Cruise control while towing

[Geronimo John]

Originally Posted by floyd

I don't have adaptive CC either but I do believe in initiating a pass far enough back to accelerate before changing lanes.

My TV (AKA "The Beast") is an aluminum body 2019 F-150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost. It pulls a 6,000# Oliver.

There is no need for me to accelerate up behind the vehicle I am thinking about passing.

When I want to pass, I stay safely behind their vehicle, I verify the lanes are all clear ..... and POOF I'm gone!

I know.... a shameless plug for "The Beast".

[solar]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

No you don’t! I’ve decided I despise adaptive cruise control. It slows down and holds you so far behind the vehicle in front (like 5-6 car lengths) that you’re too far back to initiate a pass. Every time you overtake a vehicle you have to disable it, approach the vehicle and pass, then reset. Unless you’re almost the only car on the road, you’re constantly fiddling with it. My wife’s new RAV4 has it. I won’t even get started on the other nanny features.

I use the (non-adaptive) cruise on my tow vehicle on the flats. As long as the engine revs are in a comfortable range and the transmission is not shifting, I can’t see any harm.

Our 2016 bmw has adaptive cruse with 4 different following distances. In heavy traffic if it's not set at the shortest distance other cars are continually pulling in front. With the trailer I use the longest distance for stopping distance reasons.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by solar

Our 2016 bmw has adaptive cruse with 4 different following distances. In heavy traffic if it's not set at the shortest distance other cars are continually pulling in front. With the trailer I use the longest distance for stopping distance reasons.

That’s interesting. I’ll have to check my wife’s owner’s manual and see if the setting can be changed. We won’t be towing with this vehicle, and it feels to me like it’s set too conservatively. There are so many menus I may not have found the right one yet.

[ThomasC]

Originally Posted by Cliff Hotchkiss

What motor did the 2016 F150 have?

3.5 liter naturally asperated with a 3.73 axle 6 speed. It had that fancy tow package where you could backup using a knob on the dash. The tow capacity was 6000#. I realized right away it wasn't big enough. It would have been ok for 3000 - 3500#

When I ordered the new one I decided I would get something that would tow anything that I might be interested in.

[redbarron55]

I tow with the cruise control on when it seems safe, dry and low traffic.
With my 2016 T&C the cruise control downshifts more than I want going up a grade and revs the engine more than I want so I will typically turn it off in hilly terrain. We tow mostly with our 2012 VW Touareg now and it has enough torque that it rarely has to downshift and when it does it is usually unlocking the torque converter and maybe one gear.
I don't see a problem with towing with the cruise control as long as you are paying attention and still are controlling the rig in a sensible manner.
Today the car's systems are coordinated better than ever before. The VW computer takes into account the towing as the act of hooking up the trailer places the system into towing mode.
By the way the VW Touareg is the best TV I have ever used, comfortable, powerful and steady. The AWD has no problem getting started on gravel and uneven or wet roads.