Towing And Gear Selection

I have a 2008 DCSB TRD Off Road, 188,000 miles. I purchased it used and it has not had the best maintenance from the previous owner. I would like to pull a 12' tandem axle enclosed trailer definitely under the 6500 lb towing capacity. What is the proper gear to use? Drive or D4? It seams like 3300 rpm @ 70 is a little too much. I just don't want to blow anything up.

 

D4, always D4 while towing. As for me, towing or not towing always in D4 unless I'm on the freeway.

 

It depends on the load, traffic and terrain. The default answer is to use 4th gear and not use overdrive and this is what the owners manual says. But with lighter loads especially on level terrain it won't hurt anything to use overdrive.

Even though mine is an automatic, I drive it a lot like a manual when towing. I start in 4th gear, but if conditions are favorable I'll shift into OD. You have to read the road and actually drive the truck, not just go along for the ride. If there is an incline approaching I'll shift out of OD BEFORE the engine starts to strain and then go back to OD at the crest. If traffic is moving along at 40-45 mph I get out of OD even when not towing. I've found that at those speeds the truck can't decide between 4th or OD even unloaded. At slower speeds it never go to OD anyway and if you can maintain 60-65 then there is no reason to stay in 4th. In mountains, or if loaded heavier, I forget about OD.

 

just curious... what is D4?

Op... I tow a 15' Smoker Craft Alaskan aluminum fishing boat... maybe 1,500 lbs. I mainly drive in D (overdrive) and have absolutely no issues, When it does search for a lower gear on uphill grades I drop it into 4th... then back into overdrive after I top the hill. With what your towing you won't even know it's back there. Driving in 4th gear going 70mph on level ground would be crazy.

 

I do exactly what you describe with my 1200lb or so boat & trailer.

 

Yeah... mine might even be close to 1,800lbs (has a couple of 4 stroke outboards on back, electric up front, 2 batteries, and alot of equipment) and for the most part I don't even know it's back there. The V6 in these trucks has some power! The lake I fish is in a dormant volcano at around 6,000' and I only drop it down into 4th on the steepest, sharpest grades.... that's the only time the tranny hunts for a lower gear. On the ride home thank god for engine braking!!

 

Thanks guys for the response! Anybody else have an opinion?

 

I have a 6x12 enclosed 3,200LBS + gear, water, and gas in the truck bed. D4 is about 1:1 at 65 I'm pulling 2700 rpms most of the time i keep it about 2500rpms 62ish.
only time it drops to 3D is going up two hills here in SoCal. palm spring grade and yucaipa grade. When you feel the trans converter lock up in D4 at speed your trans temp will go down.
3300mps will not be a problem. MPG just going to be bad. Try 91 when towing, good motor oil, change your Transmission Fluid every 60k, and diff oil.


Horsepower 236 horsepower@5200rpm
Torque (ft-lbs) 266 torque@3800rpm