Those that tow with an Automatic

Weezy

Weezy

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picked up my new trailer today, love it already! However, we had some big downhills to negotiate and my mother was really interested in how I drove it - when going downhill I touch my brakes a lot to stabilise the vehicles and ensure I am in control. She asked why I didn't put it into gear mode (I have 1, 2 and 3) and I said it was because the trailer was empty, is light and I didn't need to.

However it DID make me wonder whether I am towing correctly
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1) I have never used my gears when towing

2) I never think about the trailer controlling the vehicle, but when does this happen, how and how do you prevent it (see she has got me thinking about bad things now that I haven't given a seconds thought to before!)

3) There were more queries but I cannot remember them now!!!!

Just v interested in how you all drive yours!
 
Hmmmmm...not much use i know, but i was always told that an automatic was no good for towing
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But as i say, i'm no use coz i eat Yorkie Bars
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I've got a Toyota Landruiser Colorado and just leave it in drive mode for towing. The only thing I do is to switch off the Overdrive button, it says to do that in the car's handbook. Stops it hunting for gears, it drives fine and happily tows two in an IW 510. So maybe check the handbook, see what yours says to do.

When leaving the yard I have to go down quite a steep hill, I've never had a problem with that, and the car's weight is heavy enough to not make the trailer drive the car. Yours will be the same.
 
I have towed my trailer today for the first time since I bought the Discovery, I was also wondering about the 1 2 3 when and if applicable do you use them the same as manual gears and then select drive? I did feel today that it was not as stable as the Trooper over tramlines(where the lorries make the road sag) on motorway, but I am going to lift the tow hitch as I think that may not have been high enough. I would also like to find out about the gears.
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On the basis that brake pads are cheaper than a gear box, I brake down hills to slow the trailer. Kia does that easily with a 510 and 2 fatties

If a long steep hill, I might consider locking it into 3'rd (Kia has a tiptronic gear box, so you can select any gear)
 
I wouldnt be comfy towing with auto, however, dependant upon the gradient of the hill you should be able to leave it in drive unless its way steep and you need help of 1st or 2nd to assist in braking or slowing you down hill....
 
When towing I always use the gears on an automatic when going downhill - saves your brakepads being worn out so quickly. Engine braking is by far the best thing to do with your vehicle.
 
Automatics are fine to tow with, when descending a steep & winding hill you can trim your speed with the brakes but when you take your foot off it will soon gain the speed again. Best is to either engage a lower gear at an early stage in the descent or if you've OD then knock the switch off. Likewise you do similarwhen climbing a step hill.
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Must read my handbook and see if I have an OD button - I actually THINK I have to enable it, rather than stop it (I have a sports mode, that deffo has a button to enable).
 
I allways tow in gear so that if you are going down hill the gears can help brake you. My hubby told me to do this ,hes a farmer and has been towing all his life so I trust him.
 
I agree with Tia. Always use gears on a hill (up or down) engine breaking is far better for the vehicle & I think gives a smoother ride as it stops the auto box from keep changing gear. Lou you know I have experience of hills dont you LOL. When in the HGV I always use exhaust brake going down hill.
 
LOL! I was telling my mother about the approach to your house, she went green
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Am suprised my brakes were not smoking on the decent as I had my foot firmly on the brakes ALL the way down (and closed eyes!)

OK, will have a play and see how I go
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GOOD GOD
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Am envisaging how much it overhangs on the hairpin bend and I do not actually think I would want to be a passenger (and I adore roller coasters and do not have vertigo!!!!!)
 
Asked OH last night, and it is merely the lack of hills round here that means we don't use the gears - sorry! As others have said, best to use gears on hills. Mind you, I still think there is some logic in using the brakes, as I am sure engine braking must be a strain on the gear box which is a more expensive component that brake pads.
 
Slightly confused here as every auto I have driven does not give braking through engine due to using a fluid clutch. use gears manually only prevents car from changing up and avoids gear hunting. It is the lack of engine braking that means auto's are not ideal for towing.
Having said all that a lot of the do's and don'ts stem form many years ago when trailers either didn't have brakes or had very poor brakes.
Only real issues these days are to make sure the trailers brakes are 100% and avoid braking when the trailer is at an angle to the car, ie going round a corner downhill.
If a trailer does start to sway, dont break or try to correct it. Simply hold the steering wheel absolutely still and wait for trailer to settle. Braking or tryingto correct in this situation will generally cause a jack knife.
 
Have towed with autos for years and years just drive like normal leave them in drive and if I need to break I use the break, but then east anglia doesn't have very steep hills , if it did I would probably use the gears for them .

Auto's are fantastic for towing and I have converted many to their wonders
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When towing skis over the sand and in and out of the surf I just use drive and we haven't got stuck (yet!)
 
Live up mountain....yes, use engine to break if necessary (steep descent into our village for example) - stick it in 2/3. New jeep has "Hill descent" button - press button, point down hill, take foot off accelerator and it does all the control for you..very cool!!
 
I have been towing for the past 4 years with my Jeep Grand Cherokee and dont do anything different to normal driving. The only time I alter my setting would be in a very wet muddy field and I need more traction to get the box up a hill. Good luck
 
ok i live in deepest darkest wales in the middle of snowdonia national park which as you can imagine has alot of mountains and extremely steep hills (my clio goes up some of them in 1st gear). We tow an ifor 505 with 2 cobs in it with an automatic. we use the ML270 with a tiptronic system. on the realy steep narrow hills we lock it into a low gear. but when comeing up the rhuallt hill on the A55 expresswat we just leave it in drive and let it get on with it and on the way down it we just use the brakes
 
I always leave mine in drive. I've only used the gears a couple of times, once when we got stuck in a boggy field and I had to switch to 4WD and put it into gear, and the other times was driving up a steep, very wet, slippery road. Otherwise in the year I've had it I've never used the gears.
 
I use my 2 gear for coming down steepish hills rather than keep using the brake have never used the number 1 gear though, I have a jeep grand cherokee and manual advised to turn overdrive off so always do, just means it doesnt change gear quite so often i think??
Have a play with the gears 1 and 2 i was amazed coming down spteep hills that when i put it in 2 i barely need to brake even with 2 big horses in and when i do brake it seems to be far more effective.
I always towed with a manual fourtrak but having towed with an auto have definately been converted it is so much smoother and easier.
 
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