What are everyone's thoughts on using the A/C during the sumer while towing?

 

I used it last summer traveling through CA. I didn't know that the temp gauge is nothing more than a fancy idiot light. I don't know how hot my tranny got or my engine. Won't make that mistake again. Will be recieving a tranny temp gauge and engine temp gauge any day now and wouldn't tow without them, A/C or no A/C
I did change my tranny fluid just to be safe.

 

I think your temperature gauge is an actual gauge. It is the oil pressure light that is an idiot light. Think about it; your gauge slowing increase in temp as your truck warms up.

 

For the most part, you should be ok with running AC and towing. The only time you would want to consider not running it is when going up a long grade on a hot day and you're working the engine pretty good.

FWIW, I have aftermarket water and tranny gauges and the stock water temp is basically worthless....... It does gradually move up while it's warming up, but it hits it's 'mark' at only 150* and does not move at all after that. My Autometer water gauge shows a steady 195* when towing or not, but I've not seen it's summer time temps yet. My tranny will run at 150* when towing. It will get a bit hotter on hills and stop and go traffic, but cools back down when cruising.

Oh, the volt gauge is worthless too. My alternator died and the only way I knew it was because the LIGHT was blinking....... Could not tell any difference in the gauge when it is charging at 14v or charging at nothing........ Gas gauge does show the actual reading of the tank...............

 

I towed thousands of miles last summer with our 31 foot camper and truck fully loaded. Temperatures reached almost 100 degrees. I would not turn the air off except maybe on a real long grade. I have a second tranny cooler as well as the one that came with the towing package. I also have a tranny temp guage.

 

I leave the AC off until the wife starts yelling then turn it on. Even on the steepest grades, having the wife complain is harder on me than the AC on is on the truck.

Ian

 

Tow with the AC on. The truck can handle it unless you are overloaded.

 

The temp gage is the actual temp in the head. You can display it by holding the trip button while starting the truck. Then push the trip button about? 12 times to get to the right display. Look for dEGC for temp in C.

49C at C mark
60C at normal start
120C at normal end

Keep in mind that the water is heated, then cooled by the radiator, so your temp will vary depening on where you tap in to the system.

In my opinion you can run the A/C if your engine has enough power to tow up hill with the A/C on. One of the hardest things on an engine is to be running at WOT and losing rpm. If that's the case then you need either a bigger engine, lower gear, smaller load, or flatter terrain. Either way, the A/C is not the problem, it's just adding to it.

 

I have turned my AC off on some long grades with the temps at 100*+ but that was Before I got my eFans, Trans cooler and 2 row radiator, heh.

 

I tow a couple different trailers throughout the summer here in Florida and usually run the A/C the whole time. I do however have a significant advantage over several of the posters here since FLorida is virtually flat, and as such, I really don't have much in the way of grades to traverse. I've never seen much of an issue thusfar running the A/C while towing. Good luck.

-Mike-