overw8chevy
florida
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only problem I have seen with cruise control while towing is it doesn't anticipate hills like a driver can when he is using his right foot...
* This post was
edited 07/21/10 06:56pm by overw8chevy *
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TXiceman
(Near) Houston,TX
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overw8chevy wrote:only problem I have seen with cruise control while towing is it doesn't anticipate hills like a driver can when he is using his right foot...
When approaching a hill and using the cruise control, i will feed it a bit of throttle just like I was not on cruise. If it is too much hill, I'll drop it out of cruise.
Ken
Amateur Radio Operator.
Vintage 1989 Avion Silver, 34V, toted by a 2002 F350, crewcab dually, 7.3L,4.10 axle,SCMT. Travel with one miniature Schnauzers, one standard schnauzer and one African Gray parrot. Practicing for retirement!
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goducks10
Keizer OR
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TXiceman wrote:overw8chevy wrote:only problem I have seen with cruise control while towing is it doesn't anticipate hills like a driver can when he is using his right foot...
When approaching a hill and using the cruise control, i will feed it a bit of throttle just like I was not on cruise. If it is too much hill, I'll drop it out of cruise.
Ken
Gotta do that, or at least take it out of cruise and give it some gas. My 08 F150 5.4 seems to react differnetly in OD. Sometimes it's slow to shift down on hills and sometimes it shifts down fairly quick. I'm guessing that it has to do with how easily it's pulling in OD. Just because it's in OD doesn't mean it's not there reluctantly. Coming up to a hill with a 15 mph tail wind and it will delay downshifting, but just cruising down the freeway agaist that same headwind and it will downshift at the overpasses.
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tatest
Oklahoma Green Country
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For a 2002 F-250 with 7.3: YES - NO - YES.
Ford says to tow in overdrive, unless it "hunts" for a gear. Lock out OD for engine breaking. This answer is different for other brands, other vehicles.
Tow-Haul on a Ford is a change in the transmission control program, not an OD lockout. It also handles TC locking and downshifting for the purposes of engine breaking. This answer is different for other brands, other vehicles.
Running cruise won't damage anything, but it does not anticipate traffic and road conditions like a good driver will, and for many people cruise leads them into bad driving practices, like weaving through traffic to hold a constant speed, or getting into the passing lane then taking 3-5 miles to pass.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B
2001 Ranger Edge
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mecreature
Indianapolis, IN
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3rd gear with tow-haul on. I use cruise but shut it off if it gets hilly.
98 Skyline Nomad 1950 Compact
2004 Silverado 1500 EXT. 5.3 3.42 Axle 2wd
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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With our GM transmissions we get TC lockup in 3rd or 4th in the Blazer and MH and I find in 3rd it will stay locked up just about all of the time which I like. It seems everyone has a diffent style and that is fine but after buying a transmission right after getting the Blazer making one last as long as possible is more important to me than before. 
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4BeachCampers
Lakewood, CA
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We have a 2002 F150 and have always towed a boat or TT and never turned the overdrive off while towing.
4 months ago we upgraded our TT (only 1000 lbs heavier) and I started turning the overdrive button off while towing.
Well my Transmission went out on my TV and it only had 71,000 miles. It is in the shop getting Transmission work done now. 
This has been a trouble free TV until now.
Is it just a coincedence or should I have never turned off my overdrive? 
* This post was
edited 07/24/10 01:20pm by 4BeachCampers *
2005 Ford Four Winds Chateau Sport 28A
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Gale Hawkins
Murray, KY
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4BeachCampers wrote:We have a 2002 F150 and have always towed a boat or TT and never turned the overdrive off while towing.
4 months ago we upgraded our TT (only 1000 lbs heavier) and I started turning the overdrive button off while towing.
Well my Transmission went out on my TV after only 71,000 miles and is in the shop getting Transmission work done now.
This has been a trouble free TV until now.
Is it just a coincedence or should I have never turned off my overdrive?
Or started turing it off when towing 71,000 miles ago.
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E&J push'n wind
San Diego CA, The best climate on earth!
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That's what I'd have said as well. What does the OM say? More often than not, it is best to go W/what they say in these situations.
Towing in OD, the idea is to save fuel by being in a higher gear. That could be counter productive as your engine has to work harder pushing a taller gear under load. Might be less labor for the engine in the next gear down and perhaps improved fuel mileage vs. OD. Not always, but generally and I'm speaking to the 1/2 ton crowd.
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know much, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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