4th or 5th gear

I decided to read the owners manual about driving with a trailer and what gear to be in. I have been driving in D this year and I have had no hunting issues and the gas mileage is better. Upon reading the manual I found that it said that while towing you should dive in 4 not D for engine braking. It never mentions transmission issues as a reason to drive in 4 instead of D.. My truck and trailer brakes work very well and the 4.0 does not have enough compression to engine brake for me anyways.

Just my observations. I will continue to drive in D and if it does start to hunt I will down shift.

I think a clear idea of what hunting is is needed as well. Hunting is not your trans dropping into the passing gear while in drive and then back every once-in-a-while. Hunting is the trans going back and forth from gear to gear in rapid succession say 5-10 seconds apart. I have never had the Taco hunt I only give it a little help getting into a climbing gear either 4 or 3 before the trans does it for me.

 

Driving hwy/straight flat roads should be fine in 5th......driving on back roads and that have hills and curves probably would want in 4th as it would "hunt" quite a bit

 

I leave it in D mostly.

 

This

 

This

 

Exactly right. I just brought a 17 foot Casita from Rice, Texas to my home in northern California. I ran I-40 most of the way.

When you get into long pulls or even rolling hills you might kick the cruise control off and just "feel" for the sweet spot in each gear.

I stayed in 5th most of the time and occasionally dropped to 4th on long up grades. No problems at all.