# What Gear To Tow In?



## bridge bandit (Apr 29, 2006)

Hi All
After reading throughout numerous rv forums I get numerous answers - what gear do you all tow in? - When I'm towing with the tow/haul button engaged I keep it in D when I hit a hill I put it into 3rd. I've read numerous people that tow in 3rd most of the times. What is the consensus?


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

bridge bandit said:


> Hi All
> After reading throughout numerous rv forums I get numerous answers - what gear do you all tow in? - When I'm towing with the tow/haul button engaged I keep it in D when I hit a hill I put it into 3rd. I've read numerous people that tow in 3rd most of the times. What is the consensus?


Hi BB -

Not sure you'll find a consensus re: this topic but you WILL find lots of opinion. I 'spose it depends on your TV and conditions (wind, road surface, hills, etc.). I tow (thru the White Mtns of NH/ME & Green Mtns of VT) pretty much exclusively in 3rd. On flat land...4th works just fine. Haven't owed in D at all. btw, mileage & power have been flawless! (well - ok - mileage can ALWAYS be better but that's not exclusive to towing







)


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

I tow in 4th gear with Tow Mode on most of the time
And on some occasion have dropped it into 3rd on some hills

Don


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## rnameless (Jun 30, 2005)

I never tow in overdrive. It is always disengaged


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Here is a recent thread on the subject:

Overdrive/TowHaul

Pardon my manners!

Welcome to the best Forum on the Web!

Dan


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Check DIRECTLY with the service manager of your dealership -- as the highly intelligent and good-looking author of the original thread stated -- the 2005 Silverados have a computer on board that adjust a whole bunch of things i don't understand -- but it will drop you down to what ever gear ratio you need to make the truck work optiminally ...

If you just jump in (the 2005 Silverado) and drop it in 3rd (ILO O/D) then you are negating billions of dollars worth of design...









But then again -- maybe they didn't do that for you truck -- you need to ask the SM at your dealership


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## madmaccm (Oct 7, 2005)

bridge bandit said:


> Hi All
> After reading throughout numerous rv forums I get numerous answers - what gear do you all tow in? - When I'm towing with the tow/haul button engaged I keep it in D when I hit a hill I put it into 3rd. I've read numerous people that tow in 3rd most of the times. What is the consensus?


Tow mainly in 4th and drop to 3rd in the White Mountains.

C-Mac


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

Read your manual before all of these posts.

Mine says you can tow in D. I shifted to 3rd on most the hills, sometimes 2nd. My last 1/2 Yukon stayed in 3rd as I couldn't hold speed in D.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Here is the perfect answer.....

Tow in D. If you find the transmission is constantly searching for the right gear, or the torque converter is constantly going in and out of lockup, then downshift to 3. All that shifting will build up heat, and that will eat your tranny.

My '02 Avalanche would do fine in somewhat level terrain in D, with tow/haul engaged, (which among other things, changes the shift points, allowing the engine to approach peak torque and HP levels before shifting to the next higher gear). Once I started getting into the hills, it would start to search for the right gear, and shift from 3 to 4 and back again. You could see the needle on the temp gauge go up. I would put it in 3rd and leave it there until the road leveled out again, and the temps would be more stable.

As far as the service manager at the dealerships are concerned, as well as the engineer's that designed the product, well, I take all of that with a grain of salt. After all, it was the engineers that felt that an aux transmission cooler wasn't needed on the 1/2 ton Av's, because the radiator had special bigger transmission section than all the other GM full size 1/2 tons. Explain why that radiator is the same part number across all the 1/2 tons though, and why the Av is the only one that didn't have an Aux cooler as an option??

Tim


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

Never tow in N. You'll get nowhere.


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## W4DRR (May 17, 2005)

I generally always keep it in 4th. Like Wolfie, I have a 4Runner with a 5 speed slush box.
Sometimes I will pull in down in 3rd on twisty, hilly back roads.

Bob



shake1969 said:


> Never tow in N. You'll get nowhere.


About as far as using that "P" gear.


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## campmg (Dec 24, 2005)

shake1969 said:


> Never tow in N. You'll get nowhere.


But you can't beat the gas mileage.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

3rd all the time with our truck, mileage isn't much less and it never hunts.

Mike


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

I tow in fourth (5-Speed Automatic) under normal conditions, occasionally dropping into third on the REALLY BIG grades. As was stated earlier, the difference between fourth and fifth gear is only a couple of hundred RPM, and no difference in all in MPG.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## matty1 (Mar 7, 2005)

Used D this time on a repeat trip to a campground, last time kept it in 3rd the whole time. Gas mileage was much better this time, so much better it made me double check my math... (well, four-five miles per gallon better which I was happy with)


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

When towing our 25 RSS with our 2006 Dakota I keep the transmission in Drive and engage the tow/haul switch which locks out Overdrive and prevents slipping of the torque converter. On *verry* steep hills I sometimes downshift to 2nd.

Have towed all through the Blueridge Mountains this summer no problems. 11 -12 MPH!


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## CalvinsMom (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi Bob,

Which Outback do you have? I own a 2005 v8 4Runner and am about to purchase a 23KRS, but I'm a tiny bit worried about how it will haul.

Thanks!

Michele



W4DRR said:


> Never tow in N. You'll get nowhere.


About as far as using that "P" gear.
[/quote]


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

D for normal driving (in tow mode)

3 for PNW Mtn Passes.

3 for coming down said passes (they are steep...let engine slow us down)


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Well, sure, who doesn't have an opinion? I do...

That tow-haul mode is in your GM pickup for a reason. Check your manual, of course, but I'm hauling far more weight than most of you - I drop it in D, punch the T/H button, and that's all, Folks.

Sluggo


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

There is not "one" correct answer for this question as towing conditions are infinately variable and can change with the blink of your eye!

Tow in the gear that minimizes the up and down shifting based on the actual terrain, wind, and traffic you are in at that point in time. Constant up and down shifting causes the transmission to heat up and destroy the fluid and then the interanl parts fail if continued for a long enough time period.

Map Guy


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

I know that this is unhelpful, but I just gotta brag a little bit. With 650 ft/lb of torque and a 6-speed auto, I just leave it in 'D' and let the_* engine *_do all the work!


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

Airboss said:


> I know that this is unhelpful, but I just gotta brag a little bit. With 650 ft/lb of torque and a 6-speed auto, I just leave it in 'D' and let the_* engine *_do all the work!


With your combination that would be the case but change trailers to a 30' fifth wheel and the whole set of variables changes...............

Map Guy


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

This thread's been dug out from under the pile, it was started in july of 2006!!

I took a quick look thru and several of the people who originally posted including myself have new trucks now.









Mike


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Got to love the blasts from the past. It means some used the search function, something many people avoid.

But since this is a valid topic, Drive and Tow/Haul engaged.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

> But since this is a valid topic, Drive and Tow/Haul engaged.


Ditto


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## skylane (Oct 28, 2007)

camping479 said:


> > But since this is a valid topic, Drive and Tow/Haul engaged.
> 
> 
> Ditto


2000 tundra overdrive off


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Oregon_Camper said:


> D for normal driving (in tow mode)
> 
> 3 for PNW Mtn Passes.
> 
> 3 for coming down said passes (they are steep...let engine slow us down)


X2









(But sometimes I gotta go to 2 for going down some Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana passes.)

My truck was built to pull 16,000# and the owner's manual says to tow in "D" with the Tow/Haul Mode turned ON. They should know. (They're giving me the 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.)

Mike


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