[grock87]

All - A quick tow report since I do not see too many pontoon towing reports.....

Hoping for some feedback on my transmission temp that I was seeing.

Also curious about the tow haul mode and what it actually "locks out" as I was able to get into 8th gear for a good part of the trip. (I did notice the shift pattern difference.)


--
Just got back last week from my first substantial tow with my ED truck towing my 21ft pontoon boat.
Total Trailer weight 3,100 lbs w/ gas + gear. + 3 ppl in the truck with suitcases.


ED towed it great - my oil temp peaked at 240 momentarily, and the transmission stayed btwn 188 - 195 the entire duration.
I am concerned about the trans temp - But for context my stop n' go drive the temp is btwn 183 - 186...


The trip from Central NJ up to Lake George, NY - ~ 220 miles each way - Outside Air temp was around 82 ~ 88 F degrees (so my A/C was on! )

Trip computer calculated: 16.2 mpg going up and 13.5 mpg coming back.

I was definitely booking it... about 72 - 75 mph on the hwy @ 2,250 RPMs. I know if I dropped to 65mph @2,100 RPMs - I'd be seeing closer to 18 mpg based on the few times I was driving a consistent stretch slower....

Overall a HUGE improvement over my V6 jeep which was avg'ing around 9 mpg and with the shorter wheel base -a much less enjoyable tow.

My truck configuration:
2016 - Laramie w/ std Laramie grill inserts
3.92 axle / 4x4 / coil springs (no air) / no engine tune (yet)

 

[Haul N Grass]

Seems like a good tow report to me , With my Tundra pulling my 22ft pontoon boat 8 mpgs

 

[robertm]

You got fantastic fuel econ pulling your pontoon. I usually get around 10 pulling mine. They are just massive wind drags.

Not sure what you are trying to say about being worried about tranny temps. Highest you saw was 195? That's completely 100% within normal operating range. Per ZF normal range is 175-212 deg and can briefly get to 240-260 w/o damaging tranny. Fluid will likely be degraded if tranny did see anything like 240.

Congrats on an excellent tow. Glad the truck served you well!

 

[grock87]

Thanks for the feedback Robert + Haul.

 

[MAS]

My empty transmission temp runs 192-194 I'd say you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Crash68]

As others have said the trans temps are fine, I'll see 192 just running unloaded.
The Tow/Haul mode doesn't lock out any of gears. It holds gears longer. I've run in eighth gear when towing also with the Tow/Haul on.

 

[Ramzaq]

What! No pictures?

Have to provide pictures if you want answers.

I see most people have been kind and did answer, so I will add my 2 cents. The ZF 8 is designed to run around 190 to 200 degrees so a slightly higher towing temp is not a problem. When you get to around 230, that's the time to start keeping an eye on things.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

As others have said the trans temps are fine, I'll see 192 just running unloaded.
The Tow/Haul mode doesn't lock out any of gears. It holds gears longer. I've run in eighth gear when towing also with the Tow/Haul on.

Mine seems to not want to up-shift from 6th with tow/haul engaged. Shifts well without using shift/haul towing my 7500 lb TH.

 

[howie12]

I do not believe that 240 degrees will damage the synthetic ZF transmission fluid. CapMal corespondent with ZF about this and posted his findings somewhere here but I could not find it with a quick search. Anyhow, I expect over 265 deg F is necessary to hurt the fluid.

 

[patriot07]

Bounty Hunter - that's odd. I can run in 7th or 8th easily with my 6,500 lbs TT. But I have to get the speed up to do it. All the tow-haul does is hold gears longer for me. Instead of shifting to 8th around 51-52 mph, I do it around 65 mph with my trailer on and tow/haul engaged. It likes to keep RPM above about 1,800 at lower speeds and above 2,000 at higher speeds.

 

[MAS]

Bounty Hunter - that's odd. I can run in 7th or 8th easily with my 6,500 lbs TT. But I have to get the speed up to do it. All the tow-haul does is hold gears longer for me. Instead of shifting to 8th around 51-52 mph, I do it around 65 mph with my trailer on and tow/haul engaged. It likes to keep RPM above about 1,800 at lower speeds and above 2,000 at higher speeds.

So odd. You have 3.55's right?

51-52 lugs the hell out of mine empty with 3.55's and there isn't a chance in hell I don't think it would shift to 8th gear with our travel trailer (similar in size to yours) other then maybe rolling down hill, damn sure would never do it with tow/haul on. Heck it wont even tow our boat in 8th with tow haul. If I'm not doing 65 or more its a struggle to get it into 7th gear with the TT in tow and tow/haul on.

 

[patriot07]

I was speaking of 51-52 empty. I have no idea when it would shift without tow/haul engaged because I've never towed anything heavy without it engaged. With my boat on the back (about 4k lbs) and tow/haul not engaged, the shift points don't seem to be any different than with nothing back there. It won't shift to 8th at 51-52 unless I let off the gas a bit either way. It shifts around 55-60 under light acceleration or roughly constant speed.

 

[Rayplumas]

All - A quick tow report since I do not see too many pontoon towing reports.....

Hoping for some feedback on my transmission temp that I was seeing.

Also curious about the tow haul mode and what it actually "locks out" as I was able to get into 8th gear for a good part of the trip. (I did notice the shift pattern difference.)


--
Just got back last week from my first substantial tow with my ED truck towing my 21ft pontoon boat.
Total Trailer weight 3,100 lbs w/ gas + gear. + 3 ppl in the truck with suitcases.


ED towed it great - my oil temp peaked at 240 momentarily, and the transmission stayed btwn 188 - 195 the entire duration.
I am concerned about the trans temp - But for context my stop n' go drive the temp is btwn 183 - 186...


The trip from Central NJ up to Lake George, NY - ~ 220 miles each way - Outside Air temp was around 82 ~ 88 F degrees (so my A/C was on! )

Trip computer calculated: 16.2 mpg going up and 13.5 mpg coming back.

I was definitely booking it... about 72 - 75 mph on the hwy @ 2,250 RPMs. I know if I dropped to 65mph @2,100 RPMs - I'd be seeing closer to 18 mpg based on the few times I was driving a consistent stretch slower....

Overall a HUGE improvement over my V6 jeep which was avg'ing around 9 mpg and with the shorter wheel base -a much less enjoyable tow.

My truck configuration:
2016 - Laramie w/ std Laramie grill inserts
3.92 axle / 4x4 / coil springs (no air) / no engine tune (yet)

AS I have said many times, the trip computer is just a guess at actual MPG, I all the vehicles I have owned they EVIC has always posted higher numbers than actual. Verify the speedo is registering actual miles driven GPS or the old way fo the marked mileage markers. Same deal with the odometer, actual miles not over or under. Calculate your MPG based on real miles driven divided by gallons of gas used. I will be surprised if the EVIC numbers and the real numbers match!

 

[SlowRoller]

AS I have said many times, the trip computer is just a guess at actual MPG, I all the vehicles I have owned they EVIC has always posted higher numbers than actual. Verify the speedo is registering actual miles driven GPS or the old way fo the marked mileage markers. Same deal with the odometer, actual miles not over or under. Calculate your MPG based on real miles driven divided by gallons of gas used. I will be surprised if the EVIC numbers and the real numbers match!

I think the odometer is regulated to be pretty accurate with new OEM tire and that fuel measurement is where the EVIC errors come in. It's way harder to measure a nearly continuous flow of tiny amounts of fuel. For that matter, getting the (possibly different) pumps to fill the tank to the same level is tricky. Of course, the fuel measurement variation becomes pretty small over many tanks.