Had cruise control on many motors but never use it towing or solo. Been towing caravans over 50 years now and like to drive a motor keeps you alert on the road. Only thing is I always have automatics, but rest of toys on cars vary rarely use.
I do tend to use it on motorways through those miles and miles of roadworks at say 40 and 50 mph, but never in situations where all lanes are rammed with vehicles travelling very close and bunched up at those speeds.
I think how useful or otherwise depends on whether an 'intelligent' or 'dumb' system to some extent. I use my 'intelligent' cruise control frequently on motorways and A(M) roads where you are free of junctions, roundabouts etc. and changes of speed limit. On other roads where frequent stopping and/or excessive slowing down, I don't see it as much of an asset, as it will be constantly dropping out and need switching back in.
My car tows the caravan with ease, and will happily exceed the towing speed limit with equal ease, so it's necessary to keep a close eye on the speedo, OR set the speed limiter, or cruise control to let me keep my eye where it should be, on the road, not constantly watching the dash instruments, or risking excessive speed! I use it more perhaps as a speed control than a lazy way of driving when towing.
Mine will maintain a safe distance to the vehicle in front, automatically accelerating or decelerating as necessary, as well as maintain the set speed if not hindered by vehicles in front being slower, or automatically drop out and return to manual control if that distance is seriously compromised and unsafe by say a car pulling into the gap. On long motorway type journeys, I like to tuck in behind a HGV that's doing around 55-60mph and benefit from the slipstream effect to improve fuel economy, the cruise control makes that easy as they tend to slow on inclines and cruise at towing speeds on the flat.
I do tend to do pretty long journeys, often in excess of 5 hours, even up to 10 hours when delayed, so it's nice to be able to relax and move your right leg from time to time to keep cramps and aches at bay, and minimise stops for a 'leg stretch'.
As to being kept alert by 'manual' driving, if you can't manage that on your own, my car at least has a number of inbuilt safety features that monitor your driving and raise alarms if you start nodding off etc., so I have little worry that the cruise control will lead to total loss of attention. With my car, any driver action, like touching the brake pedal, or changing gear (manual gearbox), or involuntary action like getting too close to vehicle in front, or speed dropping below 40mph, immediately causes the cruise control to drop out. You can override the cruise control without disabling it, to accelerate to say overtake, by pressing hard on the accelerator, as soon as you take your foot off, it will return to the set speed or speed of vehicle in front of you if less.
A 'dumb' system that simply maintains speed without any regard to environmental inputs would not be ideal IMHO. Part of the skill of towing is anticipation and smooth transitions, my cruise control (I would assume most intelligent systems would be similar), does not detract from that practice in my experience, largely doing what a driver would normally do anyway. I've been using mine for around 6 years, and some 8k miles since I acquired my caravan, so plenty of experience with it, and very happy to use the technology to ease my journeys.
Thanks very much to all who've replied but especially to Monty15 for the in-depth assessment of the pro's and con's.
I've never used cruise control while towing, but then I'm relatively new to caravaning. I do use it unhitched because it's easy to flick it out and in and it seems to give better mpg. I did wonder what would happen if you had to change gear, say on a hill, would it rev its head off or come out automatically. I think you've answered my question.
Thanks for taking the time to explain it all...to an old geezer! ;o]]
Abridged version.
Yes I do use it when towing, but really only in France where the toll roads are frre and clear of traffic and road works.
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I have used it on French Autoroute as they are generally quieter. Our recently acquired Tucson has the smart cruise control,so I will read the handbook again first and try it!
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2017 Kia Carens petrol. I have used, non smart, cruise control once whilst towing. I found the acceleration to be extremely fierce when it is re-engaged after a gear change. Solo it is fine.
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Whenever possible I always use CC when towing. It does not matter if it is the intelligent system or not as the driver should be the one using their intelligence.
Quote: Originally posted by Flat at on 11/2/2024
2017 Kia Carens petrol. I have used, non smart, cruise control once whilst towing. I found the acceleration to be extremely fierce when it is re-engaged after a gear change. Solo it is fine.
Mine's a bit 'lead wellie' on the throttle compared to how I'd drive manually, I'm old school and retain and practice the 'skills' I was taught 50 odd years ago, anticipate road ahead to maintain speed, accelerate gently, avoid braking if possible, and then brake gently if forced to do so, etc, etc. Despite an array of sensors, cameras etc. scanning the road and influencing the CC, it's not as subtle as I am! It's not brutal by any means, but it won't better my average MPG figures as it does accelerate quite hard and the dash current MPG figures look quite alarming!
Still find it an asset, just need to be selective when using it.
I do use it on motorways, whether towing or not. My car is an automatic, but being an older model, it has a "dumb" system. It does however tow my caravan without hardly noticing it's there, so much so that fuel consumption isn't noticeably affected when towing the caravan. Because of this I have to watch the speed. Setting the cruise control makes that much easier, particularly through motorway roadworks. I always keep a foot ready to touch the brake pedal though, to cut it out when necessary. I never use the cruise control if the motorway is congested though, only when it is reasonably quiet, and I don't use it on ordinary roads.
You havent said if your car is manual or auto.
If you're using cruise control, just remember to be sympathetic to your car. Think about hills and long inclines. Using cruise, its easy to forget the loading you're putting on your engine and clutch (if it's a manual). If you're uncertain, take it out of cruise and see how it's pulling. Dropping a gear can make all the difference until you've overcome the incline if it's substantial.
I discovered this when travelling down towards Millau in France. I was loaded up, 6 of us in a people carrier towning a trailer that was about 750kg. I could smell the clutch slipping, so dropped a gear and it was fine till we reached the summit, then back into top gear with cruise on again.
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I'm inclined to think that cruise control works best with automatics because the gearbox will always select the right gear for the gradient to maintain the set speed. I have had autos for decades though so I don't think cruise control was available when I last had a manual.
Quote: Originally posted by pooroldbugger on 12/2/2024
You havent said if your car is manual or auto.
If you're using cruise control, just remember to be sympathetic to your car. Think about hills and long inclines. Using cruise, its easy to forget the loading you're putting on your engine and clutch (if it's a manual).
My Kadjar is 6 speed manual gearbox, I've never owned an automatic. I did drive one once, a hire car, didn't know what to do with my left foot ;o]]
You raise some good points that I hadn't thought of but will retain for future journeys. The Kadjar CC is intelligent, I think, you can store it and recall it at the press of a button or reduce the speed either by a long press or by flicking a switch one click for 1 mph. All without removing your hands from the steering wheel.
Most manuals cancel cruise if you don't change gear and the set speed can't be maintained.
Many manuals also cancel cruise as soon as the clutch is depressed, so you need to keep turning it back on. Give me an auto with adaptive cruise control anyday of the week, set and largely forget. Also excellent in traffic queues as the vehicle just keeps up as the traffic moves.
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Topic: Towing & Cruise Control
via mobile 10/2/2024 at 10:28am
