either way.

[R.Wold]

I find Tow/Haul to be mostly useful descending grades. But you’ll notice it causes the trans to stay in a lower gear longer than necessary when you get towards the bottom of the grade, so you’ll do well to switch it off when you are ready for a higher gear rather than waiting for it to upshift. The exhaust brake on my 17 F250 engages a similar shift strategy. The shift strategy is good but not as responsive to changing road conditions as an aware driver. I’m sure it’s another attempt at idiot-proofing these vehicles, which of course is impossible....

[Sbrownstein]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

I find Tow/Haul to be mostly useful descending grades. But you’ll notice it causes the trans to stay in a lower gear longer than necessary when you get towards the bottom of the grade...

My experience exactly. have to turn it off at the bottom of the grade.

[twinboat]

Mine does linger in the lower gear a little long after a downgrade but I just ride it out until it upshifts.

With the 2017, 6 speed and lower V10 RPMs, its not that bad. We can still talk to each other at the lower RPMs.