Standard vs Auto for towing?

[TrainChaser]

I would like some opinions on the tranny for a van that might have to tow something up to a lighter-weight 20-ft trailer.

It seems that every van I've ridden in that did tow something had a standard transmission.  Does a standard do a better job than an automatic?

[Gunny]

I think you will be hard pressed to find a newer van with stick shift. You do have more control over the revs of the engine with a stick but the newer automatics do a decent job and can be shifted manually.

I’m no expert, maybe someone who is will chime in.

Rob

[S Cello]

I used to pull around a fairly heavy 27' Sprinter travel trailer with my 2000 Ford 350 V10 van with automatic transmission.
I lived in the trailer for 5 years and had to move it every 6 months in San Diego. Then I pulled it over some pretty good grades to where I am now.
I just had to disable or turn off the overdrive. No problems to report. The trailer and the van were always loaded heavy with stuff, too.

[Blacktank]

a stick shift is more reliable period,metal gear on metal gear
autos will produce a lot of heat when worked a trans cooler is a must,
an auto with cooler will be just fine for your needs and like gunny said,good luck finding a stick shift van

[GotSmart]

I love towing with an AT.  

I love towing with a stick shift also, but there is less to distract you with the automatic.

[TrainChaser]

Gary, that is how I was feeling, but with nothing to back it up.

I was wondering why so many of the newer ones that I am seeing in ads were automatic!

You guys just answered another question I had been wondering about, too! Apparently, when young guys steal vehicles, many of them are not familiar with a stick shift, and run away when they discover they don't know how to drive it. Another form of Theft Control, I guess.

Some years ago, I drove my sister down the local transmission repair shop to pick up her pickup. :-) I walked into the building, and they had a transmission on display. Looking it it, I wondered how ANYONE could have come up with something that complicated. I can't believe Henry Ford started out with those...

[Blanch]

I tow a 30 ft travel trailer with a Ford F-250 automatic. I would really suggest using an automatic. I have a real love for stick shifts and I have only owned a couple of automatics in my entire life. But, while towing, there is so much going on. Winds can push you across lanes, braking requires using one hand to operate the trailer brakes, you have to deal with blind spots and idiot drivers who cut you off to be ahead of you in traffic. So much to watch out for and deal with. Changing gears would add another thing to manage. It would be very challenging if you had to shift gears and brake the trailer at the same time. Imagine doing that in the wind.


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[weigh2ez]

When I worked for a living in the car business I always made more money off the folks with manual transmissions than the 
automatics because most of them tended to ride the clutch and didn't know when to shift, or how to shift.  You haven't felt pain until you pay someone to put a clutch is a diesel.

[Optimistic Paranoid]

A little quick research on Wikipedia shows that:

1991 was the last year that Ford Vans came with a manual transmission.
1993 was the last year that Dodge Ram Vans came with a manual transmission.
1994 was the last year that Chevy Vans came with a manual transmission.

[Everyroadleadshome]

I can give you one real world example. I owned a 97 Ranger with a 4.0 V6 manual and it towed my 7x12 trailer full of tools pretty good. Two years later I came across a much lower mileage 97 Ranger with a 4.0 V6 Automatic for a deal too good to pass up. Bought it then sold mine. The auto with the exact same truck couldn't tow that trailer to save it's life, was dangerous getting on the highway it took so long to get up to speed.

But, in my case, neither of those two Rangers were the right vehicle for what I was asking of them. So if you are towing with an underpowered vehicle to start with, you'd probably do better with a standard. If you're towing with the right size vehicle, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference. Especially with the newer automatics you can manually select your gears if wanted. I have a 2013 Silverado and if i'm towing at it's max capacity I'll usually do the gear selecting myself to get up steep hills, outside of that I just let it do it's thing.

But I do love driving a manual and I wish they still offered them in most or all vehicles. Europe and other parts of the world still love and offer the manuals. Americans not so much.