Tow Mode vs. Normal Mode For 6x12 Single Axle Trailer

[vb96]

The OP came from a Honda Civic and stated it is their first truck. The 2 are very different vehicles, the manual is digital and how many thousand pages?

I've driven pickups around the farm from the time I could reach the pedals, had been here for months and watched numerous youtubes prior to delivery and still, there was a learning curve.

Ok at least someone understands me here good grief ?. I don’t know why people have to be so sarcastic. Have some empathy geez…

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[Henfield]

You don't need tow mode for something that light.
I pulled about 6,000 lbs up and down hills in normal mode and it never gave the slightest indication of any struggle.

I'll disagree with you on two points.
1: TH is better in around town and also accelerating while merging on to highways. It's like a mini sport mode.
2: TH when slowing will downshift increasing engine braking, reducing the load on your combinations brakes.

Normal mode also shifts up quicker. Often in too high a gear when 50-55. Sure you can lock out gears, but TH avoids that issue.

 

[tsigwing]

Hey everyone, new 2025 F150 STX 5.0L v8 owner here! Loving the truck so far! This is my first pick up truck coming from a Honda Civic. Radically different machinery here. I’m so impressed..

I knew that these trucks can tow trailers but wasn’t aware of the tow mode until 400 miles into my trip into the West Virginia mountains.

I was asking some friends and they suggested I used to tow mode as it adjust the shift points, uses engine, breaking, and creates more torque for Towing.

Now that I’m aware of this, I’m using it from now on, but my question is given that it has been really hot lately like anywhere between 87 and 97° and I was going up some pretty steep slopes averaging around 60 MPH, did I damage anything in the transmission or the engine by doing this in normal mode?

Also, for context, I was checking my temperature gauges during the uphill ascents and everything remained stable even when on normal mode, so at least I was aware of that.

hope this helps. I’m looking forward to hearing from everyone.

Pretty sure that is incorrect.

 

[JumboJVT]

I understand the OP's first-truck origins; I read the entire thread before responding. Its just the idea of spending this kinda moola on an item and knowing so little about it that I can't get my brain around. After all, drive modes are secondary to only the streeing wheel, brake and gas pedals when it comes to how the vehicle actual functions on the road - as distinguished from how to make a Bluetooth connection, for for instance. And yes, the manual is digital but available as a PDF: https://www.ford.com/support/vehicle/f150/2025/owner-manuals/ You don't have to sit in the truck staring at the screen, you can read it from your Lazyboy or print hardcopy if you choose. Its not perfect, but it's way better than having to come on the Internet and interact with old grumps like me

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Pretty sure that is incorrect.

It is. None of the different drive modes alter the total engine power/torque output. For the F150, all they really do is change throttle response, transmission shift points holding gears longer to keep the engine within it's power band, and engine braking to reduce the demand on the brakes to prevent overheating.

Yeah, when I called the service department at the dealership, they said something about the transmission has this “adaptive learning” thing…

It's a pretty neat system that will "learn" how you drive the truck and adapts how the transmission behaves for your driving style.

There are downsides though, like when someone else drives it. Because they apply different amounts of gas pressure for example it will not behave the same for them as for you. My wife for example hates driving my truck because of how rough/harsh it shifts, but it's buttery smooth for me.

Same goes if you drive someone else's Ford with this same transmission it simply won't behave the same as yours does. This is one of the main reasons people complain about the 10r80 transmission being clunky or having harsh shifts because of how it has adapted to suit the driving style of a single person over time. The logic system can get messed up such as when randomly hauling a big load or towing when in normal mode . This causes changes of internal pressures in the transmission which the computer then tries to adapt to. If it does adapt to it then when no longer under that type of load it can exhibit unusual shift behavior such as late, harsh shifts, or in some cases extreme erratic gear skips or even seemingly significant loss of power or slipping in higher gears.

This is one of the reasons I have Forscan (diagnostic and coding tool) so I can reset the adaptive tables if/when mine flakes out on me or help another forum member in the area I live.

 

[Davexxxx]

I understand the OP's first-truck origins; I read the entire thread before responding. Its just the idea of spending this kinda moola on an item and knowing so little about it that I can't get my brain around. After all, drive modes are secondary to only the streeing wheel, brake and gas pedals when it comes to how the vehicle actual functions on the road - as distinguished from how to make a Bluetooth connection, for for instance. And yes, the manual is digital but available as a PDF: https://www.ford.com/support/vehicle/f150/2025/owner-manuals/ You don't have to sit in the truck staring at the screen, you can read it from your Lazyboy or print hardcopy if you choose. Its not perfect, but it's way better than having to come on the Internet and interact with old grumps like me

Meh. Prior to this one, on the last 3 tow vehicles I had, the extent of tow mode, was a button in the shifter, that locked out overdrive.

Unless I noticed them hunting for gears, never used them.

These trucks are very different, altering throttle response and trans shift points.

 

[Sig Oris]

Not to be harsh, but did the truck come with a manual? Did your dealer do a pre-delivery run-through? I seems very odd to me that an owner of a - pickup truck - would not be aware of this. And paying $60K for a vehicle you know nothing about, despite the wealth of knowledge readily available within the very forum you turn to, is simply bizarre. Obviously, some think differently than I.

No paper manuals anymore and manual is available via sync at least in my case.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

The manual is all digital now on the dashboard… I’m old-school and prefer flipping through pages. Dealer did a basic run through, but didn’t explain everything.

The owners manual is also on FordPass now

 

[tsigwing]

No paper manuals anymore and manual is available via sync at least in my case.

I bought a paper manual for my 2025. Keep it in the glovebox.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

Pretty sure that is incorrect.

Yeah, I would agree.

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

 

[JumboJVT]

No paper manuals anymore and manual is available via sync at least in my case.

See posts #19 & 24. All you have to do is try.

 

[Sig Oris]

I bought a paper manual for my 2025. Keep it in the glovebox.

I did the same although it’s sad at the prices of these vehicles a paper manual isn't included

 

[rr11]

When I bought my 23 and they told me no paper manual I balked at signing the paperwork and they found a manual.

 

[jfalat]

I have a 6x12 trailer that I pull with a few bikes. Not real heavy but I all ways use tow haul when pulling a trailer .

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