2005 F-250 Super Cab, 4 x 4 Tow Haul mode.

[Red Horse]

So one of my neighbors asked me to help them out as they were doing a project and had no way to get the pine from the saw mill. I have a 14' Pequea skid steer trailer but if I have any weight to haul, always borrow a pick up rather then use my 2004 FX4 Ranger. These folks have a 2005 f-250 Super Cab 4 x 4 5.4 V-8. I'm clueless as to how the "tow-haul" mode works on thi truck. It had no separate brake controller but in slowing down, the truck did a great job of down shifting-I never had to use much brake action-just back off the throttle and within a few seconds you could see the RPM's jump as it down shifted.

Any experienced owners out there? suppose I could read their owners manual too. Owners of truck are clueless about this feature.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Curious if the f-250 had a electric plug on the truck side that you could plug the trailor lights and brakes into ? I am not familiar with that truck and so not sure on answer to your question. Most tow modes i have dealt with were for the transmission and its settings. So i also am curious if the f-250 controlled the trailor brakes as part of its factory package.

 

[Red Horse]

For sure, typical dual plug set up-it has a factory tow package. when I hooked the trailer up I had no lights, then the owner said-"opps-haveto have "tow haul mode activated". turned that on and I had lights. But no separate brake controller. My son has a 05 150 crew cab that I usually borrow and it has a separate brake controller (aftermarket) that you just plug into a harness that was a factory item under the dash.

 

[timswi]

I, also, am not familiar with that particular truck, but Tow/Haul is primarily to improve transmission shifts and other activities to prevent gear searching and the like and improve towing performance overall...I've never heard of that having anything to do with trailer braking though. Either an integrated or aftermarket controller will allow you to adjust the brake power and also have a manual mode for emergencies. I'm thinking this truck probably didn't have a trailer brake.

The reving may have been engine/trans braking--fairly common now--dunno if that truck had it in 05 though.

 

[aczlan]

I'm pretty sure that they did not have the integrated brake controller in that year, so you probably do not have any trailer brakes. If it did have integrated brake controller there would have been a lever on the dashboard to manually apply the trailer brakes.

Aaron Z

 

[3Ts]

The tow/haul mode has nothing to do with the trailer brakes. The tow/haul is strictly a transmission "adjustment". What it does is change the shift points for the transmission. I think the formula is based on engine speed and load, but not sure on that. I do know you will get higher revs pulling before it shifts up.

You should also be able to control the highest gear you allow the transmission to use by pushing on the end of the shift lever. You will see the max gear allowed on the dash display. (Does this description make sense? If not, I'll try to get a picture.)

 

[Red Horse]

Thx guys for quick responses. And I do understand I had no trailer brakes. But the "engine braking" on this 12 year old truck was very good-and I know it does not have any sort of true engine brake-this was all done just with the transmission downshifting-3T's . I think the end of gear shift button just controls "tow haul" mode. And I'm assuming when it is in "tow haul" you have no overdrive. In my 04 ranger that is how you shut OD off.

 

[Fallon]

I have a 2005 F250... As noted previously Tow/haul mode tweaks the transmission. Locks out overdrive, makes it recently higher before upshifting, & engine brake more, especially if you tap the brakes. Basically it gives you more power at the cost of fuel mileage. Also cuts down on the amount of shifting & hunting for the right gear so you don't burn up the transmission.

Nothing with a brake controller I'm aware of. Mine came used with a crappy 3rd party brake controller. Engine braking is unrelated to an electric brake controller.

 

[Red Horse]

I have a 2005 F250... As noted previously Tow/haul mode tweaks the transmission. Locks out overdrive, makes it recently higher before upshifting, & engine brake more, especially if you tap the brakes. Basically it gives you more power at the cost of fuel mileage. Also cuts down on the amount of shifting & hunting for the right gear so you don't burn up the transmission.

Nothing with a brake controller I'm aware of. Mine came used with a crappy 3rd party brake controller. Engine braking is unrelated to an electric brake controller.

Thx-they bought this new-not "truck people" and the only thing they tow is if they rent something like one of those electric aerial lifts. So mthey had no clue. I got their manual out and in 05 if you had a built in brake controller I gather there was a digital display on dash with "gain" numbers as well as a manual activation button. Like I said though, the engine braking done by the trans was impressive. I usually use one of my kids 05 150 (with manual "add on" brake controller and this tow haul mode was more impressive just with the trans doing the work.

 

[Redlands Okie]

I bet so. As long as the trailor does not loose traction and try to come around on you by jackknifing. Hmm, lost traction on the truck probably not to good either