Towing with cruise control, bad idea?

[John Linck]

Dave posted the following comment on another thread.

"I'm scratching my head over this comment. Other than in hilly terrain where your transmission tends to search for a gear frequently while using cruise, I see no issues with using cruise while towing .... Can you clarify?
__________________
Dave W - 2013 Escape 19' and 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser"

I agree with Dave. I have towed with cruise control with 3 different tow vehicles. Never seemed a problem. My Subaru manual cautions it may lead to loss of control; they say the same about wet conditions. I use it mostly on flat interstate highways. Other than helping me get some sleep while driving are there other dangers to me, other drivers or my rig when I engage cruise control?

Cheers FGRVers, john

BTW. I love the adaptive cruise control where I set the following distance (usually 190 feet) to any slower vehicle in front and my car slows to sync to their speed, even braking if they do. When I move over to pass my car accelerates to its original speed. Love those cameras and computers. Hope they don't get a virus.

[Kevin K]

I use mine all the time.
But never in the hills.

[Ron in TX]

wet weather,heavy traffic and icy conditions, cruise is a no no.
Reaction time is slower for you when using cruise
Ron

[honda03842]

We use cruise. Most of the time we are traveling where there are few other vehicles. We pretty much use it on relatively straight, relatively flat roads.

Generally we do not drive in bad weather, so wet, snowy roads are rare for us. As well we avoid traffic situations. Most of our traffic is on our first day or two leaving the northeast. Once we get by NJ we're on roads with little traffic.

[Jon in AZ]

I use cruise on flats and, occasionally, downhill. The latter seems counterintuitive, but here's why I do it. My TV has a 5-speed double overdrive transmission. Locking out OD drops it down to third, which is great for steeper grades but too low for slight to moderate grades. When cruise is engaged, Honda has programmed the transmission to shift from 5th to 4th when it reaches 5mph over the cruise setting, which gives just the right amount of engine braking for a moderate grade. So, as I enter a grade, I slow to 5 mph below the desired speed, set the cruise, and the computer does the rest. I wish all 5 gears were manually selectable, but 4th is not. Strange, but it works. Modern, electronically-controlled transmissions are more sophisticated than the old, all-mechanical units.

[padlin00]

While I know where Jim is coming from with his warning about not using it, I do. My old GMC, said no cruise, and no overdrive while towing.

Common sense tells me that I'm fine using cruise, until it starts to shift due to hills and such. If it shifts, or when I'm getting into hilly roads, I turn it off. For the most part it takes a fair hill to cause any shifting, pulling a 4000 lb trailer with a vehicle that can pull 11000. If I had an 11000 lb trailer I imagine I'd leave the cruise off.

When I had my Ford Ranger, it down shifted on just a head wind. I didn't use the cruise in that.

I noticed what Jon mentions, about it holding better on the down hills, coming through the Beartooths last fall. I played around with it some.

[Glenn Baglo]

I'm not comfortable using cruise control whether I'm towing or not.
I've tried it and I spend more time and thought monitoring it than if I just drive. To me, it's sort of like having a computer monitor your breathing. Too busy checking lights and gauges to do what's natural.
I have turned it on briefly to alleviate a cramp in my leg.

[frank_a]

Because of a sciatic nerve condition in my lower right leg I've had for years, I can't keep my foot on the gas for any long time. So it's either cruise control or Gail has to drive, it's that simple. To me, how and when you use cruise control is like so many other things related to towing an RV just a matter of common sense.

Frank

[fusedlight]

We use it all the time. It especially helps us stay below 65MPH!

[Jon Vermilye]

I use cruise control on the relatively flat interstates, but rarely for most of my driving, which is on the secondary roads. Any time the torque converter starts unlocking or the transmission starts shifting, I shut it off. I tow in 4th, as recommended by Toyota. (And have to admit to towing faster than 45MPH...)

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Because of a sciatic nerve condition in my lower right leg I've had for years, I can't keep my foot on the gas for any long time. So it's either cruise control or Gail has to drive, it's that simple. To me, how and when you use cruise control is like so many other things related to towing an RV just a matter of common sense.

Frank

Not that it's a big deal, but most shops that outfit vehicles for those with disabilities can also fit your car with a left foot gas pedal to augment the stock one.

[cpaharley2008]

As I posted in the other thread, cruise control and towing do not always mix, on some models the manual states using cruise eliminates engine braking while in the tow mode. But most people do not follow the manual anyway, like keeping your speed at 45 while towing or not using the tow mode, One wonders why we have so many automobile accident lawyers, they research the recommended guidelines and therein the lies the crux of most lawsuits involving automobiles accidents, negligence.

[BatDude]

This is the first auto-trans vehicle I have owned )Ford Freestyle) and I no longer use Cruise control at all.
I had to replace both rear calipers and rotors as I learned something needs to slow the thing down and it is the rear brakes! With manual trans when you take your foot off the throttle the engine will slow you down, but will freewheel and keep rolling at more or less the same speed with this auto.

Once we hooked up the Scamp I also checked and Cruise control braking DOES not trigger the trailer brakes.

So for me not an option.

My $.02 worth

[OneOleMan]

I'm confused, BatDude, with all the vehicles I've owned the cruise control was deactivated the moment I touch the brake pedal so I would think trailer braking would be operational.

[John Linck]

Say folks, thanks for all your helpful comments. This group is pretty special.

My Subaru Outback has a manual mode on the cvt with paddle shifters. These are handy going downhill to utilize engine braking. I hate to wear out brake linings/pads when the engine can do the job.

40 years back while descending a mountain in Guatemala first gear on our 3 speed manual transmission wasn't low enough to keep a safe speed. Riding/pulsing the brakes worked, but we had to stop every mile or so as they began to fade from heat. Ten minutes of cooling would get us another mile down the mountain. I think we stopped three times altogether. I suppose that single lane gravel road was at least a 10% grade. The hard part was judging when to use the turnouts as oncoming traffic appeared. There was a wide space every mile or so to allow passing. The scary part was the lack of guard rails and the multi thousand foot low shoulder. We weren't towing back then but riding in a homemade truck camper, an early woodworking project of mine. Nowadays we keep to more sane routes. 😉

[Pineapple Man]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I'm not comfortable using cruise control whether I'm towing or not.
I've tried it and I spend more time and thought monitoring it than if I just drive. To me, it's sort of like having a computer monitor your breathing. Too busy checking lights and gauges to do what's natural.
I have turned it on briefly to alleviate a cramp in my leg.

Reminds me of the first time I experienced ABS brakes.
Wish I could turn those off. After driving 40+yrs. - let me do it myself !

[Borrego Dave]

Batdude, the front brakes do the majority of the braking. Was the repair shop selling you a bill of goods

[BatDude]

Hi Pat, Yes manually tapping the brakes does deactivate the cruise control, but when cruise is on and the driver does not manually use the brakes the cruise control will still slow the vehicle by applying the rear brakes and that does not trigger the trailer brakes.

[padlin00]

I've heard cars with adaptive cruise control can apply the brakes, but I've never heard of any other that could. Is that what your Freestyle has?

[honda03842]

Bat Dude,

Interesting discussion. I don't know if our Odyssey activates it's brakes when using cruise control. Certainly the only condition the tow would activate the brakes would be on a steep down hill grade, a pretty rare situation since I don't usually use cruise in hilly terrain. However now I'm interested and will try it.

In normal driving a tow vehicle should not apply it's brakes to scrub speed, the simple reduction of gas should accomplish slowing except on significant down hill slopes.

As you may know trailer brakes are activated by a manual switch located on the brake pedal so your car's electronic activation of the brakes will not activate the trailer's brakes.

It's hard for me to imagine that you drive in enough down hill situations where your tow vehicle's rear brakes are electronically activated to wear the brake pads out or require rotor replacement. We just traded our 2004 Honda CRV with 230,000 miles and the rotors never required replacement.

As to disabling cruise, I use the Cancel (Cruise) switch mounted on the steering wheel. As someone suggested, driving with cruise for some creates a measure of anxiousness . I understand this if driving in heavy traffic. In our case we avoid heavy traffic and generally do not use cruise in heavy traffic.