Downhill towing
#21
Tow mode does work well, but I prefer to go old school in manual mode and select the gear that gives me the engine braking I want.
I've come down a few hills (including Pike's Peak but not towing there LOL) in 2nd or 1st gear at 4000rpm...and had to rarely hit the brakes.
edit: and this:
I've come down a few hills (including Pike's Peak but not towing there LOL) in 2nd or 1st gear at 4000rpm...and had to rarely hit the brakes.
edit: and this:
Tow/Haul works great as everyone has already said.
Another thing that helps more than people realize, is slow down before you start heading downhill. I've seen several trucks come blasting over Loveland Pass and see them sitting in the lot at Arapahoe Basin with a brake fire.
Another thing that helps more than people realize, is slow down before you start heading downhill. I've seen several trucks come blasting over Loveland Pass and see them sitting in the lot at Arapahoe Basin with a brake fire.
Last edited by JLTD; 05-14-2017 at 12:43 PM.
#23
6000 is redline on the 3.5L. 5000 on the 2.7L. You're still well under that and operating well within limits. Is it meant to run at that RPM for hours on end? No. Will it do it just fine down a steep grade for several miles? Of course.
#24
Just what pilotpip said. Redline is over 6000 rpm for the 5.0. Anyone that gets on it from day to day will see upwards of 4000 rpm frequently. 4000 sustained rpm is of course a little tougher on the engine.
#25
Grumpy Old Man
Look at the gear selector display on the dash. If it has an "M" range, then you have select shift. Select Shift means you can either rely on your automagic tranny to shift the gears, or you can select the gears with the "M" mode and paddle shifters. All late-model F-150s with the trailer towing pkg have a Select-Shift tranny, and all Lariat and above trim level have the trailer towing pkg standard. Usually the only F-150s without the tranny towing pkg are fleet vehicles with XL trim. So if you buy a used F-150 with XL or XLT or FX trim, double-check to be sure it has that "M" in the gear selector display, and not just the receiver hitch.
One post said (true?) that T/H mode has a feature that provides additional cooling or something to minimize transmission heat under stress.
When the tranny shifts gears, there is slippage that increases heat generation. Tow/Haul mode reduces gear shifting, thus reduces heat produced by the tranny. Also, an unlocked torque converter generates a volcano worth of heat when working hard. Tow/Haul mode keeps the torque converter locked under most conditions at speeds over about 40 MPH, thus reduces heat produced by the torque converter.
I would just use T/H and not worry about manually locking out gears, ...
That's what I do. Of course my TT weighs less than 5,000 pounds when on the road, but I've towed it from coast to coast over the Smokies, Rockies, Appalacians, Adirondacks and Cascades with no drama of needing to manually downshift. With the tranny in tow/haul mode, just one tap of the brakes will activate the tow/haul mode, and then the tranny will use a combination of downshifting and engine braking to prevent too high a downhill speed.
Yes, the engine braking is effective if you're not overloaded. It helps, but is not as good as the engine braking on my previous F-250 diesel. I suspect those that poo poo the engine braking of the EcoBoost engines are overloaded.
The following users liked this post:
Georgia Terrapin (05-22-2017)
#26
Senior Member
If you tear down the engine and find that the pistons have swapped holes, you probably spun it too fast.
#27
We just returned from a longer trip up to the Rockies with a somewhat more loaded trailer and truck. Still the trailer would have been about a 150 lbs heavier than our normal 3100 lbs and the truck was carrying about 200 lbs more. Driving in and out of the mountains we hit a few spots where the grade was steep enough that even in 2nd we couldn't get enough engine braking to keep the RPM's from hitting the red line. Most of the time however 2nd or 3rd would keep me at the speed I wanted. The thing is I don't consider this the fault of the truck but the of the terrain.
#28
Member
Lot's of good information ..thanks
I've towed lots of different trailers over the years and my rule of thumb has always been... "Never go downhill any faster than you can go up". Lots of good ways to do that mentioned here.
I've towed lots of different trailers over the years and my rule of thumb has always been... "Never go downhill any faster than you can go up". Lots of good ways to do that mentioned here.
#29
Senior Member/Vietnam Vet
1) Why would you NOT use T/H when towing as it helps keep the truck in the best gear and downshifts when you step on the brake.
2) Engine braking is minimal until you get down to 3rd and especially 2nd gear. 35 mph in 2nd saves a lot of braking.
3) Let the speed increase to a safe level, say 35, then use the brakes to bring you down to 30, then off the brakes to let them cool. Repeat as needed.
I towed a 10K fifth wheel down some pretty steep grades with a 2011 Ecoboost Max Tow for 3 years and never had a problem.
2) Engine braking is minimal until you get down to 3rd and especially 2nd gear. 35 mph in 2nd saves a lot of braking.
3) Let the speed increase to a safe level, say 35, then use the brakes to bring you down to 30, then off the brakes to let them cool. Repeat as needed.
I towed a 10K fifth wheel down some pretty steep grades with a 2011 Ecoboost Max Tow for 3 years and never had a problem.
The following users liked this post:
Remo Innamorati (06-17-2017)
#30