Towing up a long steep grade

BReeves61

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Which is easier on the Ranger powertrain, slowing down, locking the transmission in a low gear and running a higher rpm up the hill or letting the transmission select the gear? I tow a 3500 lb travel trailer.

Thanks!
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WOADKIL

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Which is easier on the Ranger powertrain, slowing down, locking the transmission in a low gear and running a higher rpm up the hill or letting the transmission select the gear? I tow a 3500 lb travel trailer.

Thanks!
I tow around 4,000 in trailer mode and let the computer do the thinking... The Ranger pulls real good up hills., much better than my '05 5.4 liter Lariat!

Depending on the grade I'll slow to 55-60 mph in cruise control unless it's a crazy grade.

Enjoy!
 

Big Blue

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I tow around 4,000 in trailer mode and let the computer do the thinking... The Ranger pulls real good up hills., much better than my '05 5.4 liter Lariat!

Depending on the grade I'll slow to 55-60 mph in cruise control unless it's a crazy grade.

Enjoy!
I agree when I tow my TT, about 4000#, I'm in tow mode and lock out 9th and 10th, flat or grades. Done long 6% grades no problem. The turbo is great because altitude is not much of an issue like an NA motor.
 

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First off put it in tow mode. After that see how the truck acts. It may benefit to manually select a high gear(no higher than 7th for example) but sometimes tow mode has it figured out.
 

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Let the truck do the work. I haved towed 3000lb box trailers in the hill country of texas and the truck does just fine.

Yes i know hill country is not the rocky mountains. But long half mile 2 to 3 percent grades. No ike gauntlets here.
 


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Let the truck do the thinking. Use tow mode. I've been up a few long (several mile) inclines with our 5,000 lbs GVWR TT. I've slowed to 45 mph or so at times....faster than the semis but slower than everyone else. I've never had an issue with the Ranger towing. I-84 heading east from Pendleton through the Blue Mountains in Oregon is a hill we've climbed a few times.
 
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BReeves61

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I agree when I tow my TT, about 4000#, I'm in tow mode and lock out 9th and 10th, flat or grades. Done long 6% grades no problem. The turbo is great because altitude is not much of an issue like an NA motor.
just did a 6% grade for about 8 miles. It did fine but wasnt sure if a higher rpm would be easier on the transmission and engine.
 

Big Blue

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just did a 6% grade for about 8 miles. It did fine but wasnt sure if a higher rpm would be easier on the transmission and engine.
If you look at the dyno curves that have been posted the 2.3 in our trucks actually peaks quite low. So more rpms won't help that much. The transmission will downshift if it needs to.
 

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I agree when I tow my TT, about 4000#, I'm in tow mode and lock out 9th and 10th, flat or grades. Done long 6% grades no problem. The turbo is great because altitude is not much of an issue like an NA motor.
Tow mode almost inevitably eschews 10th gear with a 4000# trailer, and it likely would choose 8th or lower on long grades, so why lock out gears at all, while in Tow Mode?
I haven't seen any tendency to "hunt" when towing in tow mode, only a reticence to return to the higher gear when I perceived it appropriate. To me it seems that the 10spd is, in that way, very conservative and protective .
Are you experiencing "hunt" when not locking out, or are you simply concerned that the computer's choice of RPM under a load is just too low for comfort?
 

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just did a 6% grade for about 8 miles. It did fine but wasnt sure if a higher rpm would be easier on the transmission and engine.
Thanks to the 10-speed and the turbocharger the ranger does just fine
 

Big Blue

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Tow mode almost inevitably eschews 10th gear with a 4000# trailer, and it likely would choose 8th or lower on long grades, so why lock out gears at all, while in Tow Mode?
I haven't seen any tendency to "hunt" when towing in tow mode, only a reticence to return to the higher gear when I perceived it appropriate. To me it seems that the 10spd is, in that way, very conservative and protective .
Are you experiencing "hunt" when not locking out, or are you simply concerned that the computer's choice of RPM under a load is just too low for comfort?
I have experienced hunting when towing at hiway speeds. If it goes up to 9th or 10th it will inevitally hunt between 8th thru 10th depending on the minor up and down grades. To avoid this and the locking and unlocking of the torque converter I lock out the upper two gears. 8th is still overdrive. Tow mode does not by itself lock out any gears.

Works for me, you do you.
 

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4600lbs. 6-8% grades. I just drive it in tow mode and it does fine. Mine does not “hunt.”
 
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BReeves61

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Tow mode almost inevitably eschews 10th gear with a 4000# trailer, and it likely would choose 8th or lower on long grades, so why lock out gears at all, while in Tow Mode?
I haven't seen any tendency to "hunt" when towing in tow mode, only a reticence to return to the higher gear when I perceived it appropriate. To me it seems that the 10spd is, in that way, very conservative and protective .
Are you experiencing "hunt" when not locking out, or are you simply concerned that the computer's choice of RPM under a load is just too low for comfort?
I just dont want to lug the motor or overheat the transmission. I'm all for whatever the powertrain likes.
 

Big Blue

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4600lbs. 6-8% grades. I just drive it in tow mode and it does fine. Mine does not “hunt.”
Mine does not hunt on steeper grades either. Most steeper grades it will never get close to 8th gear. Where I find hunting in the higher gears is on relativily flat hiways which all will have mild up and down sections. Then it will float/hunt between the upper OD gears. Locking it to a max of 8th eliminates this for me. Less shifting less wear.

As I said to each their own.
 

9zero1790

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id say tow mode and roll on. truck will figure out what it wants to do gear wise. id give a quick glance down to the temp at the top of each climb just to see how things are. nothing to worry about if it goes up a bit. but if the temp needle heads far west then worry.
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