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All you Tundra owners, let's here some of your "Real World Towing" adventures. Has anyone tried to tow 10,000 lbs yet??????
Will you be trying this soon or do you need to wait for the weather to warm up a bit? My boat is on a lift but I keep debating whether I should get a trailer to haul it out during hurricane warnings. My boat with trailer probably has a similar weight to yours. I'm curious as to how the Tundra will handle the boat ramp when hauling this weight out of the water and up the ramp.That's great to here how well the Tundra is towing! I'll be towing a boat and trailer that has a combined weight of 10,200 lbs. I have the brake controller, tongue weight of 800 lbs, trailer is level and trailer tires inflated to max psi. I have towed this boat before with a F250 and Chevy 3500. I will let everyone know how the towing goes.
I did notice ( WITH THE CRUISE SET) that it will shift into 3rd on a hill. However, all my toyota's have been quick to downshift while in cruise control. Can't say that about my 2000 gmc van though, he!!, it won't downshift at all with the cruise set.Like all you guys I read the reviews that salivated over the trucks tranny performance. There were a lot of glowing reports and big words used. It tells me one thing, they never hooked anything up to it!
I tow a 3860# trailer, light compared to what you are asking about. The truck handles well pulling it. It pulls it easily. It brakes well. It's not all roses though.
The "artificial intelligence" that controlls the transmission could use some work in my opinion. It doesn't take anything and the torque converter unlocks and adds about 350 rpm to the engine speed. Very quickly after that the truck will down shift, sometimes twice. 65 mph is about 3150 RPM in 4th, it over 4000 RPM if it goes to 3rd.
The computer won't let the engine lug or pull, it immediately instructs the tranny to give more RPM. My other trucks would let the engine do the work most of the time. If I was too happy with my right foot it would shift. But those trucks would still be pulling less RPM after a down shift than this one.
Another very annoying trait of my truck is "sticking" in 4th gear. This has nothing to do with the engine temp either, it's up to full operating temperature. It mainly happens while pulling the trailer, but does occur when empty as well. I've found myself revving my engine in 4th at a steady pace, letting off the gas won't allow it upshift. I have to select "S" and bump the shifter up twice to get it into 6th.
My trailer is light and should not be that hard for this 381 HP/401 TQ engine to pull with 4.30 gears. I believe it's the computer's control of the tranny that is giving me such horrible mileage when towing. The last two times out were 8.46 and 8.00 MPG. That is shameful. I can't imagine what you guys are going to get pulling 10,000 pounds? It can't be good!
The fix is probably just a computer tweak away. Make the "artificial intelligence" a little less intelligent! Even better yet, give me more control of gear selection while in sequential shift, "S".
It's hard to sit on the sidelines and watch people like MLN take this kind of criticism. In fact, if anyone were to browse all of MLN's posts you will see that they are more intelligently composed, honest opinions than most. Isn't that what every is looking for on this forum? Although posts that put the Tundra on a pedestal are comforting, I personally would hate to make an important decision based on incorrect or skewed information that I read here.You guys are killing me... I know you would love to see me go because I don't love 100% of my truck and will speak my mind of what I don't like. No forum I've been to or moderate throws you out for having an opinion.
JBI would be dissappointed if MLN et al are intimidated away from this board, just as I am dissappointed that MLN was intimidated enough to change his signature. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and that is exactly what gives forums like this their value.
I just noticed this, sorry. We may have the same Hallmark trailer (7x7x16). Mine is not a "V" nose trailer, is yours?I did notice ( WITH THE CRUISE SET) that it will shift into 3rd on a hill. However, all my toyota's have been quick to downshift while in cruise control. Can't say that about my 2000 gmc van though, he!!, it won't downshift at all with the cruise set.
Yes, you have the torque converter when you are in drive, 5th, or 6th. As both 5th & 6th are overdrive gears. I like the torque converter myself.
Mine has never stuck in 4th gear, unless pulling & it senses that 4th is the proper gear to be in.
Yeah, your poor mileage could be due to you setting the cruise? I pulled the same weight trailer as you (haulmark 16' loaded) up a few 6%+ grades plus several other mountain passes & i got 10.5-11 mpg. I used sequential quite a bit while towing. Plus i never allow the computer to shift for me all the time, i simply feather the throttle & control all the shifting manually.
But, i do accept the fact that with a 6-speed it will shift quite a bit more than the typical 4-speed. That's okay.
But, i only use the cruise while on the flat while towing.
Comments?
No, it's the flatnose. Do you tow in tow-haul mode all the time?I just noticed this, sorry. We may have the same Hallmark trailer (7x7x16). Mine is not a "V" nose trailer, is yours?
I usually don't set the cruise while towing unless I'm on a long flat stretch. I feel I do a better job "hand flying" it than the computer. I can anticipate hills and get a little smash on my side. Then I can let it slow a bit and avoid the big shifts, like those to 3rd.
I pretty much have to leave mine in "Seq" when towing or it will stay in 4th a lot. If the artificial intelligence (Toyota's words; not mine) holds it to 4th in "D", I don't understand why the same artificial intelligence will allow it to up-shift in "S"? I would have thought the opposite. Like I said in another post. My tranny acts like it is installed in a sports car and not a truck.
This truck has way more torque available at a much wider spread than your old van or my old truck. I don't understand why Toyota didn't program the transmission to take advantage of that? If the old Chevy could pull the same hills in top gear (roughly the same RPM and speed) with 335 ft/pds torque the Tundra with 401 ft/pds should easily perform the same.
I feel that the transmission programming is the cause of my poor fuel mileage when towing. It's nearly impossible for me to keep the RPMs under 2000. It seems it shifts or unlocks the converter at the thought of a hill or headwind. I'd dare to say that most of the time it could easily pull 6th if the same ratios were used in a 6-speed manual, at most it would need to drop to 5th.