Have a Question for those who have towed

[studebakerjim]

I will be towing a 20' trailer with a 1949 John Deere A. I know the overdrive must be turned off BUT do I need to run it in Drive or 3rd? I will be going 60 miles at speeds of 60mph.

Thanks
Jim

 

[tbake]

I've towed a 21' boat without shifting out of "D", I did bring it back in 3rd coming down a steep mountain for a short period. As long as your out of OD you will know if you have to shift it down. Good Luck!

 

[gazbold]

Towing

Hi

I tow a Fleetwood Niagara Popup with relative ease with my 98 EB.
The unladen weight of the trailer is about 3200lb, so add a good 300lb
or more when we are heading out somwehere. My wife likes to be prepared !

I've read any number of forums etc where many will swear that its best to keep overdrive disabled when towing. Personally I will only turn overdrive off if I'm in hilly country where regular shift-downs are expected.
On open highway such as Interstate etc I don't waste the gas or stress the truck and have overdrive ON. Never had a problem in 4 yrs and we are out every chance we can get during the warmer months.

Only problem I ever had was towing in and around Elysburg, PA which is very much steep rolling hills. Beautiful hot day. My transmission was overheating and shooting fluid out of the breather tube. A transmission flush and refill with synthetic cured that. The garage advised me to add a secondary tranny cooler too. (which I haven't done yet)

Thats my experience, your milage may vary

 

[Dr.Spank]

I tow a 21' Bass Boat and leave OD on..I know a bass boat is not as heavy as a tractor, but Once you hit 60mph I don't think turning on the OD will be a problem.

But that's just my 2 cents

 

[The Sod Father]

I tow an 8,000 lb travel trailer with my 2008. No problems. I'm not winning any races, but no problems and I cruise the highway at 60-65. Just make sure you are using a hitch that is properly sized for the trailer and offers anti-sway and weight distribution.