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Had to pull my toy hauler (travel trailer) to a local shop for a new awning today.


Straight road mostly gave me a good chance to see if I could hold 65 mph in 8th. The answer is simply, "No".


In tow-haul mode you only get 7th. Take it out and I had to get up to about 70 mph and the let-off the throttle to get into 8th. It would not hold any reasonable speed and would slow down under light throttle or jump back into 7th or even 6th.


My conclusion is just put the thing in tow haul and run it in 7th. It pulls fine with large profile trailers and saves the mental hassle of playing with the gearing and haul mode.

 

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Here's the trailer:





It's a toy hauler with a high profile but not real long. GVR is 7,500 lbs but I had nothing in it so my take is that tow to the shop was just around 5K lbs.


I towed it loaded from Florida to Maggie Valley, North Carolina last Summer. We had motorcycles in it and full tanks. Not only no issues but had to slow down on a steep mountain road that curved a bit on the uphill. Easily pulled 55 mph up that grade but that's too fast for the road. Had to duck around slow 18 wheelers struggling up the hill and it got too hairy.


Pulled this same mountain in the past with my 2500 Cummins. Speed was the same as I limited the more powerful Cummins a bit. Bought this Ecodiesel because the Cummins was getting "long in the tooth" at 241K and I no longer towed real heavy. It's fine for towing and gets about 2 mpg better than the Cummins under tow. Unloaded it's way better for fuel mileage.


I towed many trailers to 42 ft. tri-axle units weighing up to 14K with a Duramax and the Cummins. They were way more capable both in engine and suspension. This little 1500 reminds me of the "engine that could" child's book. It's mostly limited by the fact it's a 1500 in suspension and trasmisson capability.


For what it is designed for, it's great.