I was wondering what everyone thought about towing a travel trailer, 8k lbs, in overdrive while traveling on flat hiways? Is it not a good idea? Or if I watch my trans temp am I ok?

 

As long as the TC is locked up and the tranny is not hunting, I say go for it. Keep an eye on EGTs too.

 

You can tow in overdrive all day long every day, and it won't hurt a thing.

If it's gear hunting, then lock it out of overdrive. The gear hunting under load is what hurts the trans.

 

Thanks for your responses. It is not a stock trans either, it's a John Woods towmaster trans.

 

Then your more than covered with that trans Terry but I tow my TT in OD(stock) and watch with the gear searching. Like Curtis said, all day long..

 

I usually hold it out of od till i know that I'll be above 50 mph for more than a mile then I'll let it shift it into od. I will hold it out if it hunting Also like others said. My stock trans lasted 290k of heavy towing and snowplowing.

 

I did try it today for awhile on my way home from camping once I was out of the hills on straight flat roads. I did notice a drop of about 5 degrees on the trans. I didn't look at the egt's since the engine was only at 1900 instead of 2500 now.

 

I tow with with OD and cruise control on.
I made an 80 mile round trip doing it again today.

 

I very rarely two in D. Like they said, as long as it is not hunting for gears I let it be. If it is hunting gears I try and control it with that skinny pedal on the right before I take it out of OD.

 

I think you got your answer but another yes vote for towing in OD as long as you keep the RPM's around 1800-2000. That's my truck's sweet spot for power/low EGT's.

 

That was the rpm range I found to seem like a sweet spot also. Cruising at about 63 to 65 mph. It also seemed to almost be running easier than normal driving without a trailer.

 

My RPM sweet spot. 2k about 67 MPH. Pulling 10k 5th wheel. In OD. On Cruise.

I will bump off cruise when i see boost gauge rising.. About 10-12psi it likes to kick out of OD and scare the crap out of us.. Want to make a mode up for that some day. Seems that 10-12psi is consistent to cause the trans to kick out of OD. My EGT will never go above 1200.

 

As said, there is nothing wrong with towing on OD, but it doesn't mean it has to be the best way.
I did tow a trailer with a vehicle that had trip computer showing instant mpg.
Having 5 speed auto -I was playing with it being bored driving with low speed limit in CA.
On some occasions dropping a gear was bringing increase in mpg -also giving much better response when I needed it. Following tall semi could give me 15% increase, but that is tiring.

 

The trip computer isn't considered really accurate at all. Hence it is referred to as the "lie-o-meter"

 

That's one of the great benefits of having a custom tuner with tow tunes. It won't shift into OD until there's a certain mph that's met. I know mine won't shift to OD in my tow tunes until I get to over 55mph, and then it still won't shift into OD if I'm still accelerating or have a significant load on the TPS, such as pulling a small grade. Very nice.