Cruise Control & Towing ?

[rideandslidejim]

Going to be on I95 for quite awhile (flat running ) is it ok to use your cruse control ??

Jim

[cabinfever]

It is fine to use your cruise, especially on flat roads. I have found when in hilly terrain the cruise will not keep up, not to mention use much more gas.

[hankpage]

Jim, I don't know what your TV is but with mine I use cruise on I95 most of the way from Jersey to Fla. Maryland and most of Va are the exceptions. Short rolling hills I accelerate in anticipation of the hill and after that let the cruise do the rest. Doing this the trans rarely drops down so I do not use Tow/Haul. Maybe heading west I might use it. Cruise will also help control downhill speed without using brakes. (within reason) Travel safely and enjoy, Hank .................. As cabinfever mentioned I get better mpg not using it but sometimes the right foot just needs a rest.

[bobbecky]

It really depends on what your TV is. With ours, 2012 2500HD D/A, we tow up hill and down hill in cruise. There is a selector switch that also turns on the exhaust brake that works with the cruise and transmission to maintain our downhill speed. We can go down most hills never touching the brakes and there is enough power to go up most hills, rarely downshifting from 6th. With our previous TV, you really had to work it to maintain speed without blowing it up, watching the temps and rpm's.

[Ken / Claudia]

I do also and leave it on during up/down smaller hills and in OD. On the big long 6% grades, I turn both CC and OD off before the truck does. But, I am not towing anything near max. wt. for the truck so it is not any problem.

[jodrey]

No problem to run cruise with a diesel but with a gas engine is not good.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by jodrey

No problem to run cruise with a diesel but with a gas engine is not good.

I have towed with diesels and with gas engines, currently have a F250 6.2L gas truck that we use to tow a Cougar 27RKS. I've used the cruise control regularly when towing and never had any issues. What problems cause you to say it's not good to tow with cruise with a gas engine?

[rayjoanlough]

I would say it mostly depends on your tow vehicle and the landscape you are driving. My biggest concern would definitly drop out of cruise if and when it starts to rain. The cruise doesn't seem to understand hydroplanning. Lots of horror stories about those that learned the hard way. My $.02 worth.

[jje1960]

Very frequent user of CC. However, be careful when you hit for example bridges on I95, you will need to click it off quickly or you may start bouncing, had that happen a couple of times, now very careful.

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by jje1960

Very frequent user of CC. However, be careful when you hit for example bridges on I95, you will need to click it off quickly or you may start bouncing, had that happen a couple of times, now very careful.

OOOOOH YES!!!! As a matter of fact there is one little bridge or overpass near Brunswick that I think I lost a filling on. It is better than coffee to wake you up. If memory serves me ... North bound, on a full stomach, after leaving FJ and settling in till my next stop in Dillon/Latta. I have also seen many trailers on the side just after it , owners walking around to see just what the heck was that. Took me twice to realize it was the cruise that launches you if conditions are right. See, you can teach old dogs.

[jje1960]

Originally Posted by hankpage

OOOOOH YES!!!! As a matter of fact there is one little bridge or overpass near Brunswick that I think I lost a filling on. It is better than coffee to wake you up. If memory serves me ... North bound, on a full stomach, after leaving FJ and settling in till my next stop in Dillon/Latta. I have also seen many trailers on the side just after it , owners walking around to see just what the heck was that. Took me twice to realize it was the cruise that launches you if conditions are right. See, you can teach old dogs.

Couple of years ago, southbound, I think it was the James River bridge, it really got hairy... Any less of truck and I believe we would have lost it. We have a golf cart in the toy hauler and that only amplified the situation. Now, when using CC, I actually keep my finger on or near the cancel button.

[Brantlaker]

I travel with the Cruise Control on all of the time. I just watch the engine RPM and kick it out at about 4,500rpm up hills.

[LittleJoe]

4500 I very rarely exceed 2500

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by LittleJoe

4500I very rarely exceed 2500:

It looks like some of us are just "slower" than others

One of the biggest "get out of one truck and drive another" differences is the RPM sound of a diesel. Get out of a diesel and into a gas truck and you'd think, from listening to the engine, that it's about to explode when it hits 3000 RPM. and when it winds up tighter..... It's a pucker factor for sure.... But then, after a couple hours, the "heart" and "pucker" settle down and all is good till you get back in the diesel, then you want to keep downshifting because the engine is revving so slow, you think it's going to stall LOL

Ain't life grand !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bobbecky]

With our diesel, when pulling a grade, the fan clutch will eventually kick in, and then, even though the engine RPM's don't change, it starts sounding like the jet engine running. Had to give my wife the talk, explaining what was happening under the hood, that shortly after cresting the top of the hill, the noise settles down when the clutch disengages and this is all normal. It's amazing how much air those fans must be pushing with that much noise coming from them.

[gearhead]

Heck, the basic premise of cruise control on I-95 is scary to me. We drove it 3 years ago in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, not towing a thing. Black Mercedes' with New Jersey and New York plates driving 90 mph got my attention, and I learned to drive in Houston traffic.

[BulletOwner1]

As others have said, I think it depends on the TV. On my current setup, Ford F150/ECOBoost/Bullet 284RLS, I have no issue using CC. I lock out 6th and use the Tow/Haul mode. On other setups I've had I wasn't comfortable using it.