Towing in 5th Gear?

Possum3 · Guru

Towing in 5th Gear?

hako · Guru

That's been the recommendation for many years especially after people started blowing up their gearboxes when towing in 5th. It's really no big deal anyway as towing in 4th will see similar fuel usage and if you 'upgrade' the gearbox you still should not tow in 5th.
Good Luck.

exa41 · Guru

You shouldn't really engage 5th until you are above 80kph ,especially when towing on flat ground ,soon as you get to a hill where you are starting to loose speed change back .with our coaster I am particularly concious of speed and religiously change back below 80k ,remember you are loading the gearbox by more than 25% when towing in 5th.

dzcook · Veteran Member

most likely got it wrong sure i read somewhere that even with a auto that you should manually select the gears ?as the car will constantly be switching 4 th to 5 th ( If your a 5 speed box ) use 5 th only when its long straight and flat ?

deverall11 · Guru

Tow in 4th. Override the auto and select 4th. I have a scanguage and 5th will cause the auto to get hot. 4th allows the torque converter to lock up. Fuel consumption is the same towing in 4th or 5th. 4th looks after the auto a bit better. This is only when towing.
Larry

-- Edited by deverall11 on Saturday 12th of September 2015 06:18:08 PM

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I have a selective shift transmission in my Collie. It is 6 speed and never tow in 6th but on open road in 5th only. I also like to go into manual and do it myself but still no 6th at any time. Seems to perform much better in manual when towing. I do go back to auto when in towns and cities though.

Delta18 · Guru

In my D-Max manual I often use 5th (OD) when on flat, no or little wind conditions with the 3t van on.

I will change down to 4th on hills or if the dreaded head or 1/4 head winds lift.

I normally cruise in OD at 95 - 100kmh (by gps) and get better consumption at that speed than at 85-90 in 4th.

I can 'feel' when a change is needed, as soon as the speed tries to drop the gear goes down (car gear that is biggrin )

Cheers Neil.

Spydermann · Senior Member

Just traded a 6-speed auto Falcon ute (XR6 turbo) for a 3.2L 6 speed auto Ranger. Just let the vehicle choose the gears. If I didn't see the tacho move, I'd really never know that the gears actually changed. Both gearboxes change down going both up and down hills brilliantly when cruise control is engaged. Never bothered with the manual over-ride - yet.

justcruisin01 · Guru

Dont have to worry about this problem; 6th gear manual on cruise control all day.takes a resonable hill to go back to 5th; eg Adelaide hills with 3t holds 4th all the way with no probs

J C.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Some auto's have sport mode .. It changes down earlier and often locks out top gear or lock up converter..
Depending on vehicle .. Especially turbo engines .. They make power at low rpm which can heat turbo over time ..
The newer variable turbine housings and better ECU control on latter models doesn't require you to do anything..
Just keep in mind if it labours to much .. Turbo engines may seem like it's doing it easy.. It could also be killing your engine ? With bad fuel ? Nissan diesels especially ...

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Collin,

Our 200 series GX TTD crusier is recommended to tow in S5 overdrive.

We sit on 102kph on cruise towing the boat to WA. It locks up the TC and runs all day at 1800rpm. The boat / trailer weighs 2000kg loaded with all our gear.

Check your vehicle's manual to what they recommend.

Regards Jim

Possum3 · Guru

Thanks for those that answered - it seems that a common sense approach is to ensure there is no "labouring".

One thin that does concern me though - It seems some are not aware that there is a National Speed limit of 100 kph when towing any trailer.

rockylizard · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Thanks for those that answered - it seems that a common sense approach is to ensure there is no "labouring".
One thin that does concern me though - It seems some are not aware that there is a National Speed limit of 100 kph when towing any trailer.

Gday...

Perhaps this information will assist - http://withoutahitch.com.au/caravan/state-state-tow-vehicle-trailer-speed-limits/

Not all states/territories have a 100kph limit for towing a caravan.

Cheers - John

Hey Jim · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Thanks for those that answered - it seems that a common sense approach is to ensure there is no "labouring".
One thin that does concern me though - It seems some are not aware that there is a National Speed limit of 100 kph when towing any trailer.

Hi Colin,

What concerns Us is the dozens of B Doubles that past us each day at speed, all day long. five minutes and their out of sight. And they ARE SPEED governed. Not one Copper stops them.

Jim

Sarge9 · Senior Member

Jim, in Victoria.... Not ONE copper is allowed to pull them over, Gotta be TWO of them now.... I think that's because one can read and the other can write....

Sarge.

Woody n Sue · Guru

Hey Jim wrote:

Hi Colin,
What concerns Us is the dozens of B Doubles that past us each day at speed, all day long. five minutes and their out of sight. And they ARE SPEED governed. Not one Copper stops them.
Jim

Hi Jim as a sometimes truck driver what concerns me most is that over 95% of cars speedos are actually factory set to read 5 km or more faster than they are actually traveling ( my sons navara is 10k my VW Jetta is 8 k) this is why most car drivers complain about speeding trucks when in fact they are not actually doing over 100 km/h the car is only doing 95 k.

Now let me say that I know some trucks that do go faster than 100 k so some times this is true but in my expriance it is more often the slow car not the fast truck.

Not having a go at you Jim just saying what is my personal experience driving a truck at 100 k as I am sure that some of them that passed you could have been speeding as they are certainly capable of much faster speeds if the limiter is not working properly and by the way if they should get caught by the law with a non compliant limiter they will be in more strife than speed goradon and so will the mechanic that last played with the limiter as they have to enter there personal code in order to set the limiter and if it is a company truck there are huge fines also For the company.

Mobi Condo · Guru

Looking at our tug,s Hand Book shows a clear explanation that 5th Gear is what is described as a cantilever gear - that is it does NOT have a supporting bearing either side of it and is thus not as strong in construction, plus 4th gear is more of a direct drive through the power train of the gear box and there fore more efficient. When in 4th gear we are in a higher rev range of course for the speed, but then we still have the most efficient use of fuel and not waste it in soot pouring out the exhaust. In 360000ks of travel, 100000 of which was towing our 3500Kg van, the fuel economy shows best in the Manufacturers advised gear use.

Hey Jim · Guru

Hi Woody & Sue,

I know what your saying. I set the Cruise to 102km so as to move along with the big fellers. I'm talking blokes that sail past, not the ones that come past at 105km, I assist by backing off when they pull out and always flash them the second their tail is clear so they can come back over with minimum time on the other side. I always get the big thankyou through the blinkers. I'm talking drivers doing 120 or better.

I use a GPS camera with full HD 1080 continuous recording mounted.

Regards Jim

Woody n Sue · Guru

Yes Jim there a still a few Cowboys out there these big rigs can have 600 plus HP and as such are geared to do 100 at around 1600 rpm and are more than capable of going above 140 even some 160 if let loose as in the U.S. They are allowed to do 75 mph on there roads, anyway I must have passed you at some time as probably 30% of the vans I have come across have been very good at communicating with me and when safe have alowed me to pass and some times I have not had far to go to a turnoff and told them to just keep going at there pace as I will be turning shortly anyway, it is great how there seems to be an awareness of the need to have a uhf radio not just to listen to but to actually use it to inform the approaching truck that they are aware they are there and will allow them to pass as soon as it is safe, so travellers don't be shy use that radio it makes everyone's day more pleasant any mostly I am jealous that I'm not in my van like them darn it .

Phil C · Guru

We have a 2012 Ford XL Ranger with manual 6 speed box. We have been advised by Ford not to tow in overdrive (6th) as it overloads the gear box.

Cheers

bill12 · Guru

Trust me- DON,T TOW IN 5TH ! It cost me $2200 , and the gearbox xperts said don,t change to 5th . Found a gear tooth in the sump of the gbox.So now I use 4th , and I don,t think it make a lot of difference. Still do 90 to 100kph, and fuel seems the same.An expensive lesson. I have a turbo diesel courier.Bill

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Higher rpm on light throttle is far more economical than throttle at low rpm ..
On turbo engines the load on engine spools turbo hard as exhaust gases in engine have high
Velocity at low rpm.. If you have mechanical cooling fan its at lower rpm also..
Modern automatics SHOULD. Change down .. If not do it manually .. You can be caught out too .
Often you think your cruising on flat road .. Not knowing your on incline ..

justcruisin01 · Guru

In some vehicles both 5th & 6th are both overdrives.