Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul November 14, 2014, 02:30:11 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149526Hi Everyone.. I'd like to ask those who have had Both LD Before 2005 & and from 2005 up what you feel about the "Tow Haul" that Ford put in starting in 2005. Do you feel any difference, if so what? Im asking because I want to buy a Lazy Daze and I was only wanting to look at 2005 & up because of the Tow Haul. Is it worth waiting for a rig with a Tow Haul?? I also don't know if I will be towing or not but if I do is the Tow Haul better to have? Thank you in advance..Jo
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #1 – November 14, 2014, 02:44:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149527Don't have the Tow/Haul feature in my older 2001 LD. I just disable the overdrive going up hills and also descending if steep for the additional engine braking. I think the tow/haul is just one more electric thing to go wrong. The 4R100 trans seems to be a stout unit without it.Be aware that some have experienced some quality issues in the 06 and later models. I better run for cover now.Bob
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #2 – November 14, 2014, 04:00:24 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149529I can't offer personal experience with a tow haul transmission - my TK is a 2003 - but the information in this link offers a good explanation of how it works:http://www.intermotive.net/Tech%20Tip/Tech%20Tip%20-%20August%2006.pdfJoan
Reply: [LD] Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #3 – November 14, 2014, 06:52:08 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149532Jo, I wouldn't be without the "TowHaul" while traveling in any hilly or mountainous areas, particularly when pulling a toad. It has sensors detecting speed (vehicle & engine), grade angle and will shift to the proper gear for the situation. When slowing to a stop the system will start the down-shifting to minimize the braking use. A push button on the end of the shift stick turns it on & off. I would strongly get a vehicle with this feature. Mike
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #4 – November 14, 2014, 07:40:07 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149535I have a 2003 midbath that does not have the tow/haul feature. While I believe that feature is a convenience, it's certainly not a necessity! I've driven over much of New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, including many mountain roads such as the Cloudcroft, Wolf Creek and Slumgullion passes. My rig is at its maximum permissible weight, and I'm towing a car.Even on 16% downgrades, I've never felt unsafe; I just follow the basic rules for mountain driving set forth in the Eureka article I mentioned earlier--mainly, downshifting on downgrades. Tow-haul does this for you automatically... if you remember to engage it at the top of the grade. But shifting down to second or even first gear at the top of a hill is hardly a chore.As I said, tow-haul is a convenience. But I certainly would not use it as a make-or-break criterion for buying a used Lazy Daze.Andy BairdTravels with Andy
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #5 – November 15, 2014, 07:02:13 am Yahoo Message Number: 149537I have had both; 4 speed without towhaul; now the 5 speed with towhaul. I definitely prefer the 5 speed with towhaul. It gives you more flexibility with towhaul going up and down steep hills. If you are not going up steep hills then I do not think it makes that much difference. Question: I have the 2005 IB 30 ft with towhaul and the five speed. Are all versions after 2005 with the five speed? Does the towhaul always come with the 5 speed? My 1995 LD only had a 4 speed with overdrive. It was fine, but the 2005 trition with tow haul(and of course with the v-10)is superior to the 460 4 speed.David
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #6 – November 15, 2014, 09:25:52 am Yahoo Message Number: 149538I have had a 2000 SOB on a Ford chassis and a 2008 LD. I actually prefer the older method of overriding the Overdrive and doing my own downshifting. I like control. And I like mountain driving. That being said, there are other reasons for choosing later model years, ie dual-pane windows, insulation, etc. Linda Allen
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #7 – November 15, 2014, 11:12:56 am Yahoo Message Number: 149540Terry Tanner's Technoz site has two sets of graphs, in the 'Files', that show gear ratios, comparing the 4L100 (4-speed) vs. the 5R110 (5-speed) . https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Techsnoz/conversations/messagesIf you look at the charts, you will notice that 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears in the 4L100 are the same as 3rd, 4th and 5th in the 5L110 and only 1st and 2nd in the 5L110 are different. What this means is there is better acceleration, up to 40-MPH, after that, there is no difference. I notice the biggest difference driving around town, when starting from a stop. Most LD owners who tow, self included, wish there were more gears available for higher speeds.Tow-haul is a love it or leave it proposition. Having the transmission expectantly slam itself into a lower gear can be startling. The mechanic in me cringes every time it happens. I learned how to downshift on hills many decades ago and do not need a computer to do it for me YMMVMy advice is to buy the best LD you can afford, if it has a 5L110, great, if not, you will still enjoy driving it because there isn't much of a difference once you get moving.Larry
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #8 – November 15, 2014, 11:50:29 am Yahoo Message Number: 149541Most LD owners who tow, self included, wish there were more gears available for higher speeds.....I learned how to downshift on hills many decades ago and do not need a computer to do it for me." ----- Even many of those of us who don't tow wish there were more available gears than the 4R100 transmission offers; its wide gear spacing is "luggy"! And, I wish there were a manual transmission option; I *still* "clutch hunt" and reach down for the floor stick!I am pretty sure that all of us of a "certain age" learned on sticks (what else was there?) and knew when to upshift/downshift by engine sound and "feel", i.e., seat of the pants driving. I acknowledge that an automatic is a lot more convenient - and certainly less stressful on old knees - when one drives in heavy, stop-and-go traffic, but I do miss that high-revving whine and "no grind or buck" smooooooth clutch/gear change coordination!As ever, YMMV.Joan
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #9 – November 15, 2014, 01:51:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149542Hey Everyone, Thanks for all the feed back. Lots of good information & websites to check out. Joan, I totally relate to the manual shifting. I was taught to drive manual when I was 10 and have been drive'n that way ever since. I feel more in control. It was hard try'n to buy a 2007 4x4 Toyota Tacoma because there wasn't much choice for a 6 speed manual. I finally found one though It's funny I was thinking yesterday, How come Ford doesn't have an option for manual. Heck, 18 wheelers have them right lol. Andy, I liked what you wrote "if you remember to engage it at the top of the grade. But shifting down to second or even first gear at the top of a hill is hardly a chore." Seems like good advice. When I clicked on the site you recommend, it kinda scared the S&%* out of me when I read the people went over the cliff. Maybe Im safe as I don't ever ride my brakes in my truck because I always down shift... Larry, thanks for that site"Terry Tanner's Technoz" I requested to join the group as you have to be a member to see what you suggested. What you explained sounds interesting and Im a visual person so Im looking forward to seeing this. Thanks so much and I thank ALL of you again for your input. Happy Trails Always JO
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #10 – November 15, 2014, 03:16:45 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149543The most certainly is one of those YMMV questions, but my take is that I dislike the towhaul feature. Mine is an '06 TK (no quality issues, Bob). I simply can't believe that it is good for the engine or the tranny to be suddenly thrown into near-ballistic revs when the towhaul is engaged and I lightly apply the brakes on a downhill. It seems to jump down not just one but two gears, willy-nilly. The resulting racket causes me to immediately press the button and disengage the thing. Like others, I think the best procedure is to start the descent at a slower rate of speed, and simply use third gear. What I REALLY wish is that Ford had installed a position for fourth gear on the shifter. That's the gear I most often want to be holding in, but it's not manually available. Yes, the towhaul does often start out in that gear, but immediately abandons it at the first touch of brakes, long before I want it to. Much depends on driving style/preference. Just my take. -- Jon ('06 TK "Albatross")
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #11 – November 15, 2014, 07:28:02 pm Yahoo Message Number: 149546Jon: if I take my foot off the accelerator first and let it coast for a brief second or two, it does not jerk as much. david
Re: Tow Haul or Not Tow Haul Reply #12 – November 16, 2014, 08:20:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 149548"Most LD owners who tow, self included, wish there were more gears available for higher speeds"You Betcha!!!Glen w/SOB
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