Towing issue with a 2024 Rubicon

[handyman98]

I wonder if the OP unplugged the trailer lights if he'd see lower shift points like he wants (even though he shouldn't want to roll around under load below 2500 rpm anyway).

May try this as part of my next test but don't want to chance a ticket. I'm in a rural area but lots of DPS around here looking for speeders.

I don't necessarily want it below 2500. I have been towing trailers and boats (large pontoon) for the last 10 years and just never had RPMs hit that high at 65mph on a flat road in any of my vehicles.

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[ShadowsPapa]

I don't necessarily want it below 2500. I have been towing trailers and boats (large pontoon) for the last 10 years and just never had RPMs hit that high at 65mph on a flat road in any of my vehicles.

I'd been towing things like tractors, flat beds full of antique engines, farm equipment, and so on since about 1975 and never had RPM jump up to 5,000+ until I got my silverado. It dragged me out of the dark ages of trucks and transmissions into the current century.

It's the new normal, not a concern at all

 

[handyman98]

I just finished my Towing test via shifting manually and it towed like a dream.

At 65 the RPMs are around 2300 and at 70 right around 2500 at gear 7. Thank y'all for all your help!!!

 

[ChrisNLA]

I just finished my Towing test via shifting manually and it towed like a dream.

At 65 the RPMs are around 2300 and at 70 right around 2500 at gear 7. Thank y'all for all your help!!!

This seems pretty reasonable for the weight you are working with.

Don't fight the RPM when accelerating but using manual to get another gear once cruising is fine as long as the trans isn't trying to hunt around.

At that weight I typically run 6th gear at 60 and 7th at 70 (that's with the trans doing it's own thing).

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This seems pretty reasonable for the weight you are working with.

Don't fight the RPM when accelerating but using manual to get another gear once cruising is fine as long as the trans isn't trying to hunt around.

At that weight I typically run 6th gear at 60 and 7th at 70 (that's with the trans doing it's own thing).

My overland was 2500-3300 on most fairly flat areas.

 

[handyman98]

This seems pretty reasonable for the weight you are working with.

Don't fight the RPM when accelerating but using manual to get another gear once cruising is fine as long as the trans isn't trying to hunt around.

At that weight I typically run 6th gear at 60 and 7th at 70 (that's with the trans doing it's own thing).

I shifted between 2500 and 3000 and mostly closer to about 2800.

 

[NC_Overland]

It may even increase wear rates trying to keep it too low -
Cylinder combustion pressures rise - increasing outward thrust on the rings
The PCM senses the increases torque demand and puts it into high lift mode. (so now you are running in high lift mode at under 2500 RPM)
It also means more force against the piston while it's operating at an angle, thrust wear on the skirts.

The Chevy people told me - when I first towed with my 2011 Silverado and I hit the hills on I80 east of here and the truck jumped to 5,000 RPM - yeah, it was 5,000+ rpm) - LET IT.
They said it's made to rev and that's where the power is.

And yet we believe we're doing these a favor keeping the RPM below 2,500 rpm.

I don't tow with mine that low. I will use manual mode to prevent hunting, otherwise, I let it wind up, and my oil analysis reports come back great.
If on a total flat, no wind, you'll see lower 2,000's but then with a long side on a camper, it's a lot of DRAG, so it's going to need power - it's going to be working hard to pull a long, flat-sided thing.

The sides of a trailer create drag. The longer and flatter they are, the more DRAG, or pull against the tow vehicle there is. Doesn't matter if the thing only weighs 2,000 pounds, you have a long, flat thing behind you grabbing the air and trying to hold you back.

And no, the TCM and PCM working together are smarter than any human can be. That's a silly statement to think you are being smarter than the vehicle in tow mode by holding RPM down - you are doing what engineers don't want to happen. It's not being smarter - holding RPM too far down isn't smart, it's harder on the engine.

I agree with all of that, but it wanted to add that my 5.3l GMT-900 was the exact same way. When towing or using cruise control it downshifted way more than I would have expected. I didn’t mind though. I loved the way that my intake sounded.

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