It did a lot better before I messed with it.
Tow/Haul in either D or M5. Set the cruise and let it eat. It'll sit in 5th until it slows 2mph from set speed and then downshift to 4th on the hills. Every now and then it shifts to 3rd; it never hit 3rd when the truck was stock FWIW. The hills around here aren't what you think of for typical midwest; we're in the driftless area so the terrain resembles the Appalachian foothills.
I'll throw it down into M5 to keep it from doing this weird thing where it won't down shift until it scrubs 5mph with the cruise set in D. It's only done it one trip, so take that with a grain of salt. I would recommend a WD hitch with loads 5-6K and above. The hitch is rated for 7K conventional and up to 9,300 (or whatever the max rating is) with WD. I think the rear springs are too soft for much over 600lbs of tongue weight. Hitting large bumps and swooping changes in the road are unsettling. Bags fixed most of that feeling, but a WD hitch would be ideal to get that weight up front.
The truck is a cream puff and has 10K on it in 2 years. No mechanical issues, but it has been to the dealer for dash rattles (that I fixed myself
) and it needs to go back in for some quirky infotainment bits and the front bumper cover has decided to change its shade of white to more of a cream.
Overall, I'm happy with it. Stock MPG was fantastic @ 17mpg city and 20-21mpg highway. It's the quietest vehicle I've ever been in or owned - spooky quiet. The ride is car-like. Transmission/Engine programming logic leaves much to be desired in town. Understandably, GM has it setup for emissions, torque management/drivetrain preservation, and emissions. If you drive it 'how the truck wants to be driven' it'll return the mileage I mentioned. If you drive one, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
If I had to do it all over again, I would at least test drive a comparable Ram with the Hemi and 8spd. What kills me on the Ram is the lack of payload. If you start running the numbers on Ram, you're maxed out on payload before you come close to max tow rating.
Ford? Too much $$$ for no added value.