Towing with and without Tow/Haul Mode with Powerboose and gas mileage

[Bobcatou]

I towed a small camper, (16ft-3500lbs) around 3000 miles a few months back. A few times I forgot to put my Powerboost back into Tow/Haul mode. I noticed that the gas mileage was better when I was not in Tow mode. I'm guessing it is because the truck didn't appear to use the electric motor. I'm wondering if this is the reason.

Also, if I am driving on flat straightaways and not in hilly areas, does it make sense to stay out of tow/haul mode and get the better mileage? I really didn't notice a difference in modes except going downhill where my transmission stayed in lower gears.

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[jhelrey]

I don't use tow/haul unless I have a heavy trailer behind me.

 

[Bobcatou]

Does Heavy equal more than 5000 pounds? Just curious

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

Personally, I would at least lock out 9th and 10th. Towing is damn hard on overdrive.

 

[DBL R]

Lock out 9 and 10. I use tow haul because it stiffens up with CCD which makes the ride a little less bouncy/more firm.

 

[cheesedogf150]

I find even towing a Seadoo in normal mode with a PB messes up the transmission after unhooking the Seadoo, the shift points are all off and not smooth.

I prefer using towing mode for anything towing, and when you go back to normal mode with nothing in tow everything is still smooth.

 

[Bobcatou]

Some points I never thought of. Thanks

 

[Aron]

If I recall correctly, tow/haul will use more gas than in Normal mode because it is designed to minimize temperatures in the engine and transmission while towing rather than for fuel efficiency.

 

[jhelrey]

I have a 5.0 so maybe I shouldn't have replied.

 

[DT444T]

It really depends. If I'm at lower speeds I'll switch out of tow/haul because I can run on electric only. I was getting 10mpg at highway speeds and got into heavy traffic in California. I got the mpg up to 13 before speed picked back up. Stop-and-go traffic is perfect for the electric, even with the trailer.

I always lock out 8,9,10 when towing my big trailer, and 10 when I tow my little boat. I notice an increase in mpg with 10th locked out with the boat.

So, no. I do not get the same results as you.

 

[PatchManager]

I found that towing in normal mode would sometimes result in the truck towing in 10th gear with a lot of boost resulting in a small amount of vibration in the cab, which I assume is not good. That is the only time I have ever detected any vibration. This is not an issue for two haul mode because I don't think it was ever in 10th gear, and would shift down to 8th from 9th gear if minimal boost was initiated. Consequently, I use tow haul mode for anything over 2000 to 3000 pounds.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

Some points I never thought of. Thanks

Certainly something to think about. That’s the wonderful thing about this place is the experience levels of members here bring so much of a buried view of opinion.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

If I recall correctly, tow/haul will use more gas than in Normal mode because it is designed to minimize temperatures in the engine and transmission while towing rather than for fuel efficiency.

I would agree to a point. The big scale is gonna be in the increased engine RPM. The benefit of the engine RPM increase is less actuation of the turbos. This inturn, will allow the engine to run a little cooler.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

I have a 5.0 so maybe I shouldn't have replied.

a good bit still applies to the 5.0

 

[Jeff1024]

Tow/Haul seems to be one of those things that is not exactly set it and forget it. There are a ton of variables at play here, the weight and frontal area of what you are towing, where you are towing it, how fast you are pulling it just to name a few.

As others have stated, Tow/Haul mode isn't magic, it basically just changes the transmission shift strategy to hold gears longer and to more aggressively downshift to help w/ engine braking.

What is best for each situation is still up to the person driving the truck. Locking out higher gears is never a bad idea, towing in overdrive gears isn't always a great idea. Also, it is sometimes better, especially in the 3.5 to force the transmission to shift into a lower gear and run more RPM's. This keeps boost lower, which keeps temps lower, and heat build up in the 3.5 is an issue.

Our boat is about 7,000lbs. We tow mostly on backroads with some rolling hills. I have found tow/haul works best for me, but that doesn't mean towing in Normal mode wouldn't work. I dont even bother to lock out 8-10, the truck never gets to them anyway.

Cliff Notes - Modern trucks have a ton of technology that we didnt have before, but the decision on tow/haul or normal mode is still up to the person driving and isnt one size fits all.

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