Trans temp while towing

[Great White]

I have seen some threads on towing with the 3500 High Top and was wondering about trans temps. I just bought a new travel trailer. It is 5800 lbs. empty. I was towing it to the park it will be set up in before we hit the road permanently and I noticed the trans temp went from 3 bars to 6 over a 30 mile trip through hilly roads. This is in ambient temps of 40-50 degrees. I have pulled a lot of trailers both TT an 5th wheel. I towed across the country with  Chevy trucks that had a regular style gauges. Not crazy about the bars.

 

Has anyone had any problems with high trans temps in hotter weather, mountains, desert? The van seemed to handle the trailer pretty well but the high top and shorter wheel base will take some getting use to. The Chevy's I had would get pretty warm in desert mountains and as a standard fix I would install a second window washer setup and run a small diameter vacuum line with small holes drilled in it accross the top of the evaporator then spray it when the temp got too high. Worked like a dream to drop temp by quite a bit. Please let me know if anyone out there has had any high trans temp issues. Thanks 

[ASD Dad]

I towed in high heat and humidity through the Appalachian mountains with zero issues pulling a 7600 lb loaded camper.  The cooler is sitting front and center of our giant grill opening, it's not going to get much cooler than that when moving!  I cant recall exactly but my BD tuner was reading around 160 degrees I "think" when I was towing in the mountains during the summer.  

 

One thing you want to avoid, which I am sure you are well aware of having towed for years but you dont want gear hunting or lugging the motor.  That will heat things up quicker.  If I am in hilly terrain I use the manual mode to go ahead and just select 3rd gear early and leave it if needed going up or using it for breaking help going down.  Learned when towing with my Tundra that these new-ish motors dont mind spinning high RPM, that is where the meat of the torque is.  Sounds a bit harsh when driving but it runs smoother with no lugging or other issues.  

[Great White]

Thanks for the info. Defiantly use manual mode. The 6.0 was a different animal. High rpm's weren't to its liking. I love this 5.6. Pulls steady and doesn't bog as bad. I will run it across the scales when loaded. I can go up to 8500 but will never get close. I like to keep well within limits for tires, brakes , and trans. Even though you have the NVP do you find any cross wind whip issues with the short wheel base? This high top is great head on but I found it wanting to push with heavy side winds. Like I said earlier, I have always pulled with a truck so i expect a learning curve and getting use to this new trailer. 

 

160 degrees is great. The Chevy's would start crawling up to the 200 plus mark on long steep grades and especially in the south west. Hence, the reason I made the mods. I was hauling a mcgh larger and heavier trailer though.

[ASD Dad]

I have found that I get the normal push from passing semi's and a stiff crosswind.  Definitely more than my truck for the crosswind but about the same for passing semis.  I can imagine your high top is a lot more sensitive to both.  We're basically driving boxes down the road!  

 

I think my NVP pulls nicer than my Tundra did other than lack of power.  E rated tires and a much stiffer suspension help on the NVP.  I think the 5.6 motor is fine for its era but the new Titan motors are where this van needs to head!  

[ASD Dad]

Sitting in traffic today I monitored the Temps shown on my BD vs the bars on the dash display.  

 

6 bars is only 150* 

5 bars was 145*

 

I know I was higher than 6 towing so maybe I was around 180* which still isn't bad at all. 

[Great White]

Thanks for the info. That sounds like a doable range. I will be keeping an eye on it as I get more mileage. It is still new and not fully broke in. Should stabilize in another few thousand miles. The extra height dose make it feel a little squirrely. Like the first time I towed a 5th wheel.  

[vanguy]

If you have the high roof, you will notice more push and sway from drafting behind a semi or if a semi passes you. You are correct that the short WB makes this more of an issue. Even when not towing a strong cross wind can "wake you up"

I used to have a 3500 extended WB Chevy van & towed a 8000 lb  32 ft trailer and never had that issue. Never even had to use a sway control.

But it is more of an issue with the high roof models. You just have to be prepared for it.

[Great White]

Yup, that's why I went with the sway bar set up. Never had to use one before. It is a learning curve. 

[ASD Dad]

You really shouldnt sway under normal circumstances if the trailer and tow vehicle are setup right.  Sway control is a bandaid and really should only be needed if you are in heavy crosswinds or in an emergency situation.   Never hurts to have it there if needed but if you are getting sway check weights and setups (tires, alignment, etc)>

[aabel]

Towing my 7800 lb. trailer up the grapevine here in Ca. the trans temp didn't even budge. Pulled the whole grade at 55+ even at the steep points. Engine was tacking as high as 5k for some decent periods of time but that's what gas motors need to do.

[Ksh74c]

I just got back from towing up to Heber AZ from the Mesa AZ area. I have a 2016 NVP3500 SL, air ride air bags, Bully Dog programmer, 2" lift, 20" rims with larger then stock Terra Grappler G2 tires. I was towing my Genesis 23SS with a 250cc quad and supplies. I was probably at 8000 lbs. There are some 7% grades as long as 5 miles or more. The steepest/longest grade I was holding 4000 RPMs (2nd gear) at roughly 40MPH and my max trans temp was 187. Scared the hell out of me, but from what I read sounds about right. Thoughts?

 

[wollip]

Ksh74c -

Did you happen to also check the meter? Interested in how many bars on the meter 187 deg corresponds to.

[ASD Dad]

5 bars is 145*, 6 = 150* if I look at my tuner temp readout vs. dash.

 

Looks like it should be 5* per bar once it starts registering.  

[Great White]

Thanks for the input. I will be towing from Oregon to Texas next month. August in the desert, Yea Fun! I have made the trip many times before but this will be the first for the new rig. Have her good and broken in now. About 7,000 miles. I love the tranny in the mountains. Most sure shifting tow vehicle I have had. No hunting for gears. I have noticed that when I am on a sizable incline of some distance that when I pass someone the trans wants to stay in the higher gear for much longer than it should. It will not drop out of the higher revs even when I take my foot off the gas. I sometimes have to put the brake on to get it to up shift. This is without towing. I am taking into the dealer next week. Has anyone else noticed this issue?

[radin2son]

You have been gone awhile. Why not put it in manual mode and lock out 5th to start, then 4th etc. to get to the gear you plan to stay in. It is real easy to shift up when needed.