Does anyone keep their tow/haul button engaged at all times when driving?

[teslasmuse]

I'm having a discussion on a vanlife thread on reddit and there seems to be some confusion, my research on my Chevy E3500 says only engage if I'm carrying extra weight and towing, but is the van build and all of my possessions the extra weight? Should it be on 24/7?

 

[Steve Biegler]

If you have a heavy build (as we do) keep it engaged all the time since you are "hauling".

 

[booster]

I have never heard of anybody doing that in the Chevies.

The tow haul usually raises the up shift speeds and reduces converter lockup, but I haven't specifically looked for that in tow/haul for the 6 speed. Both of those will give you marginally better acceleration but at the expense of gas mileage and engine and transmission heat.

On our van, we use the tow/haul button differently by a bit because it is reprogrammed to keep the 4 speed transmission cooler by locking the converter more of the time and at lower rpms, which is the opposite of what is was stock.

 

[Steve Biegler]

We are in a 10 speed Transit and it changes the shift points and duration of each gear and also shifts it into lower gears on downhills to help with engine braking. Effect on gas milage is marginal but performance is significantly better. As the previous poster mentioned not sure how it works with a Chevy.

 

[Asphalt Addict]

Booster, who or how did you reprogram the tow/haul button? Thanks

 

[Picasso_taco]

I always drive my C14RTRanger with TH engaged. I prefer the shift points, especially when driving in the hills. Even on what appears to be flat terrain you are often actually going up a slight grade. The only drawback is the loss of gas milage and I probably wouldn't use it in snow or ice as the shift points can be a bit more abrupt.

 

[Sensfan-ClassB]

I operate our 2012 six speed Chevy 3500 on manual setting for climbing and descending hills. I monitor RPM and transmission fluid temp while simultaneously reading the hill grade and its changes, I downshift prior to losing engine RPM and changing gears, as needed, throughout the climb. Reverse logic takes over at the peak and during descent, which, as previously discussed in another thread, minimizes braking, which in turn reduces or eliminates rotor wobble.

 

[TX-Trek]

I found that our 2010 210P does very well with TH engaged. Same comment as above about rolling grades. In our case there's barely any mileage loss and the van performs very well. Any sort of incline I now engage TH - big difference, on declines I use the manual control.

 

[Sensfan-ClassB]

“ TX … Any sort of incline I now engage TH - big difference … "
Please describe any hill climbing vehicle performance variations between when your TH is engaged vs.when your manual position is engaged and you make gear changes during the climb.

 

[Grif-ClassB]

I'm having a discussion on a vanlife thread on reddit and there seems to be some confusion, my research on my Chevy E3500 says only engage if I'm carrying extra weight and towing, but is the van build and all of my possessions the extra weight? Should it be on 24/7?

I'm having a discussion on a vanlife thread on reddit and there seems to be some confusion, my research on my Chevy E3500 says only engage if I'm carrying extra weight and towing, but is the van build and all of my possessions the extra weight? Should it be on 24/7?

I've had my 190V Chevy for 20 years. I only use the Tow/Haul when pulling my boat or climbing a steep grade. Otherwise I don't. Save your transmission.

 

[Sensfan-ClassB]

GR “I've had my 190V Chevy for 20 years. I only use the Tow/Haul when pulling my boat or climbing a steep grade. Otherwise I don't. Save your transmission."

Interesting comment. I’m not tech savvy, but its been my belief that using Tow/Haul on my 2012 Chevy 3500 6.0 litre/six speed transmission for hills means (1) fewer hill gear changes and (2) higher RPM numbers both during and between the gear changes.
Agree; disagree?