Very strange towing experience...

harper223 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 07:31 PM

So I'm pulling my 9300 pound travel trailer up a fairly steep grade out of Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the panhandle of TX. Now I dont know what the % grade was exactly, but it had to be at least 10%. I was in the Tow/Haul mode and forgot that I was in OD going up the hill. Normally I would have manually gone to 1st or 2nd with the six speed auto. I swear that truck never shifted down all the way up that hill. AS I was beginning to crest it was struggling to get to the top, but we did- and I had reached my target heart rate for the day.

What gives? Shouldn't that tranny downshift for me as a keep pressing down on the gas? I'm under my weight limits for towing as well. 3,000 miles till the warranty is up too.

08 crewmax 5.7 TRD

harper223 · #2 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 07:32 PM

2WD BTW, forgot to include that one.

harper223 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 07:50 PM

My lord! How can I screw up this post more???!!! 9000 pound trailer, not 9300 pounds. It been a long week.

Only Toyota for me · #4 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 08:18 PM

I take it you were going slow in 2nd, and it wouldn't drop to 1st?

If this is the case, 1st gear in these trucks is a very low gear and will only drop down if you are going slow enough.

Were you in D mode or S-6 mode? YOu know in gears 1-3 you lose WOT in S-mode even with TH engaged don't you?

I can help you better if i had a little more info. Speed, etc...

jdubh · #5 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 08:37 PM

That's crazy, I've went up some pretty steep hills like that and never had a problem, especially when they were country backroads or state park roads when the speed limit is 25-35mph anyway. I think I would have shifted to manual and took it down to 1 myself.

Only Toyota for me · #6 (**permalink**) 04-06-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdubh

That's crazy, I've went up some pretty steep hills like that and never had a problem, especially when they were country backroads or state park roads when the speed limit is 25-35mph anyway. I think I would have shifted to manual and took it down to 1 myself.

Yeah, if you're going that slow definately. Not good to slip the clutches trying to pull it in 2nd. But you have to admit, first gear is quite low and you must be going slow enough for it to pop in.

I just looked it up in the owners manual, and it says while downshifting to 1st gear it will not go in until speed is below 24 mph. This is downshifting for engine braking going downhill, but i'd imagine it's the same thing. If you are above 24 mph and shift to S-1, it will beep at you twice.

This is for the 5.7 4x4 models with tow package.

droolingmess · #7 (**permalink**) 04-07-2009, 09:20 PM

A couple of months ago I was towing north on 180 over the Guadalupe mountains towards Carlsbad. There is one spot that I was forced to slow way down for a turn then it gets very steep right out of the turn. As I started to climb my speed started to drop so I added more pedal. Speed kept dropping until I had the pedal on the floor and it would not downshift. I ended dropping the shifter from 4 to 3 and it finally downshifted but by then I was down to about 20 mph and just crept over the top. Since then have been over lots of steep grades and it has not done it again. Funny thing is my Blazer did the same thing to me years ago and I was not towing. That time I thought I had blown up an engine but when I got over the top it ran fine and never did it again. For the life of me I cannot figure out what driving conditions cause it.