I just got back from Va Beach, about 300 miles from here, with a slideon camper, it was hot as hell ,in the mid 90s.Someone told me when I got back the truck should not have been in overdrive while towing or hauling. When I got back the speed sensor had to be replaced. Has anyone had a simalar experince and is that true about the overdrive?

 

You can tow in overdrive unless the trans is frequently shifting in and out of overdrive. That assumes you have an automatic.

 

Yes CASEY,it is an automatic THANKS

 

I made an 800 round trip pulling a 11,500 lb fifth wheel in the Texas Hill Country at 100 degrees and humid, Allways used over drive run around 75 most of time. Only turned off OD going up long steep grades. I have never had a problem pulling camper or heavy cattle trailer loaded with OD on.

 

You can shut the OD off around town, and shut it off when climbing hills, but it should be fine on flat ground. The trans can build up excessive heat if climbing in OD, partly because of the load, and partly because the RPM's are lower so the pump isn't pumping as much fluid through the trans and trans cooler.

 

ROCKNX Do you think a trans. temp. gauge should be used?

 

Definitely! Just my 2 cents...

Max

 

yes you have to have gauges...! and i find that if i'm not doing 65 or better on the highway my temps run lower if i am not in od... you may find your mule is different but without gauges you'll never know..!

 

I recently towed my 5th wheel RV (weight 12K+) from my home in NH to my brothers place in Wichita, KS through the Pocono's and the hills in WV with temps in the 90's and speeds up to 70 mph and would only kick off the OD when pulling a long hill that made the engine lug more than "sounded" right. Stock engine in 2000 F250 PSD, no guages, no chips or tricks.

 

as a fellow newhampshirite i will tell you... staying stock is cheaper and easier... but MAN...! you just can't imagine the POWER that is in your truck that you ARE NOT getting when you are set up stock...! i have spent less than a grand on my mods and my mule KICKS..!

 

Yea, stock sucks. I just pulled my 15k 5th and because I have a 4 bank Bully Dog chip I clicked back to stock while pulling one hill and wow. No power, it downshifted and still was slowing. On the next hill I had clicked back to the tow mode (55 hp/75 tq or so) what a difference. It pulled the hill in OD and surely wasn't breathing hard.

 

My opinion:
I have a 7.3 with 38k on it, at least 24k is pulling 12k fifth wheel cross country. As a general rule I always tow in OD. I will disengage when I am in the hill country or to slow a down grade in the mountains.

 

just wondering if your exhaust is turbo back and what kind of egts and tranny temps you get when you tow... also what kind of weather conditions where you in at the time...?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to start with the mods, just not in the budget at the moment... You guys are making me drool with all of those stories about the extra power with the mods...

 

don't feel bad.. i went through the same thing... but you have to do the gauges first... even if you are running stock i would reccomend them... i to wanted to just get a predator cause that's all i had in the budget and start playing, but when you look at the cost of a new motor or a new tranny the intelligent part of the brain reasserts control and saves your psd from an untimely death...!