Question about towing with my new truck

[jcmseven]

Fellow Posters:

I had a quick question to ask about towing. I have a new 2008 Ford F250 with the 6.4L Power Stroke diesel. Currently, I have just under 3,000 miles on the truck. I mainly use it as a daily driver, but about once every two weeks I pull my JD 3720 to my parents' place to help them on their property. This driving is about 70% highway and 30% two lane road with a lot of climbing (one way distance is 160 miles). My previous truck was a 2002 model so this is the first truck I have owned with the tow/haul feature. I looked at the owner's manual and it mainly stated, "when towing a heavy load, you may use tow/haul to enhance towing performance." I have not used the feature to this point and things have been OK. Should I be using tow/haul when pulling an 8000# or so load?? If so, do I use it all the time or just when going up or down hills??? Does it make a difference, and if so, what?? I realize this is a Ford truck question, but I do not think brand matters. I know GM HD trucks have this feature, not sure about Dodge, but what is the thought from those that tow heavy more often than I?? Thanks to all in advance.

John M

 

[ducati996]

It comes in handy for me when things are real heavy and I dont plan on going over 55-60 MPH. If you find its searching for a gear or dosent seem to be in the correct gear for a hill I would turn it on. Its probably not needed on the Hwy, but on hills it will hold the gear and also helps with engine braking.

Try it out sometime, youre not going to brake it see how you like it

 

[RichM96067]

I use it when going up hills, keeps the tranny from getting too warm and going down grades to keep from building up too much speed.

 

[IC Smoke]

I use it every time I "tow" my 06 dodge cummins has the feature. even a small tractor like the ZD28 I use it, better shifts and seems to be easier on the truck. the ZD & trailer come in around 4K if that...


Ian

 

[Jaybr]

I use it on my Titan when towing anyting on my double axle trailers, don't use it with 3000 lb single axle stuff.

On mine, it raises the shift points, and more importantly it won't go into overdrive. I've always been told not to tow heavy loads in overdrive on any truck as it's hard on the tranny.

 

[LarryRB]

I have a Kubota L 48 TLB at 8200 lbs and a Bri-Mar 12,000 gvw trailer that weighs 3100 by it's self,, Whenever I hook up, the tow/haul feature is turned on,, It is meant to ease the transmission from over heating and other problems,,, BTW, I just traded an 06 for an 07 Dodge,.. Diesel of course. Previous diesel Dodges were 5 or 6 sp manual trans and all had 410 gears, The 06 was a 4spd auto and 373 gears and wasn't enough to tow,, This area I'm in is just like the western Carolina's hills,.. The 07 is a 6spd auto and I went back to 410 posi gears,, Big. big difference.

 

[Jimbrown]

I seldom use it on my F250 even when towing 10,000lb or so. It just rasies the shift points and seems to keep the revs higher than I like. I use it in the mountains if I need to climb the big hills and for engine braking going down hill.

 

[Marcussen]

I have an '08 Ford F250 with the tow command, but I can only tell you what I have heard others do with the tow haul.
It works great in stop and go and in hilly terrain, it provides a way to downshift by tapping the brake pedal when going down steep/long hill. On the flat highway stretches some people turn it off. My truck only has 1800 miles on it so my experience is limited.

On my old truck all it did when I turned it off was to prevent the overdrive from kicking in. Do some experimenting to determine which is best for you.

 

[bialecki]

I have an '08 Ford F250 with the tow command, but I can only tell you what I have heard others do with the tow haul.
It works great in stop and go and in hilly terrain, it provides a way to downshift by tapping the brake pedal when going down steep/long hill. On the flat highway stretches some people turn it off.

With the 2008 Ford Tow Command do you still need a brake controller such as the prodigy unit?

 

[wushaw]

You can use tow/haul mode anytime, it is there to help with heavy loads. Try it both ways and use which feel best to your driving style.