towing using cruise control

[BuckeyeChuck]

Do you tow your camper while using cruise control in your t.v.?

[jeeplj8]

occasionally, but only on flat ground, and even then it just annoys me. The problem is that CC cannot sense when you are about to go up a slight hill. At least in my Ford, it will cause the truck to donwshift frequently to maintain speed, however by the time it downshifts and brings the RPM up I am already over the small hill and now in the wrong gear going down.

And now the obligatory safety message: NEVER use CC in the rain or any other adverse traction condition.

[force]

On long stretches of relatively straight highway and light traffic, yes, but for the most part, no More often than not, traffic usually doesn't allow cruise to be on very long.

Edit: x2 on Jeeplj8's response

[Vern]

Unless on flatlands, the annoying and adrenaline inducing rush of your TV kicking into passing gear on every slight uphill grade is too much for me. My heart prefers that my foot remain in charge of the accelerator.

[jevanb]

Always... the Allison is smart and The engine has tons of power, it knows the gear it needs. Even in the big hills it works better then me, and less stressful. below 65 mph is where I stay

Originally Posted by Vern

the annoying and adrenaline inducing rush of your TV kicking into passing gear on every slight uphill grade is too much for me. .

that is the exact reason I got a diesel. it never drops a gear unless it is a huge hill

[Triguy]

I noticed that I use it more and more on the interstate and highways when its flat. But, I typically cruise at 60mph and don't have to change my speed too often. It's rare that I'm passing anyone and the hills around here are just bumps compared to much of the country.

I never used it on a trip to the Smokies a number of years ago. Too hilly once I got there. It really depends on the terain for me.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Vern

Unless on flatlands, the annoying and adrenaline inducing rush of your TV kicking into passing gear on every slight uphill grade is too much for me. My heart prefers that my foot remain in charge of the accelerator.

X2 Vern, I prefer using my foot to hold it between 60-65 as I can control the shifting.

[Having A Ball]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

X2 Vern, I prefer using my foot to hold it between 60-65 as I can control the shifting.

Same here!

[bakken]

On cruise 99% of the time.
I have far better things to do than keeping an eye on the speedometer, like enjoying the drive!
And if you don't maintain an even speed, it just annoys everyone else on the road.
Like jevanb, I leave the shifting to the truck. Maybe not always ideal, but I can live with that.

[ependydad]

I use cruise control almost all of the time to keep my speed down. It's the only way that I can go so slow (61mph preferred). Otherwise, I'd be that idiot in a 1-ton truck pulling a big camper at too high of a speed!

[Dave_Monica]

I use cruise whenever I can. The only problem is that it's an reactionary system...doesn't anticipate for grades...that's when I use the right foot and downshift earlier for a better chance at maintaining speed up the grade.

Dave

[avolnek]

Seeing as you have a Ford definitely control it with your foot!!! If you had a Dodge you are free to do whatever as they are just that much better!!!

Honestly though, I use cruise control but I also pay very close attention to the sounds my truck makes, exhaust, trans, engine ect... I also am monitoring my gauges to make sure everything is where I want them temperature wise. I pulled into Colorado up to estes and until we got into the windy slower roads I used cruise for 7 hours... The truck only down shifted one time on the trip home... As long as your trans isn't shifting all the time in cruise you will be fine. When you start shifting a lot is when the heat builds and that is how you will blow the trans...

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by jeeplj8

occasionally, but only on flat ground, and even then it just annoys me. The problem is that CC cannot sense when you are about to go up a slight hill. At least in my Ford, it will cause the truck to donwshift frequently to maintain speed, however by the time it downshifts and brings the RPM up I am already over the small hill and now in the wrong gear going down.

And now the obligatory safety message: NEVER use CC in the rain or any other adverse traction condition.

The Chevy/GMC cruise control with our Alison transmission in Tow/Haul is DA BOMB. Speed within 3 MPH up or down hills and weather permitting is the only way to tow in our GMC.

Never in the rain - is a fact of life whether towing or driving your car.
If the tire should slip, the engine and tire speed can ramp to dangerous levels before you can disengage and a dry patch can throw you out of control.

[bakken]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

I use cruise whenever I can. The only problem is that it's an reactionary system...doesn't anticipate for grades...that's when I use the right foot and downshift earlier for a better chance at maintaining speed up the grade.

Dave

I have the overdrive lockout button, so use that for the same reason, or if I think the tranny will be searching for the right gear in a long moderate climb.
My right foot thinks its on vacation too!

[mjones12]

When you are using the gas pedal (instead of cruise) and take your foot off to hit the brakes, the vehicle immediately starts to slow down during the time it takes to get your foot over onto the brake.

With cruise control, the throttle remains engaged at your chosen speed during the time it takes to get your foot off the floorboard and onto the brake pedal. So you are not yet starting to decelerate during that short time your foot is on the way to the brake.

Probably only a second's worth of difference, but at 60 mph, that second or split-second without deceleration could be the difference in getting stopped in time or not. I'm not saying don't use cruise, but that small lag time is something to think about.

[Yukon Don]

I tried it for the first time last fall in southern Manitoba where the roads are nice and flat. I watched the fuel economy readout on the dash and found it made an appreciable difference over the space of a couple of hours.
I don't think I'd be trying that in the mountains though...

[SaskCampers]

I use cruise all the time and put the tranny in manual mode that way the puter deals with the throttle and I can keep it in gears longer as the 6.2 easily pulls most hilly terrain in 4th or 5th if you manually shift.

[bakken]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Never in the rain - is a fact of life whether towing or driving your car.
If the tire should slip, the engine and tire speed can ramp to dangerous levels before you can disengage and a dry patch can throw you out of control.

I guess we're all crazy up here in The Great White North, because we use cruise no matter what, even on ice!
Actually, we're just used to driving in poor conditions, and I wouldn't use cruise on ice with a posi rearend.
I don't really see an issue with using cruise in the rain while towing the camper, as there is no way on God's green earth that the TV tires would ever slip with all of that weight on them.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by herk7769

The Chevy/GMC cruise control with our Alison transmission in Tow/Haul is DA BOMB. Speed within 3 MPH up or down hills and weather permitting is the only way to tow in our GMC.

Never in the rain - is a fact of life whether towing or driving your car.
If the tire should slip, the engine and tire speed can ramp to dangerous levels before you can disengage and a dry patch can throw you out of control.

Actually on gm models I believe newer than 04 the computer will disengage cruise if a tire spins.

As well as some of the later models with active suspension control will kick out cruise if the sensors detect a slide with no will spin.

[jevanb]

when the I dont or cant use the cruise because of traffic I use manual mode (tap shift) I dont use it a lot but selecting any gear when I want is a bonus (as long as the trans wants the gear) the turbo & grade break will keep my speed at any selected and also when not on the cruise it will slow me down almost to a stop on a off ramp.. Since the GM/ally/dmax is the best tow machine on the planet everybody else is just trys to bring us down..lol.. just drive one and you will see... serious... lol