Towing in 5th gear

Use whatever gear suits your speed/ revs and power needed.

Phoenix There are previous posts to questions like this - I do tow in 5th (Overdrive) but try to be careful if uphill, flick OD off. There have been various responses. There doen not seem to be any right or wrong. Check your vehicle manual and ask the dealer if you are still under warranty

Yeh, I've been sent on the guilt trip by ppl stating emphatically that you MUST NEVER tow in 5th gear. Tried for a while to just stay in 4th and the big Patrol donk (which is happiest at around 2200 rpm) was screaming it's tytts off at about 2600 revs @ 110kph or so.

In the end I've compromised. Drive it in 5th for the most part, but be willing to change back a cog as soon as I get near a hill etc (even though the lazy 4.2 can lug up a lot of hills in 5th etc).

After stripping 5th gear on a GU Patrol on trip home from WA towing the camper and doing all the right things dropping to 4th when approching hills etc etc, we know leave in in 4th when towing.

Hmmm,

The RAC in WA gave me a bit of advice 5 years ago and said that the manuals with an overdrive 5th were at risk if you tow in 5th.

The main reason is in the design of the box with the overdrive being an add on rather than having all the gears on the cluster gear.

Anyhow I know a lot of blokes who have towed in 5th and had no problems and I know a lot who have so take your pick.

Although I am one of the "don't do it" brigade, it may be OK if your Jayco is very light. We don't tow heavy loads in 5th (manual) or OD on (auto), unless it is a very light trailer - then it's really not much different to driving without a trailer. What weight is your eagle?

Despite these precautions, we have done in the gears when away from home on a cruiser; it is not much fun!

Generally we don't take the risk.

Being a diesel fitter and having rebuilt a few gearbox's, it is in my opinion that towing in 5th gear or overdrive to be more correct does not cause a problem as long as it is on decent roads but you should never use it on corrugated roads towing or otherwise. The main problem I have found is the failure of the small needle roller between the input shaft and main shaft, when in fourth gear which is usually direct drive this bearing is not rotating and under no real load but when in over drive this bearing is spinning fairly fast and and when on corrugated roads is under a lot of shock loading causing its failure.

I have been towing a camper trailer in 5th gear for 10 years now, two different cars GQ 385k on the clock and never a gear box pob. The GU is still pretty new but it seems happy.

Both cars have towed extensively on all types of road, and no road at all

Duncs

goodday all
goodday duncs how are was nice to put a face to the name while in broken hill

i tow a trailer every day with about 750kg and a van on most holidays and i can tell you 5th gear is my best friend because if i towed in 4th all the time i would be broke because of fuel costs
my 4.2 has now done 125000ks its serviced every 5000ks give or take a grand

steve

There should be a list of topics that you can click on to get ALL the previous posts so that we don't keep seeing the same questions

Towing in 5th gear
Which 4WD should I buy
Engel V Waeco
Diesel V petrol

Isn't there a prompt when you go to initiate a post to search for old ones?

Depending on the type of vehicle and the mass of the load being pulled it can often be more economical to tow in 4th anyway. Give it a try.

we have towed caravans for about 7 years 1viscount seabreeze 16ft aprox 1300kgs 1our present van a17ft viscount sportz about 1.7tonnes with a gq patrol fitted with a turbo in 5th gear i have found if u change down 2 4th in headwinds & going up hills no problems get about 5.8 k'per litre at 90-95k's