Do you select drive or 3rd when towing.

**Hammer H** · 29th December 2016, 06:51 PM

For my last trip I've upgraded the trailer from a standard single axle which I think is rated 450kg to a heavy duty Trailer with a atm of 1750 and Tare of 390kg.

I could move the old Trailer loaded by hand but no chance with the new one. Moving the new trailer empty is equivalent to moving the old trailer full. Mind you we pack absolutely everything in there, winter or summer and it's used to store all the camping gear at home.

The new trailer is a lot more noticeable to tow behind the 4.6, and struggles a bit more to hold gear, I'm not sure it's good for the gearbox to keep it in drive so at times climbing hills etc I held it in third. Third seems to rev a bit hight though as it cuts out fourth and lock up so it seems to be like dropping two gears.

Just wonder what others do and recommend? I think I'd be towing 1500 kg.

Cheers Paul

**JohnnyB** · 29th December 2016, 08:36 PM

I use the shift lever and treat it like a manual. Like you I am towing a heavy trailer and the old girl in loaded to the gunwales.

**redandy3575** · 30th December 2016, 04:15 PM

My camper trailer tips the scale of a little over a ton when fully loaded. I tend to leave it in drive but with the power mode on. The 4.6 does struggle a bit, but then again they're not a high performance motor, more like a work horse engine. Funny my VS commodore v6 towed it better than the Rangie.

**JohnnyB** · 30th December 2016, 10:21 PM

So how much difference will a less restrictive exhaust, a retuned ECM and a TorqueMax cam make do you reckon.

**Hammer H** · 30th December 2016, 10:55 PM

I got the custom 3 inch exhaust😀

33s don't help though.

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 31st December 2016, 07:38 AM

I try very hard not to let it use 3rd in an unlocked state.
This would cause gearbox troubl? over time, or maybe straight away depends on the boxes condition....
Even a gen hp24 doesnt like hot fluid 😉. If you tow regularly a cooler will help.
Any rv8 will benfit from a new cam, due to wear and tear if nothing else,

**TheTree** · 31st December 2016, 07:50 AM

My Bushranger country has a GVM of around a tonne and I tow it just using normal gearing and occasionally dripping it back to 3rd manually when needed.

With the right tyre pressure and shock settings I barely notice the trailer except of course when I hit a long hill

I have ACT performance intake trumpets and a Tornado chip fitted to my 4.6 as well, but no exhaust mods (yet !)

Steve

**TheTree** · 31st December 2016, 07:51 AM

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

I try very hard not to let it use 3rd in an unlocked state.
This would cause gearbox troubl? over time, or maybe straight away depends on the boxes condition....
Even a gen hp24 doesnt like hot fluid 😉. If you tow regularly a cooler will help.
Any rv8 will benfit from a new cam, due to wear and tear if nothing else,

The P38 already has a transmission oil cooler fitted

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 31st December 2016, 08:12 AM

Me googles act trumpets-------
Thermal plate?
How long can you go inside the chamber?

**Keithy P38** · 31st December 2016, 10:13 AM

Worth mentioning too, the ECU will still lock the torque converter in 3rd gear as it would 4th.

When I tow the camper trailer of around 1600kg, I leave my P38 in Drive. Any more weight and I would lock it in 3rd. Towing extremely heavy loads in overdrive is not recommended as it kills gears. I class up to around the 1500kg mark as a "light load", any more and you're getting heavy and wouldn't want the heat and load on 4th for very long.

Cheers
Keithy

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