Towing with an Auto. Does anyone?

[Bob_z_l]

5 minutes ago, coppice cutter said:

I've done a lot of towing over the years, both plant and agricultural up to 15-16t, using my own vehicles and other peoples.

 

To be honest, I find no matter what you're in, from a Jeep up to 150 odd hp tractor, when towing big loads I find engine braking to be of almost negligible benefit compared to the trailers own brakes.

 

I suspect you might not notice much difference. 

I get this, it's just last time out on this particular hill  with a decent load on. It became a bit apparent that the trailer brakes were working hard and were starting to fade. I could feel it starting to push. I'd already selected a nice gear but was still lightly dabbing at my brakes to scrub the speed. 

I was trying to avoid the potential  fail where I'd be boiling the fluid in the calipers.

 

Trying to not qualify for the "overloaded" thread. I'm not being reckless, if anything probably erring on the side of caution too much and worrying unnecessarily. 

 

There isn't a sensible other route unfortunately. 

The gradient might be less but the route longer....same result. 

 

 

Thanks @difflock @lux  @trigger_andy and yourself for the positive replies.

[coppice cutter]

No explanation necessary, even loaded well within legal limits it's only sensible to be aware of what you're dealing with, gravity is a powerful beast.

 

Don't respect it and it can punish severely, you're absolutely right to be leaving nothing to chance.

[IronMike]

I tow my Logbullet around behind my 2010 Shogun. It's a 3.2DiD and has an auto box, and I love it! Semi auto really, so as been mentioned you can can use the gears to ease descent speeds easily. I won't be getting another manual car once I sell the Mazda I have for family life.

[Mike Hill]

8 hours ago, Bob_z_l said:

A quick question. I tow regularly with the Ranger (manual) and on the hills can use engine braking to save cooking the truck brakes.

I've driven auto cars but not really had any real weight in the load. 

 

How easy is this in a auto? 

 

Asking as I'm looking to upgrade and there are a few auto versions available. Mitsubishi and Isuzu.

 

Any downsides to be wary of?  Cooking the auto fluid??

 

Cheers

One thing I added on my first two yank wagon's were temperature gauges for the trans.My new wagon has one fitted as standard.The biggest killer of autoboxes  is heat,either directly by the tourque convertor buning up from people towing to heavy or just residual heat from a long pull and then they get to the job and turn the wagon straight off.

 

On most Auto's the transfluid gets pumped though a matrix in the rad,and then through its own rad at the front.On my 6.5 I added another cooler as well.When you get to where your are going and your trans temp has gone over 80 deg plus,let it idle down for ten minutes.Another thing to think about is keeping your trans fluid clean,debris hold heat.

 

Apart from that,I can't imagine towing daily with a manual these days.

[maybelateron]

Agreed with all above comments. I am on my second Disco 2 auto, had this one for over ten years. I regularly tow 2.5 - 3.5 tons with it. When it is time to change it there is no question at all, auto every time.

[Stihl123]

I'm pretty sure that once you've had an auto u wouldn't go back to manual? 

Well, I wouldn't anyhow! 

 

Including towing... I wouldn't 

Edited March 1, 2022 by Stihl123

[Rich Rule]

I have a Hilix with an auto gear box.  I live in Norway and as the rumour goes, it does snow and get cold here.

 

I tow chippers and trailers with a tracked chipper on quite a fair bit.  The only problem I’ve had was losing it on sheet ice one day, trying to get up a long incline.  Ended up about 40 metres back down the hill, jackknifed and the trailer/chipper combo down an embankment and the hilix stuck in a snow bank.

 

Going down hill, either click the gearbox into semi and keep to 1 or 2 gear.  Or even easier hit the DAC button (Downhill Assist Control) and let the engine do the work for you.

 

 

[difflock]

I am waiting for Toyota to introduce a hybrid diesel pickup or 4*4 using the same technology as the Prius/RAV4.

Based on rumours that Toyota were thinking about re-introducing a diesel Land Cruiser for the US market(based on some particular patent application or such, but perhaps merely hysterical speculation) 

Anyway THAT would be my dream truck.

[Rich Rule]

4 minutes ago, difflock said:

I am waiting for Toyota to introduce a hybrid diesel pickup or 4*4 using the same technology as the Prius/RAV4.

Based on rumours that Toyota were thinking about re-introducing a diesel Land Cruiser for the US market(based on some particular patent application or such, but perhaps merely hysterical speculation) 

Anyway THAT would be my dream truck.

You don’t fancy going fully electric?

 

 

[difflock]

4 minutes ago, Rich Rule said:

You don’t fancy going fully electric?

 

 

Hmmmm?

Widnay rule it out like!