Pull boat in drive or 3rd gear

[Brent]

Just have a quick question concerning pulling a boat in overdrive or 3rd gear with chevy silverado. I have been told by others that if you are pulling a boat like an 1850 lund tyee only pull in 3rd gear instead of drive because it will shift up and down in drive on hills. So, if somebody could please give me some input I would appreciate it. Thank you.

[gilly8000]

I would start out pulling it in drive. If it starts shifting, then drop it down to 3rd.

[Steve(CO)]

You bring up a question that plagued me when I first got my chevy since I have a camper on it and pull my boat. I got a variety of answers from chevy dealers and automotive "experts," everything from "don't sweat it" to you will burn up your engine if you do that. Basically, as the first reply stated, the issue is the automatic transmission constantly shifting in and out in overdrive. This potentially could overheat the transmission with resulting damage. That said, I had a transmission temp sensor gauge installed so I could watch for overheating when trailering the boat with the camper on. Being in Colorado, I do a lot of mountain driving, so I figured this was cheap insurance. Final outcome? No matter where I have driven (including the Alaska Highway), no matter what the temperatures outside, hills or no hills, I have only on a few occasions ever put the transmission temp into the yellow and never into the red. As stated above, if the trans is shifting up and down a lot, then drop to third, but otherwise it doesn't seem to be a huge issue. Overdrive saves considerably on the gas bill. Have fun and good luck.

[mudpuppy]

Just like you I worried about it too & got different oppinions . Now when pulling , esp. on the highway , I keep it in overdrive . Then when I come to a steep grade my vehicle downshifts into third (normal) . I'll reach over & push my "overdrive off" button & leave it there until I start down the grade . Keeps it from shifting in & out . Three years on this vehicle , no problems . Makes a huge difference in gas mileage .

[Ryan]

I have a Silverado that I pull a lot of things with including a 3-horse trailer and the truck is only a 1500 w/ a 350. The best advise I can give you is use your own judgement, i don't care what they say ate the factory, each truck is different. I can pull my boat in Overdrive without any trouble, but my dad has the same truck and when he tries to pull the boat it kicks in and out all the time. Try pulling the boat and see what your truck does and decide from there. I do agree with the other comment about the difference in gas mileage, it makes a big difference.

[mnjimcarp]

have you driven a ford lately? LOL

[The Great Guide]

I have a 95 Chevy 1500 Z-71 and pull a Lund 1800. The manual says to shift to 3 when pulling a trailer or if the bed is loaded.

TGG

[targa2]

Ask my friend Drew who blew his tranny in his Z71 five times in a year if ne tows in overdrive anymore. Better safe than sorry I say.Hook up one of those aftermarket temperature gauges to your tranny and watch what happens when you tow in overdrive. Then you can draw your own conclusions.

[Larry]

This topic comes up all the time on one of the bass fishing sites under "trailers & towing". It likewise gets answers from both ends of the spectrum. One of the regulars on the site has a transmission shop and gave me advise on my specific transmission. After two transmission rebuilds, I only tow in 3'rd gear...period !! If the boat is hooked up or the bed is loaded, my trans doesn't see O/D. As for gas mileage, not much difference. Trips from northern Illinois to LBDN or Huron come out with an overall difference of about 1 mpg. I'll take that any day to a transmission rebuild. If the truck isn't loaded or towing, the difference between 3'rd and O/D jumps up to as much as 3 mpg. The more weight, the closer the figures get.

[Bradnd]

Brent,

I may have a similar setup as yours, 99 silverado (5.3) pulling a 1850 tyee. I pull in 3rd most of the time. If I have a tailwind on a fairly level hiway, I will just leave it in overdrive with the tow-haul on. As others stated, if you are downshifting alot, use 3rd. Constant shifting is what heats up trannys. Gas mileage may go down a bit, but a new transmission is real spendy!
If you have any more questions, let me know.

Take care,

Brad