do you turn your cruise control off when towing tt

[JRPhotoNut]

I suggest you check your tow vehicle's owner manual or a forum for your vehicle. My 2011 F-250 SuperDuty Diesel suggests not using Tow/Haul unless in mountainous areas. I frequently use cruise control and leave overdrive on. At 100 kmph/60 mph the engine cruises at 1400 RPM in overdrive and 1800 in 5th. While I use cruise control whenever I can, I do turn it off when in hilly areas to avoid unnecessary downshifting.

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by JRPhotoNut

I suggest you check your tow vehicle's owner manual or a forum for your vehicle. My 2011 F-250 SuperDuty Diesel suggests not using Tow/Haul unless in mountainous areas. I frequently use cruise control and leave overdrive on. At 100 kmph/60 mph the engine cruises at 1400 RPM in overdrive and 1800 in 5th. While I use cruise control whenever I can, I do turn it off when in hilly areas to avoid unnecessary downshifting.

I just checked the 2011 SuperDuty owner's manual and it says no such thing about only using Tow/Haul in hilly or mountainous areas.

Is there any way you can prove your copy does? I hate when people pass along erroneous information. I'm not saying you are but I don't see what you're seeing in the owner's manual.

[Dennis and Julie]

Always use tow/haul when hooked up and cruise whenever traffic allows which unfortunately in not very often here especially on 2 lane roads, to much truck traffic.

[JRPhotoNut]

My apologies - the specific reference my comments on is not the 2011 Owners Manual. The information is from Ford's RV & Trailer Towing Guide, available on the Ford – New Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Hybrids & Crossovers | Ford Vehicles website if you search for "towing." The only version now available is 2013, but it is the nearly the same as the 2011 version I found on the dealer's rack when I purchased. While the 2013 Guide provides ratings for the 2013 vehicles, page 29 has "Tips on towing" that gives the information. Here is a link to that document.

http://www.ford.ca/resources/ford/ge...Towing_Ev6.pdf

Of course, common sense must prevail when using this information. For example, you should be using the Tow/Haul mode if you are experiencing any of the conditions that Ford suggests the function should be used for, e.g. excessive downshifting, need engine braking on downhills, etc. However, as it says in the Driving with OverDrive section, " If excessive shifting does not occur, use overdrive to optimize fuel economy."

As for driving with speed control, the document indicates that speed control will automatically disable when uphill speed drops 13-22 kph. The inference is that using speed control is okay, but just understand the impact if it's a steep incline.

Again, my apologies if my post misled you to the owner's manual. I relied on Ford's Towing Guide information that explains how to use vehicle features based on driving conditions.

Thanks for allowing me to clarify this information!

[pappcam]

Originally Posted by JRPhotoNut

My apologies - the specific reference my comments on is not the 2011 Owners Manual. The information is from Ford's RV & Trailer Towing Guide, available on the Ford – New Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Hybrids & Crossovers | Ford Vehicles website if you search for "towing." The only version now available is 2013, but it is the nearly the same as the 2011 version I found on the dealer's rack when I purchased. While the 2013 Guide provides ratings for the 2013 vehicles, page 29 has "Tips on towing" that gives the information. Here is a link to that document.

http://www.ford.ca/resources/ford/ge...Towing_Ev6.pdf

Of course, common sense must prevail when using this information. For example, you should be using the Tow/Haul mode if you are experiencing any of the conditions that Ford suggests the function should be used for, e.g. excessive downshifting, need engine braking on downhills, etc. However, as it says in the Driving with OverDrive section, " If excessive shifting does not occur, use overdrive to optimize fuel economy."

As for driving with speed control, the document indicates that speed control will automatically disable when uphill speed drops 13-22 kph. The inference is that using speed control is okay, but just understand the impact if it's a steep incline.

Again, my apologies if my post misled you to the owner's manual. I relied on Ford's Towing Guide information that explains how to use vehicle features based on driving conditions.

Thanks for allowing me to clarify this information!

That still doesn't say to only use tow/haul in hilly or mountainous terrain. Please point out where it says NOT to use tow/haul on flat roads.

You basically are giving out false and erroneous info, much as I suspected.

[campingwilliamsons]

Same as most others, cruise on the highway, tow haul mode, let the F350 pick the gear it wants. Big downhills, I will lock out appropriate gears just for the engine braking.

Previous F150 and Tundra, I did the same thing, except I did lock out 6th most of the time (except on very flat roads). If I didn't, the transmission would "hunt" between 5th and 6th constantly.

[paulj4400]

Always use cruise control. On steep grades I try to slow down to 30 at top of hill so cruise will hold that speed coming downhill.