Who does some serious towing? 2,000+ lbs with their 4.2 (I don't really consider 1 ton serious towing, but for the limits of our trucks, that is....i.e.. not the small 8 foot trailer with a couch or fridge on it)

Any issues problems?

I have done more towing in the last 10,000 miles than I had in the first 100,000 miles of my truck (I have 110,000 right now). I am primarily towing my newly aquired 18 foot bay boat, mostly interstate.

I also replaced my transmission earlier this summer, before I started towing that boat, shift linkage or something inside the unit went out, apparantly caused by a master cylinder leak....that had to get replaced as well. Back about 5-6 years ago I would occasionally tow cars or a 40 foot trailer (the 40 foot was a open top box trailer used by military folk on base to move around town, didn't weigh much, maybe 4500 loaded down...at least when I Was using it)

But anyone been having any problems with their 4.2s towing a few thousand pounds? When I go to move the boat this summer up Ruston, about 250 mile drive, I am probably going to borrow my buddies 5.4L F250LD for that trip.

 

I used to tow more with my 2000. Many times a boat weighing about 2500 lbs, maybe a bit more. Never any problems.

Not much with the 05 - sold the boat and stuff.

I did pull a 12 ft U-Haul trailer from Bham to Atlanta last weekend and returned with it and the bed loaded to the gills (moving my niece back to Bham).
It did fine. I figure it was about 2000 lbs total. Some of the long, long hills caused it to drop out of overdrive. I'd shift it with the switch rather than let it labor or shift back and forth.

I figure the truck is realistically good for about 3K lbs, even though it is rated for 5K lbs.

 

yeah, I Agree on the reaslistically about 3. the couple times I have towed cars, the truck had to do some serious work. When crossing the mississippi, I often have to drop my truck down to 3rd to keep it from dropping too far in speed....but then again, traffic is normally running about 50 there, so RPMs are too low in 4th or overdrive to have any power available

 

I have pulled a 18 foot Ranger bass boat all over Texas with my 2001 with no problem. Just remeber like the manual says when towing, turn off your overdrive! I even do it with my new F-250 even though I can't even feel it back there.

 

I would hope the F250 could do it :P When I get my boat up there to school this fall, I will be using my neighbors 250LD to tow it to the lake, just cause my truck can do it, if I have access to a bigger truck that does it better, I am gonna use that.

 

I know this is a really old post.. but you guys seriously tow loads with your overdrive on?!? And you idiots wonder why your always having to replace transmissions before 100k.... wow... I am 18 and I know better than that..

 

towing in OD is fine as long as the tranny isnt constantly shifting btwn 3rd and 4th trying to maintain speed. Having a big tranny cooler helps as well. The biggest enemy of an auto tranny is heat. My F250 has over 370k on it and both myself and the previous owner used to use it tow in OD all the time, and its still on the original tranny.

 

Towing in OD is HELL on the OD gear.. I have always been taught that and will not learn any different. Call it ignorance or stubborness, but it is what it is. I have never had a tranny cooler on any of my pickups, but I have never needed one either. My 89 is near 175k miles with no rebuilds, and my 99 is at 122k with no rebuilds, so I must be doing something right

 

Which is better, a Philips head screwdriver or a slot screwdriver?

Depends on what you are doing.

Same here.
Both you guys can be right.
Towing what?
How much weight?
What terrain?
etc.

I will say this, I do not believe towing in OD is automatically "HELL" on the OD gear.
It is really not the gear that is the issue. It is the heat generated and the wear on the clutches/bands, both resulting from repeated shifting into and out of overdrive. Heat being the real enemy.

If the truck is cruising along fine in OD (towing or not towing) and not shifting back and forth, I know of no harm that will come.

FWIW, locking out OD will not cause any harm either.

I am not a transmission expert, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express.
But that was months ago.....

 

cheers. To each, his own.