towing with a chevy

[nt]

with the "tow/haul mode" on the new silverado's should a person still tow in 3rd gear? or with the tow/haul on is it ok to tow in Drive. thanks

[alaska tt]

I have a 4X4 ext cab 1995 1500, 5.7,automatic, tow package, braking range 6,000-7,000 hydraulic.
Chevy says rating is 7,000, I'm pulling a Prowler 24J,TT that maxs out at 6100 lbs according to Fleetwood.
I've added helper springs and use load lever with anti-sway bar.

Just curious if anyone else has a similar set-up and what experiances they have had with the 1500 in towing.

thanks

[Fritz]

Good Question. I just got a Siverado this spring. In tow haul mode, it does not get out of 3rd gear until you get rolling pretty good. I am guessing it wouldn't hurt to be in drive, but I would like to heasr from somebody doing some towing and who knows their stuff.

Remember that the tow haul mode automatically gets turned off when you turn off your vehicle. So don't forget to push the button after stopping for gas, etc.

Fritz

[CLM]

You will want to tow in "3" even with the tow/haul mode on. The "D" indicator is also your overdrive and towing in that gear will burn your transmission.

[bill]

hey nt i have a 2000 chevy 2500 w/6.0L motor. my usual mode is in t/h in town, traffic, etc,up to 50 mph or so.when i get on past that, push the button & go out of t/h mode.i do not tow in 3. always in od. did same w/96 1/2 ton. never a problem. my truck has a trans temp guage, so i can monitor that. boat is a 1775 pro-v, 150 omc, 8hp honda kicker, full of over-priced gas, way too much tackle, cooler etc. thats the way i do it.works for me. long post, but hope it helps. ps, been a mechanic for 40 yrs. bill

[Larry]

Very interesting question that doesn't seem to get a clear answer. I've asked the same question from two different transmission shops in Rockford, Il. Transmission World's response and my owner's manual says shift out of the Drive range which is my O/D position. Don's Hydro said to use the Drive position because not doing so would "idle up" part of the transmission and you won't get full cooling throughout the entire transmission. I really don't know who to believe. I suspect that using the Drive range for anything but a lot of up/down hill would work OK. If the trans is shifting in/out of O/D a lot, it would be time to get out of that range. We must have some experts out there familiar with Chevy transmissions with an answer.

[Brad/nd]

I wondered the same after buying my '99 chevy. I tow a 1850 tyee with it. After doing some experimenting with o/d, 3rd, & tow haul, I've found that on fairly flat roads, 65-70 mph, using the tow haul in o/d works well. If running up & down hilly roads, I will run in 3rd gear without tow haul. The main thing is to watch your rpm's & shifting of the trans. You want to run with less rpm's as you can get by with, without having your tranny shifting alot. Always use the towhaul when running in D. I have also found that while using the towhaul, by disengaging it before coming to a stop, the tranny doesn't gear down (thump) as hard. After accelerating some, then re-engage the towhaul. Around town, I find it best to just run in 3rd, without towhaul.
Remember, the towhaul is just like shifting down a 1/2 gear or so, keeping the tranny from shifting back & forth alot. Most of the time now, I just run in 3rd, unless I am on a flat interstate & can cruise in o/d using towhaul without alot of shifting.
I am interested to hear what others are doing.

Take care,

Brad

[Hans]

I have a '01 Silverado 5.3L LT with that transmission, and it is pure sweetness! It is designed to be left in "Drive", even when towing heavy loads.

The "Tow/Haul" feature does three things when in use.

Thing #1) It delays the shift points to higher RPMs, thus preventing "lugging" of your engine.

Thing #2) It "firms up" the shift action, saving wear on the tranny internals under load.

Thing #3) It monitors the transmission, and if it sees excessive "hunting" between "D" and "3", it electronically locks out "D" until the next time you stop the engine.

Hans

[Hans]

No. This is not a Ford.

[Shed Hunter]

Get a ford and dont worry about it!

[Mudd]

My 99 Silverado owner's manual says to tow in OVERDRIVE and use tow/haul mode when towed load approaches 75% of max tow rating. Exceptions include those times that hilly terrain causes excessive shifting, then use tow/haul or downshift to third. Shifting builds heat which is a major problem for most automatic transmissions. Downshifting at 70mph also wakes up the wife while driving home after a day on the water and the topic of proper care and operation of her truck is occasionally discussed. But that's another story.

[Rodger]

Get a Ford & don't worry about it? I'd really be scared if I had an Explorer. Seems they are having a tough time staying right side up. Don't think its a tire problem, since most of the so called problem tires were replaced & they're still having problems with tires shredding. Venezuela is considering banning the Ford Explorer.....We'll have to wait & see.
As far as your truck goes, you can use your tow/haul mode & if you are on a fairly flat interstate over 60 or so, just put it in OD. You'll get better mileage & not harm the trans. Leave it in D around town. Good luck & enjoy!

[nt]

thanks hans. i was hoping you would post on this topic. i just got the truck two days ago. 1500 lt 4wd extended cab, light pewter with gray interior. so far so good. thanks

[larry R]

Take a look at this site. I,m sure you will find the answer.

http://www.wmi.org/bassfish/bassboard/trailers_towing/index.html

[Will]

I agree with Hans. I have an 2001 Silverado with a 5.3 L w 3:73 gears and it tows my Crestliner (2900 lbs)in tow/haul mode soooo much better than my Dodge did with a 5.9 L and 3:55 gears. The tow/haul mode changes the shift points for better towing. A real nice truck so far and very good on gas for a V8.

[Tim/Iowa]

Your'e right on hans, I have the same truck and it pulls my 620 alright, Mine runs good at the 65-70 mph range in 3rd and tow/haul on, I recently went to Kentucky lake and while driving I started to figure how many more RPMs my engine was turning over a mile. figure it out. In OD my engine turns around 2000 rpms and in 3rd it turns arond 3000 rpms. Now ask your self what wears out an engine? If you are turning 1000 rpms more every minute or mile you drive pulling your boat, how many more RPMs did I turn my engine in a 10 hr or 500 mile trip? what are we doing? I have drove Chevys all my life but I'm afraid my next one will be a Ford Powerstroke and turn up the radio a little.

[Fritz]

Am I reading my owners manual correctly in it says I should not exceed 50 MPH for the first 500 miles of towing? I have about 50 miles of towing on it now, running back and forth to Mendota.

Since it says no towing for the first 500 miles, I do not think it is a misprint.

Thanks for info and opinions,
Fritz