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Old 06-04-2010, 06:41 AM   #21
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Virtually always in dry conditions when on the open road. I use it a lot in town to help me keep to speed limits.

On flat land, with the Duramax, I can sometimes go for hours without a shift out of 6th gear.
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Old 06-04-2010, 07:34 AM   #22
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We use it too. But only on long, flat, underpopulated stretches of highway. We keep our speed around 60-63. Of course, we never use it on wet, curvy or hilly roads ~ I wanna feel the road more and react to the ever changing conditions better on those.

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Old 06-04-2010, 07:43 AM   #23
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CC is a great tool that I use all the time. I tend to have have a lead foot, so this keeps me in check I usually keep it at about 74 MPH. When getting into traffic, rain or snow, off it goes. I always put the suv in trailer mode, so the cc stays on for moderate hills. For the mountains I find it has to work to much and sometimes it will even just turn off. So now I just cancel it when in real hill, mountain territory. It works great and does help in making the trip more enjoyable.
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Old 06-04-2010, 07:48 AM   #24
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Not me..... I feel like it kicks into passing gear where I maybe wouldn't of course we live in the hills. If we were on a flat stretch maybe....I just like having full control. Break with the left foot gas with the right.
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Old 06-04-2010, 08:29 AM   #25
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Put me down as a user of CC. If I do not use CC then I will look down and find myself going 90, with or without the TT attatched. The Commander will hold the speed on most highways with out hunting, If the hills get to where they cause the xmision to hunt I switch over to manual.
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Old 06-04-2010, 08:37 AM   #26
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I use CC on flat roads with little to no traffic. Do not use it in rain. Have yet to tow in snow. I feel comfortable towing around 60-65 MPH. It works great.
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:47 AM   #27
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Cruise - Yes

Perhaps because of our towing combo, 1990 half-ton 'Burb and 1970 Globetrotter, I find the CC to be useful in the hills as well as on low traffic stretches of the flats. Our 'Burb has the standard 350 engine and a "gas saver" gear ratio, in the low 3:xx. Maybe because the CC is such an old design, but it doesn't downshift often, or floor it up hills (anymore than I do). We tow in D3.

Heading up to the pass over the Cascades, the CC will let us bog down to a 35 mph crawl, as opposed to a 30 mph slog if it's my foot on the pedal. Downhill is great, as the CC manages the speed around 50 mph, with 2/3rds less braking.

Looking forward to picking up our '93 E350 with the 7.3 deisel. Of course, then we'll be towing our 34' Excella, but still...
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Old 06-04-2010, 11:44 AM   #28
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Hi, I use my cruise control on long stretches of road. I will not use it where crowded, wet, or icy. Cruise control is a wonderful thing, but as mentioned above, Too many people don't know how to use it and all the things it will do; I know this because I used to repair them, test them, and take customers for a test drive to show them that everything works as per design. Most common comment was, "I didn't know cruise control could do all those things." There is a slight delay when hitting the BRAKES [not BREAKS] before the system is canceled, so plan on that, especially in a panic. [try not to panic, you will have better control of your vehicle]
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:21 PM   #29
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ALWAYS unless the roads are wet. I cannot top the mileage I get without using it.
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:23 PM   #30
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Cruise - Most of the time

Shane -

I use the cruise with the same frequency, towing or not. If the truck seems to be lugging or down shifting more than I would like, I cancel it and use my right foot to control speed. Same if traffic is dense or the road is twisty and requires a lot of speed changes. Same for any conditions where traction may be compromised.

For the trip you are taking (DFW to Key West), I would probably have the cruise on 85% of the time, if not more.

Just my 2 cents.
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:04 PM   #31
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Todays CC is a whole lot better than what was out there in the 1960's and '70's. That it can keep speed to within a mph or two is still impressive to me. I remember discussions with my father as we pondered the merit of CC and it came down to time versus mileage. Yes, one may be able to regularly increase mpg by the use of the boot, but the tradeoff in time may not be worth it . . as one tires, one's concentration flags and the rig slows. And the fuel penalty may be minor.

That said, mpg is ALWAYS increased by regular use of CC. I have mine on, and set, by the end of the acceleration/entrance ramp. It is strongly recommended in the trucking industry for consistently higher fuel mileage.

As was said above, it can make a good driver better. More time spent with mirrors and situational awareness. Yes, of course, on steep grades it may not be worth it, or in rolling hills, certainly not on slick roads, or heavier traffic, etc.

I would also recommend "cancelling" the CC whenever in the passing lane:

Situations change rapidly on occasion, and if CC is off then having to remember that it may speed up the vehicle is not necessary . . nothing like sudden unintentional acceleration into some other guys rear bumper!

Doesn't even have to be in a Toyota.

.
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:23 PM   #32
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I just towed 3,000 miles and used it - from the Atlantic - through the plains, over the Rockies and other mountains - and to the beach in San Diego.

I would force a shift manually or drop the speed via the cruise control from 70 to 65 or 60 through some of the higher mountains - for down hill found the cruise with diesel engine braking would keep me on speed wit no brakes neded or at most one or two taps of brakes - my car knows it'd connected to a trailer so modifies shiftpoints as needed automatically.
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:24 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JFScheck View Post
I just towed 3,000 miles and used it - from the Atlantic - through the plains, over the Rockies and other mountains - and to the beach in San Diego.

I would force a shift manually or drop the speed via the cruise control from 70 to 65 or 60 through some of the higher mountains - for down hill found the cruise with diesel engine braking would keep me on speed wit no brakes neded or at most one or two taps of brakes - my car knows it'd connected to a trailer so modifies shiftpoints as needed automatically.
Thanks, but mine is a 2010 not a 2009....

Shane
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:28 PM   #34
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Thanks, but mine is a 2010 not a 2009....

Shane
Where did you see any mention of a 2009 vs 2010 in the previous post?
And what difference would that make regarding cc.??
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Old 06-04-2010, 09:49 PM   #35
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Where did you see any mention of a 2009 vs 2010 in the previous post?
And what difference would that make regarding cc.??
Sorry, JSF has a 2009 Classic and he says it's a 2010....It was an inside joke....


BTW, thanks for all the help from everyone.
SHane
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Old 06-05-2010, 06:23 AM   #36
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My gas mileage increases by an average of 1.5mpg when using CC. Less fatiguing while driving those 300+mile days...
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Old 06-06-2010, 08:50 AM   #37
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Sorry, JSF has a 2009 Classic and he says it's a 2010....It was an inside joke....


BTW, thanks for all the help from everyone.
SHane
Actually my Title and VIN says 2010 so that's why I call it a 2010 even though no 25FB Classic Limited's were made in the 2010 catalog (and it matches the year of the "T-Rex") just like they are now making some 34 footers as seen from my factory visit two weeks back and those are not listed as well.

It just makes me chuckle for some odd reason with my warped humor.

So glad it was made before they did away with the disc brakes and went back to drum - the disc brakes are MONEY.
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Old 06-06-2010, 02:59 PM   #38
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I use CC any time conditions will permit it - both running solo and towing. That excludes most mountain driving, rain, snow, fog, etc. My only complaint, although it's really an Allison Transmission complaint, is that the Allison in my 2003 GMC won't automatically downshift to control speed while using CC on a long downgrade - although it will upshift during a climb. You have to tap the brake going downhill which, of course, disengages the CC. I understand that this downhill operating mode was modified on later model Allisons to provide for an automatic downshift???. Fortunately, this driving situation doesn't come up too often and I can usually find a gear very quickly that will let the Duramax hold the desired speed.
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Old 06-06-2010, 04:42 PM   #39
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I use the CC when road conditions and hills permit, it is less fatigue on both me and my 6 cyl Tacoma
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Old 07-19-2010, 07:54 PM   #40
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FWIW I just had a long conversation with a professional camper trailer delivery driver in Canada this evening. He drove down to Elkhart and picked them up and pulled them all over Canada all during the year.
He towed camper trailers up to 40 ft.
His tow vehicle was a GMC 3500 HD with diesel and he said he had a standing rule, 55 mph on cruise control as much as possible.
This is speed I drove our motor home for the few years we had it and seemed like a sensible thing to do.

He also told me there was a feeling among many of the professional drivers that they did not like equalizers as they felt in the event of a roll over of the trailer, they would tend to lose only the trailer and not roll the tow vehicle. He personally liked the equalizier system in his pulls.

He also told me in Canada the police up there looked hard at tow vehicle vs trailer weight ratios and tended to charge those that had a weight ratio imbalance.

He also said in winter time he never moved until the engine had turned over for 15 minutes when it got cold.

So for what is is worth, it was his experience/opinion.
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