Towing through the mountains

[greenflag]

Don't worry about your trip. The Allison/Duramax is a bulletproof combo. I tow the Colorado mountains every year. My older model Duramax doesn't have an exhaust brake. The Allison trans in tow/haul mode holds my speed right where I need it. It holds me at 40 MPH down the 10% Panamint Grade in Death Valley with only a couple of short applications of brake.
Have a great trip.

[sbowman]

Originally Posted by Airtandem

Not everyone has a 3/4 ton diesel; what about us 1/2 ton gasers? Any info for us?

My opinion, go slow, gear down, and use brakes as little as possible. Your trailer will push you. Find the gear that will control the trailer push, meaning when you let of the gas the engine will slow/reduce the push.

Is 1/2 ton set up w/tow package w/transmission programing for towing? Will the transmission gear its self down? If so big plus.

Not sure it matters whether gas or diesel, truck size does make one more comfortable w/control. Better to be safe than sorry.

Best regards and safe travels

[happy2retire]

We will be doing the same this summer with our 2013 F150 pulling 26FT Flying Cloud. Also from the Midwest, no experience towing in the mountains.
If someone could give some insight if you have similar tow situation. Thanks

[DBinSD]

Originally Posted by Airtandem

Not everyone has a 3/4 ton diesel; what about us 1/2 ton gasers? Any info for us?

Use the gearing and shift down.
Slow at the top.
Slow before corners.
Use heavy pressure less often when braking, NEVER ride or apply light braking often when going downhill or you will be buying new brake components.

Take it slow, make sure trailer brake is working.

[Bob Peahl]

With our Ram 2500, we use the exhaust brakes set on auto and closely monitor speed limits in the mountains. No need to ride the brakes. No stress or worries.

[GandTSayor]

Lot’s of good advice on this thread. We live in Colorado and most of our trips are in the mountains. Our tow vehicle is a GMC Sierra HD diesel and we tow a 27FB International Serenity. Exhaust brakes, downshifting and common sense should be your focus. Going uphill the Duramax diesel easily keeps us at our self imposed speed limit of 63-64, no matter what pass. Downhill, remember to adjust your speed, and gear and pop on the exhaust brakes before you crest the hill. We usually do the whole trip (including Rabbit Ears or Vail Pass, Eisenhower Tunnel and Floyd Hill ) without touching the brakes! Well at least until we get back in Metro Denver traffic. ;-)

[Dan and Liz]

Lots of good advice above. One more observation: on a steep downhill grade, traction will be less when you brake because weight on tires will decrease, and gravity adds to forward inertia — hence greater stopping distance. Good to keep in mind, especially on a wet highway, but shouldn’t be of great concern if you’re minding your speed and braking prior to curves.

[Mollysdad]

Being a flatlander from Florida, it was always stressful hitting the mountains west of Denver. But take your time, stay at a decent speed, and before long you're over.
Frankly, I was more concerned of a tire failure near Glenwood Springs where you're on a bridge for 13 miles.

[rperrym]

Don't know if it was mentioned before, but we always use the tow haul mode along with the the exhaust brake going up and down the passes. Make sure you engage both before the crest of the hill.

Rick

[daleyocum]

Originally Posted by happy2retire

We will be doing the same this summer with our 2013 F150 pulling 26FT Flying Cloud. Also from the Midwest, no experience towing in the mountains.
If someone could give some insight if you have similar tow situation. Thanks

My 2016 F150 with 3.5 Ecoboost pulls my FC25 with no problem throughout Oregon's Cascades. Haven't gone above 5,000 feet with it yet so I can't speak to the Rockies. That truck pulled my 16' Camplite all through the Grand Tetons with no issue.

A good load balancing hitch with sway control is vital. We happen to have a Blue Ox Sway Pro but there are many good ones out there, many threads on that subject on this forum.

[flyerboy]

Dave,
I tow a 2008 30' Classic. Basically 10,000 pounds. I tow with a 2013 Silverado Duramax diesel. Have been to Phoenix from Chicago area twice via the Colorado Front Range and down thru NM and AZ via Flagstaff.
You are going to have a silly-ass grin on your face through the mountains!
Just make sure you engage the exhaust brake AND tow mode and you are going to fall in love with your truck all over again. Climbing the steepest grades you can count on one hand the times it MAY down shift a second time to maintain 65, other wise you can count on both hands how often it downshifts once. These Duramax are a dream in the mountains. There are times you will disengage the tow mode and exhaust brake because they are slowing you down too much going down the lesser grades, they work that well. Very little actual braking, EVER, if you get good at the exhaust brake and tow mode. Pay attention to the road ahead and drivers around you, but don't worry about your rig's capabilities. You are going to realize a terrific return on your diesel investment. Enjoy! ... and safe travels.
PS Keep an eye on the skies for thunderstorms, the mountains and the upslope/ thermal conditions create quite a few HAILstorms, usually EVERY afternoon along the front range of the Rockies!
PPS I also have a Hensley Hitch which is all part of the stressless towing equation.

[75Bob]

If you really want to know "How are my brakes doing", while your driving and you think your about 1/2 way down, pull over and squirt some water out of the bottle of water your drinking. Thats right, right on the rim of your truck. If it turns to steam immediately you'd better stay put for a while. The forest rangers stop all cars on the way down from Pikes Peak and they only touch your tire.If they feel heat , they MAKE you pull over. Try this at least once for your own peace of mind. Then you can brag. Better safe than sorry.

[21Airstream]

It’s really not that challenging. Your greatest danger is from other drivers, usually driving worn out cars unsafely. They seem to count for more than their share of breakdowns and crashes.

[PamsCruiser]

My partner and I spent 5 weeks in Utah last year covering just about every nook and cranny. I have a 1953 Airstream Cruiser 25' and a Dodge Dakota 4.6 V8. The trailer doesn't weigh much, about 4500 lb. (yes, the truck is kinda light). This is what we learned. . . .

The road maps (we had two from different publishers) do not show the Pass elevations or sometimes that there is a Pass. There is a chart of the elevations of each town on the maps we had. The average elevation in Utah is 4100'! We are from Washington State so we are used to mountains, but Utah has Real Mountains. I'm not trying to scare you, but be aware that most mountain passes are at least 7100' and can go up to 9400'. The first big pass that we encountered not having any idea what its elevation was turned out to be 9,200' (narrow two lane road). I was driving and I didn't know what I was doing...it all turned out okay...I refused to drive down the other side though. Alternate using your truck brakes and your trailer brakes so they don't overheat. After that learning experience / awakening, we chose not to drive Highway 12, at least not pulling the trailer. We stayed at Bryce and drove most of it in the truck. It's beautiful! It is also very narrow 2 lanes, not much of a shoulder and very few turnouts. Most of the main highways in Utah are really good. We were impressed that even the most remote places had good roads..

My advice is to figure what the lies ahead, and plan accordingly. The surrounding mountain elevations are sometimes just a couple 1,000 ft higher that the mountain pass, so they are a good go by on the elevation you will encounter. It is absolutely beautiful country. We loved it and plan to return. Enjoy your trip, take lots of pictures, and be safe.

[PKI]

Originally Posted by 21Airstream

-- snip -- Your greatest danger is from other drivers, usually driving worn out cars unsafely. -- snip --.

Just to put a bit of reality back in the discussion. Slow dow, stay alert, be aware of suroundings, increase following distance, stop to rest, and make all transitions smoothly. Most important, enjoy the trip. Pat

[AirstreamCSH]

Originally Posted by rperrym

Don't know if it was mentioned before, but we always use the tow haul mode along with the the exhaust brake going up and down the passes. Make sure you engage both before the crest of the hill.



Rick

I understood the tow haul mode was to be used whenever I was hooked up. Am I understanding your comment correctly that you don’t always use the tow mode while towing?

[AirstreamCSH]

When we did the trip west this summer in our F250 diesel with the FC25 it was our first time and we asked a similar question. The advice from others here hasn’t changed.

I will say it eased our minds to have brought along a copy of the “Western Mountain Truckers Guide” which we got on Ebay. It gives detailed info on the major roads, grades and passes letting us know what to expect and for how long.

Find out what your normal transmission temperature range is. Our warning light on our 2017 kept coming on making us crazy until a call to Ford tech confirmed it can run as high as 250 before we need to sweat it. The manual was of no help nor was the local dealer. So, find out ahead of time in hours as going uphill in summer will stress the transmission.

[TSchleff]

OK ... I have to join in on this conversation. Not that I have anything of real importance to add, as you have been given a lot of good advise.

I have a 30' Classic and a 2014 Chevy with the Duramax and all I can say is you have a great TV. As mentioned by many, just slow down as you crest the hill and turn on the engine brake and unless you have to slow down for a curve or another vehicle, chances are real good you will not have to touch the brake pedal. It is really that good.

Coming out of the Eisenhower Tunnel going west I even set my cruise control at 55, turn on the engine brake and never touch the brake pedal all the way to Dillion. Now on other passes where you are on a two lane road with curves and other traffic, you may have to use the brake. Remember short aggressive bursts of about 3 seconds on the brake pedal.

Of course going up hill is a non issue. I have pulled my trailer through Rocky Mountain National Park (Grand Lake to Estes Park) and out of Ouray to Durango. No problems at all. Plenty of power and plenty of braking capability.

Like someone said .. you will fall in love again with that pickup.

[21Airstream]

Originally Posted by PKI

Just to put a bit of reality back in the discussion. Slow dow, stay alert, be aware of suroundings, increase following distance, stop to rest, and make all transitions smoothly. Most important, enjoy the trip. Pat

I guess this was my reality, anyway. As a State Trooper I patrolled two mountain passes (in Washington State) for 16+ years.

[mojo]

As you have gathered by the repetitive posts...you will be fine with your rig.

But if you plan to spend a lot of times in the mountains, west coast or east coast, this manual will give you the best info on what you're in for when planning a route.
http://www.mountaindirectory.com/