2016 Ford F-53

MY 2016 THOR HURRICANE MOTOR HOME WITH THE FORD F53 18K CHASSIS HAS A TOW-HAUL MODE IN THE TRANSMISSION. ACCORDING TO ALL FORD PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING THE OWNER'S MANUAL, WHEN IN THE TOW-HAUL MODE THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD DOWNSHIFT EACH TIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ON MY UNIT AND NUMEROUS OTHER UNITS WITH THE 16K AND 18K GVWR CHASSIS. I BASE THIS ON NUMEROUS COMMENTS ON THE IRV2 FORUM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION IN HILLY/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHERE LONG AND STEEP DOWN GRADES ARE ENCOUNTERED. WITHOUT THE ENGINE BRAKING SUPPOSED TO BE DELIVERED BY THE TOW-HAUL FUNCTION, ALL BRAKING MUST BE DONE BY THE SERVICE BRAKES. ON LONG GRADES THIS CAN RESULT IN OVERHEATED BRAKES THAT LOSE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, CREATING A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

2016 JAYCO ALANTE MOTORHOME ON A FORD F53 CHASSIS 16000 GVWR. WHEN OPERATING IN THE TOW/HAUL MODE, NO ENGINE BRAKING IS AVAILABLE AS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL (PAGE 32, 33). THIS CAUSES A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE CONDITION IN ALL MODES OF TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY DESCENDING A HILL OR MOUNTAIN AS BRAKE OVERHEATING OR FAILURE OR FIRE COULD OCCUR. I HAVE READ OTHER SIMILAR REPORTS ON SEVERAL RV FORUMS TO INCLUDE IRV2.COM. FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS TOLD OTHERS THAT THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM, BUT MY PREVIOUS TWO MOTORHOMES WITH SIMILAR ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION EQUIPMENT PERFORMED PERFECTLY AS ADVERTISED.THIS CONDITION SHOULD DEFINITELY BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

I HAVE A 2016ITASCA MOTORHOME ON A 2016 FORD F53 26000 POUND CHASSIS. THE FORD POWERTRAIN IS EQUIPPED WITH A TOW/HAUL SELECTOR. THE TOW/HAUL MODE IS USED FOR VARIOUS REASONS, ONE OF THEM IS THE CAPABILITY OF AUTOMATICALLY DOWN-SHIFTING WHEN DESCENDING STEEP GRADES AND DURING HARD-STOPS. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH MY 2016 POWERTRAIN, IT ACTS NO DIFFERENT WHEN IN TOW/HAUL OR NOT.THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITON ON DECENDING HILLS. BRAKES COULD FAIL DUE TO OVERHEATING.

I HAVE A 2016 THOR MOTORHOME ON A 2016 FORD F53 18000 POUND CHASSIS. THE FORD POWERTRAIN IS EQUIPPED WITH A TOW/HAUL SELECTOR. THE TOW/HAUL MODE IS USED FOR VARIOUS REASONS, ONE OF THEM IS THE CAPABILITY OF AUTOMATICALLY DOWN-SHIFTING WHEN DESCENDING STEEP GRADES AND DURING HARD-STOPS. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH MY 2016 POWERTRAIN, IT SIMPLY ISN'T WORKING AT ALL. NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORMAL-MODE AND TOW/HAUL MODE. THIS IS "MAJOR" SAFETY ISSUE WHEN DESCENDING GRADES OR PANIC STOPPING AS YOU HAVE ZERO "ENGINE-BREAKING". I HAVE DRIVEN MY NEW MOTORHOME ABOUT 1000 MILES SINCE PURCHASING IN FEBRUARY 2016. WHEN EXITING OFF THE INTERSTATE FOR FUEL STOPS OR REST AREAS I HAD TO REALLY APPLY THE CHASSIS BRAKES MUCH HARDER THEN "NORMAL" DUE TO NO ENGINE-BREAKING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND ACCORDING TO SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL AS OTHER PUBLIC FORUMS, IRV2, THOR FORUMS, ETC. THERE ARE NUMEROUS EARLY MODEL 2016 F53 FORD CHASSIS WITH THE SAME "DANGEROUS" ISSUE.

PAGE 32 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES IN PART, "THE TOW HAUL FEATURE: PROVIDES ENGINE BRAKING IN ALL FORWARD GEARS, WHICH WILL SLOW YOUR VEHICLE AND ASSIST YOU IN CONTROLLING YOUR VEHICLE WHEN DESCENDING A GRADE." I HAVE DESCENDED SEVERAL 8 PERCENT GRADES WITH THE TOW HAUL FEATURE OF MY TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AND HAD TO ENGAGE MY BRAKES EXCESSIVELY BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT DOWNSHIFT TO PROVIDE ENGINE BRAKING AS DESCRIBED. THIS COULD LEAD TO BRAKE FAILURE OR PREMATURE BRAKE REPLACEMENT. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO 2 AUTHORIZED FORD SERVICE SHOPS WITH THIS COMPLAINT WITHOUT RECEIVING ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE FEEDBACK I HAVE RECEIVED IS THAT FORD DENIES THERE IS A PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS INVOLVING THE 2016 FORD F53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS ON A OWNERS FORUM WEBSITE: WWW.IRV2.COM/FORUMS/53. MY TESTIMONY IS POSTED UNDER HFBUNDY. OTHER OWNERS DESCRIBING ISSUE WITH THE TOW FUNCTION INCLUDE SUPERLUCKY, STUART W, YELLOWBOAT, JHARRELL, AND ED RZEPKA. I PURCHASED THIS UNIT IN SEPTEMBER 2015. ALSO, MY SERVICE ADVISER WHERE I PURCHASED MY MOTORHOME SAYS HE HAS HEARD OF ISSUES INVOLVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TOW HAUL MODE FOR THIS MODEL.