When to use low gears

[P & T Castelow]

My husband and I have a Thor Ace 30.1. It is a 2016 but we have only had it a year. We are finally getting out and about in California. Here is our question: when do you use the lower gears when you are driving? For example, the engine was straining when we were going uphill. He went down a gear. Is that the right thing to do? Is there a guideline for when to use Drive 3, 2, or 1? I looked in the manual, but it really didn't help.
Thanks for helping out some newbies!

[Bob Denman]

Does it have a "Tow/Haul" mode button on the end of the shifter?
If it does: I'd try that first.
Good luck!

[P & T Castelow]

Yes there is!
But we weren't towing anything. Does that matter?

[16ACE27]

Put it in Drive and drive the coach. The transmission will downshift automatically (probably too early) when required to handle pulling the coach up the hills.

What is you definition of "engine was straining"? The V10 loves to rev high. Going uphill it is not unusual for it to rev in the 5000+ rpms due to the transmission downshifting. Manually shifting the gear shift to lower gears is not going to change that.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by P & T Castelow

Yes there is!
But we weren't towing anything. Does that matter?

You're HAULING the weight of the motorhome. In T/H mode it will downshift sooner.

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Put it in Drive and drive the coach. The transmission will downshift automatically (probably too early) when required to handle pulling the coach up the hills.

What is you definition of "engine was straining"? The V10 loves to rev high. Going uphill it is not unusual for it to rev in the 5000+ rpms due to the transmission downshifting. Manually shifting the gear shift to lower gears is not going to change that.

You're saying you won't grenade the motor at 5g on a well maintained machine? It has a 6g tach. The red line, at most, is 5500. She jumps to to 4g and she sounds wound so tight you don't want to let it stay there long. I give up the uphill MPH to keep the revs around 3g. 3500 at most.

Your opinion on that?

For manual gear changes, I only use that for downhill runs. I hate T/H in that situation so, I approach a grade slowly, drop into 4th and adjust as needed the rest of the way. If you're pumping the brakes a lot, you may have to drop it another gear. Just make sure the coach speed somewhat matches the gear so you don't overrev the engine. For uphill runs, let the transmission make the decisions and balance the RPM against it. I prefer the pedal to cruise control on steep grades.

[abjbrtd]

Greetings P&T driving a mh is a lot different than a car. It's heavy, doesn't accelerate, stop or turn very well.

You have to plan ahead to help the mh.
Start looking a little farther down the road, when approaching a hill start picking up you speed, don't wait for the motor to start straining. It's ok to really push the gas, it's not going take off! Don't be afraid to floor it. Don't let up on the peddle till you're at/close to the top.

Going down hill is where tow/haul really helps, as you gain speed don't use the brakes! Just make a couple of quick hits to the brake, you'll learn when and how hard to press the more you use the system.
If/when you hit the pedal just right the transmission will shift down dramatically slowing you. It's OK to use the brakes sparingly, you don't wont to try out the runaway truck ramp
Don't worry about the screaming motor, it's built for it

Good luck, enjoy and keep that motor singing.

[The_Breeze]

Why is the general message from a lot of people to not worry about revs and abuse the motor? Likewise, lugging it down on an uphill run is not good either.

Speculation may suggest the motor can can tolerate a lot of dynamic movement. That isn't a green light to beat the crap out of it. At the very least, there's journal and cam bearings that have to withstand a lot of opposing force. Higher RPMs don't smooth that out, despite what some would argue. It may lead to premature failure.

You pray tolerances are loose enough, the oil is flowing as it should and everything is in balance so it doesn't exert force on any one spot, causing bearing failure.

You could take care of it so it takes care of you.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by The_Breeze

Why is the general message from a lot of people to not worry about revs and abuse the motor? Likewise, lugging it down on an uphill run is not good either.

Speculation may suggest the motor can can tolerate a lot of dynamic movement. That isn't a green light to beat the crap out of it. At the very least, there's journal and cam bearings that have to withstand a lot of opposing force. Higher RPMs don't smooth that out, despite what some would argue. It may lead to premature failure.

You pray tolerances are loose enough, the oil is flowing as it should and everything is in balance so it doesn't exert force on any one spot, causing bearing failure.

You could take care of it so it takes care of you.

The question wasn't about reving the motor, that was just a guess as the OP has not returned to clarify what they mean by the engine straining. The question was about manually shifting the transmission into lower gears.

I have no problem with the V10 popping up to 5K when it downshifts to maintain speed up a hill in cruise control. I try to avoid it by anticipating the hill and pushing the accelerator early and I minimize the time there by kicking off the CC and letting it upshift back to 4th and controlling the RPMs with the accelerator. I would never advocate keeping the pedal pushed and allowing the engine to run above 4500 RPMs for extended periods.

These motorhomes are not able to climb mountains like cars and to expect them to is ludicrous.

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

The question wasn't about reving the motor, that was just a guess as the OP has not returned to clarify what they mean by the engine straining. The question was about manually shifting the transmission into lower gears.

I have no problem with the V10 popping up to 5K when it downshifts to maintain speed up a hill in cruise control. I try to avoid it by anticipating the hill and pushing the accelerator early and I minimize the time there by kicking off the CC and letting it upshift back to 4th and controlling the RPMs with the accelerator. I would never advocate keeping the pedal pushed and allowing the engine to run above 4500 RPMs for extended periods.

These motorhomes are not able to climb mountains like cars and to expect them to is ludicrous.

I read the same thing into the OP - right or wrong. I think we're on the same page.

[Chance]

Sounds like OP has a 5-speed transmission. Downshifting from 5th or Drive or from Drive to 3rd will increase RPMs around 50% each, so ending up in 3rd at highway speeds may be possible, but something I’d avoid. Best way to keep from working engine hard (if that’s your objective) is combination of lower gear and lower vehicle speed. I rarely use cruise control, particularly in mountains, for this reason. Even if it doesn’t hurt engine, noise and vibration from V10 at high RPMs is enough of a deterrent for me.

[Bob Denman]

I think that we;re all over-thinking this issue...
None of these rigs will climb like a Pike's Peak racer... and they sure won't stop on a dime (or even a ten-dollar bill!).
Put it in Tow/Haul, and let it do what it can do...

[Lt Keefer]

On flat level ground, I use the cruise and let the engine and transmission computers do their thing. On rolling to hilly terrain, I use the gas pedal and drive it the old fashioned way. I anticipate hills and gas it up some. I know the engine is 'designed' to not grenade at high RPM, but I figure the higher the RPM, the more fuel used. I almost always use the tow/haul feature, I am hauling a motorhome. It helps with shift points and engine braking. So my suggestion to the OP is drive it with the gas pedal, keep to the slow lane and enjoy your travels. Seat time and fuel receipts are the best ways to learn.

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by The_Breeze

Why is the general message from a lot of people to not worry about revs and abuse the motor? Likewise, lugging it down on an uphill run is not good either.

Speculation may suggest the motor can can tolerate a lot of dynamic movement. That isn't a green light to beat the crap out of it. At the very least, there's journal and cam bearings that have to withstand a lot of opposing force. Higher RPMs don't smooth that out, despite what some would argue. It may lead to premature failure.

You pray tolerances are loose enough, the oil is flowing as it should and everything is in balance so it doesn't exert force on any one spot, causing bearing failure.

You could take care of it so it takes care of you.

Considering the Triton is the base engine in Ford's class 4, 5, 6 and 7 trucks with 6 to 9 speed manual transmissions and has a design life of 200,000 miles, it is built with abuse in mind. It was in continuous production from 1997 until 2020, so its abuse tolerance is well documented. The F-53 computer monitors oil pressure, oil temperature, water temperature along with transmission fluid temperature and engine's torque output. If any of the parameters is approaching a critical area the transmission will down shift to reduce the engines torque or go into limp-home mode. The redline (computers maximum RPM limit) is 5,200 rpm. For the F-53 6 speed, the engine's max torque is @ 3,000 rpm and HP @ 4,000 rpm. At full throttle the computer will tend to keep the engine's rpm between 2,800 and 4,400 rpm. Of course this can be easily changed by reprogramming the computer.

[lwmcguire]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

You're HAULING the weight of the motorhome. In T/H mode it will downshift sooner.

And it will downshift helping you save the brakes when slowing or stopping

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

And it will downshift helping you save the brakes when slowing or stopping

Yep, that's the only time I use T/H mode, when decelerating. I push the button before I even hit the brakes.

[Bob Denman]

I agree: button first!

[brucev]

Originally Posted by P & T Castelow

My husband and I have a Thor Ace 30.1. It is a 2016 but we have only had it a year. We are finally getting out and about in California. Here is our question: when do you use the lower gears when you are driving? For example, the engine was straining when we were going uphill. He went down a gear. Is that the right thing to do? Is there a guideline for when to use Drive 3, 2, or 1? I looked in the manual, but it really didn't help.
Thanks for helping out some newbies!

I looked up the peak Torgue and HP for my rig and placed a label on the dash. When climbing steep hills I usually will place it in the gear and speed that gets me to 3250 RPM which is approximate where I get peak torgue. If I remember right it is about 45 MPH going up Cajon Pass.

When coming down the other side, I use the tow haul switch so that I can control my speed. When in tow/haul on my rig it will down shift each time I step on the brakes until I get to a gear I am comfortable with.

I don't know if this helps but it makes me feel better not letting the engine rev up like a two stroke.

[Pete'sMH]

Since it’s a 2016 you will have the 5 speed transmission instead of the newer 6 speed. I traded a 2017 for a 2016 thinking it couldn’t really be that big of a deal. But I never quite got used to the constant downshifting, the transmissions “habit” of skipping 4th gear when downshifting and going directly to third. I purchased the 5 Star tune not in hopes of finding any more hp or torque but just for the altered shift points. It’s not magic, but it made a huge difference in drive ability. I’ve since traded again and now have the newer transmission again and it seems a much better match. Notwithstanding, I’d recommend the 5 Star for owners of the older unit.

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

Since it’s a 2016 you will have the 5 speed transmission instead of the newer 6 speed. I traded a 2017 for a 2016 thinking it couldn’t really be that big of a deal. But I never quite got used to the constant downshifting, the transmissions “habit” of skipping 4th gear when downshifting and going directly to third. I purchased the 5 Star tune not in hopes of finding any more hp or torque but just for the altered shift points. It’s not magic, but it made a huge difference in drive ability. I’ve since traded again and now have the newer transmission again and it seems a much better match. Notwithstanding, I’d recommend the 5 Star for owners of the older unit.

Ford switched to the 6-sp trans in June 2015. All Detroit Chassis F-53s manufactured after May 2015 were 6 speeds. Mine has a chassis date of Aug 2015 and a coach date of November 2015. I bought it in Jan 2016.
Thor plant 750 buys 40 to 60 F-53 stripped chassis a month and has them shipped to MorRide. Thor plant 750 has the chassis modified just in time by MorRide and trucked to the plant as they are finished. Thor plant 750 builds 8 to 12 class A gas coaches a day. Newmar builds 6 to 8 Class A gas coaches a week. A years amount of F-53 chassis are shipped to Newmar at one time to avoid extra shipping charges.