Trailering in OD
 

I always keep the overdrive off when trailering around town but is it necessary to keep it off when you are on the interstate maintaning a constant speed? Trying to get better than 8.3MPG on the interstate:cry:

depends on your truck and load.... with my dually I towed at 29,000 lbs gross for thousands of miles in overdrive... I have never had a vehicle that I couldn't tow in overdrive without issue except for a jeep cherokee that would constantly shift up n down so I'd tow in drive w it.

As stated--depends on your tow rig.

I towed boats over 40000 miles in a year with my Tahoe, boats from 20 to 27', and always left in overdrive. The computer will tell the tranny what gear it needs to be in.
PS-That is the factory trans in the Tahoe with 188,000 miles, serviced every 30,000 though.

I was alway told by my Tranny guy never never tow in OD!! So I have always left it in 3.
That said when using a GM in the tow mode it changes the shifting to a higher RPM for better power but will go into OD when up to speed. Ford does the same but did not go into OD, thats what I was told on a few year old trucks have no idea in the new? My chevy will go in OD at speed up to my year 2009. either way the best thing if your truck has a temp gauge for the tranny (most newer stuff does) do not tow if the temp is any higher then the engine!

Look at the computer and see what the mpg is when in OD and not.
In my situation I found I get the same or better mpg by turning the OD off.

Yea 3mpg difference....doesnt sound like alot but thats a 30% increase for me.

MJ - I was ALWAYS told the same.....thats why I had to ask

I have a 2005 Chevy 2500HD and the boat with my gear comes in right under 4000#(truck excluded)........I also hate that when OD is on with cruise control and I hit an overpass, the SOB acts like it wants to redline to get up it and just guzzles gas.....

I will try w/o the OD on this next trip and see how it goes. At 1200mi roundtrip I need all the help I can get!!! Especially when my normal fuel econ with no load is 11.3mpg!!!! Ol girl is tough but she aint a cheap date by any means......

OD off and slow down to 55 - 60mph.

personally I wouldn't even consider turning the o/d off with that truck and that tiny load (unless you have airplane gears and it is shifting a lot) but if you slow down as mentioned above you will save LOTS of gas.

Read the owner's manual... it will tell you what gear to tow in.

The closest truck I had to that one was an old 94 chevy 2500 4x4 ex cab with 4:10 gears... It had no trouble towing a 10,000 lb 38' fifth wheel AND a jeep wrangler on a towbar behind the camper in O/D and I HAVE to believe that your truck is WAY tougher than that old pig was.... the best thing you can do for your trans tho is to add an aftermarket trans cooler.... I put them in all of my towpigs...

I will say that my trans in my dually DID finally give out while pulling at 29k lbs but she had 330,000 HARD miles on her at the time so I can't fault it.

With my 29k dually camper and jeep combo mentioned above I can get 10+ mpg at 55 and with cruise on 78 I get 6.6 mpg

Put it in tow/haul mode and go with it. No need to shut OD off for that. Heck I've towed ALOT more than that with a 6.0L 3500 SRW, and it towed just fine and stayed in OD. As for revving up, the VORTEC engines do NOT like to be lugged down. They run the best high up in the RPM's, and it is probably helping your mileage in doing so(and also helps your trans).

I thought that tow/haul mode took it out of OD???? Am I mistaken?

Kevin - I shudder to think of what my MPG would do with that load!!!! Id have to pick up a night job just to afford to move it.....

No, tow/haul mode simply moves the shift points up some and keeps the converter locked longer to keep tranny temps down. It will still go into OD, just at a higher speed.

I travel and work pipeline construction... the trailer is my home and the jeep is my commuter car.... Family is in Indiana and most work is in Texas.... Safe to say I tow a LOT

My Ford Explorer overheated ONCE while towing the boat with OD off.

Dealer told me keep the OD ON - that's right - ON, doesn't make sense but won't overheat.

Well......that's what I did, and still do - OD is left ON, and I haven't had any problems since.

No issues trailering 60 miles each way whenever I fish, hills or not.

2001 Ford F150 Crew Cab w/5.4 litre 2wd...tow my v20 from SC to FL, NC, TN and anywhere else Ive ever taken the boat WITH OD on...no problem...:party:

Seems to me a 2500 HD should tow a V20 in OD w/no sweat at all...the only problem I see in yer posts is when ya got Cruise Control on...that's something I would NOT expect to work well and wouldn't do w/my truck...

My Land Rover tows with OD on, but there's a "sport" button I'm supposed to push that does just like Ferm said... moves the shift points a little higher and keeps it locked a little longer. Never had a problem with it yet. (crosses fingers). You can tell it's in sport mode though just listening to the engine.. it winds out longer before the tranny shifts.

My previous tow vehicle (1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport with a 4.0L engine) says to tow in 3rd gear.. but I always towed in OD with zero problems except for when I was in really hilly areas.. and several of those tows were to Fla and back hauling my V20. up and down Interstate 95. That Jeep has 177,000 miles on it now and needs a new head gasket, but other than that it's in great shape.

You cant even tell that there is a load on that thing. Problem is the fuel econ.....thats what Im workin on.....

pretty much the only thing that will help that is slowing down.... I had a suburban back in the day with 3.73 gears and 38" ground hawgs... it got about 11 mpg.... The auto O/D trans went bad on me and I drove it to work and back for a few weeks with only 1st and second... I drove it at 55 mph in 2nd gear and got 11 mpg ..... didn't matter if it was running 4000 rpm or 1600 rpm... same mileage

Pretty much because it takes X amount of HP to do Y amount of work. And it takes Z amount of fuel to make X amount of HP. This is why so many go out and swap to a smaller outboard to save on fuel to find out they end up using the same amount to run the same speed(but can't go as fast when the need arises to drop the hammer).

Yea but Im driving to the Keys!!!! Not the In-Laws.....Who wants to drive slow for that?!?!?!?

I noticed an increase in Econ when I dropped to 60mph but the weigh out isnt there. I was saving about 10gals but also adding another hour to the trip. Like I said, its The Keys, Im sittin on go brotha!!!!

Thanks everyone for the pointers!!!

I never tow in OD, Always in 3rd, no more than 55 and with the AC off. :nut:


Went to down Marathon and back to North Georgia once like that in an '83 Chevy conversion van with a 305 and shag carpet towing a 17 footer on a single axle. It had way too much tongue weight so that it would fit in my Dad's garage. :sand:


I thought self inflicted torture was part of the boating lifestyle?...... Dam...... think of all the money I could have saved just paying a dominatrix to whip me with a riding crop. :oh:

no AC and 55??????

Boy Howdy that sounds like fun!!! You dont happen to listen to Neil Diamond the whole way do ya????:haha:

Allmand Brothers on cassette.

attaboy!!

nice!!!!!!

Don't get no better!...:sex:

"Eat a Peach"

That's the one! :beer:

Pops has it on vinyl......IN THE PLASTIC!!!!

along with about 6 other AB albums.....bout the only thing he ever collected. A 10sqft cabinet full of solid gold IMO

I suggest driving downhill to get best mpg while trailering.

And I always trailer w/my outboard running at about half throttle...keeps the prop turning into the wind and I find the added thrust greatly improves truck gas mileage...particularly on hills...