Hey guys I know that they say no towing in OD but what is the limit? I have a trailer that weighs at most 2000 lbs and thats on the heavy side most of the time prolly right around 1500 lbs can I tow in OD?

 

I would. I tow around 8000# in O.D. When it starts to lug the motor climbing a hill I take it out of overdrive. I would not think you would have any problems pulling that little of a load. Your truck will probably not even know it is there.
Larry

 

dodchall70 Thanks for the reply i agree that it wont even know that its back there just wanted to check with everyone and make sure.

 

I agree with dodchall70. One of my trailers is about 8000# too and I tow it in OD but only on the flats. If you don't have any acceleration left or it just seems to be working real hard give it a break and drop back to direct. But with my lighter trailer, about 3000# it will go pretty much anywhere on the highway in OD and I like OD.

John

 

I'm w/ all of yall. I tow a 29' terry @ 70 in OD. When I get into hilly areas I'm back & forth on the tow/haul button. Tow enough like that and you'll be able to judge 95% of the hills you can pull without disengaging cruise. A hint.... when you speed up & get ready to go into OD again, lift your right foot as you go into OD w/ the tow/haul, then ease back into it. This'll save your torque converter & it will love you....

 

I have a 06 dually on order. The tow/haul mode doesn't lock out O/D so why back and forth? Unless I'm mistaken tow/haul just raises the shift points and locks the torque converter so the tranny runs cooler.

 

On a 06 you can press the tow-haul button twice and it will lock out the OD. My 05 won't do that

CRIS

 

[QUOTE=blord]I have a 06 dually on order. The tow/haul mode doesn't lock out O/D so why back and forth? Unless I'm mistaken tow/haul just raises the shift points and locks the torque converter so the tranny runs cooler.[/QUOTE

On my '04.5 the tranny will not go into OD in tow/haul. It is locked out & the shifts are also a little firmer as well as higher in the rpm band. After my year model, don't know.

 

I know the 06 in tow/haul uses O/D. When you 1st engage it drops into 3rd but after 10-15 secs it will shift back into O/D. When I 1st test drove an 06 I didn't give it enough time to shift back up so thought it killed O/D. Someone on one of the forums corrected me.

So the day I was ready to order the new dually, I took one out to confirm that it did allow O/D and it does. Otherwise, I would have bought the Allison with the Duracr** attached. This was definitely a buy decision for me!

Only 6-8 weeks remaing till I have a truck again ... Larmanie Dually. Just sold the 2001.

I didn't know that they changed the tranny in 06 ... serious oversite on DC's part to kill O/D before this year! It can't be anything more than a SW update so why don't they flash the ECM for those who use tow/haul.

Bryan

 

You are right for Tow/Haul. However, when you hit the button a second time you get a new light on the dash that says O/D Off. This mode is the overdrive lockout. Meaning a direct drive 1:1.

In other words, there are two modes.

Hope that clears things up for you.

 

I tow a travel trailer that weighs in at about 8500# (33') in OD with my 2002. I shift into 3rd in the hills or when it begins to lug up a grade.

 

You may be just fine towing only 2,000 pounds.

The issue with the overdrive and towing is not the capacity of the engine to handle the load, it is the design of the planetary unit that is the overdrive unit itself. When you tow a heavy load it will result in the overdrive unit being torque loaded and unloaded as the towed weight shifts, even on a level highway. That constant loading and unloading works the internal clearances of the transmission like a slide hammer and hammers out both the case end bearings and the internal planetary shaft bearings on the OEM overdrive unit itself.