1st time on I-70 through Colorado - Grades?

[NevadaGeo]

Note that the folks cruising over the top at high speeds towing have a massive truck or something with a lot of power, not a small sedan. And Please, go slow on the way down, don't let that Excella push your car around trying to be the first thing down.

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

KJ that looked like a nice smooth ascent. Minus the car guy on the phone there for a few seconds. IE the sudden unnecessary slowdown on his behalf.

So in the beginning you say you are in 4th gear. Are you driving a stick or what do you mean when you say 4th gear. Does a Tundra have a D,4,3,2,1 versus a D,3,2,1

Tundra has sports shift option for 6 gears.


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[Goal15]

Originally Posted by PovIndy

Just returned from our first long adventure on I70 W through the mountains from Indianapolis to St. George, Utah with our 2005
Safari 28' S/O 7800# TV is a 2010 Tundra We slowed only on
the steepest grades usually after coming up on a slower Semi
always stayed in the right lane The combo towed like a dream and
we thoroughly enjoyed the journey - Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon NP We are flatlanders and usually camp in Indiana State
Parks - which are wonderful - we don't often see other AS's in camp
It was a real joy to get out west and see all the other AS's out there
we saw so many we lost count - now it is clear Airstreams are built
to be on the highway Can't wait to plan our next adventure
Be Safe - Stay within your comfort zone - Enjoy the ride!

Thanks for posting. Sounds like my 2011 Tundra and 2006 Safari 23 should work just fine

Dana


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[trekerboy]

Well, we did it! Even with the pedal to the metal we were bogged down to about 35 or 40 mph at some points, but that never lasted very long. Glad we did it, both for the views (which were amazing) and for the knowledge of the limits of our rig (can't tow at 70mph up steep grades, but can make it at lower speeds). Mountain driving isn't our normal gig, so I'm not put off by this "limitation".

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[Alluminati]

Why are you guys in such a hurry?

There is no reason you have to drive the speed limit. No reason at all. The states that have laws forbidding holding up lines of traffic usually have generous pullouts, wide spots, and allow shoulder driving to keep traffic flowing around you if you choose to go slow. Highways that post minimum speed limits allow traffic 30-40 mph slower than the maximum.

As long as I’m driving legally and courteously it’s none of my business what other drivers think of me. The only way to insure nobody hates the way you drive is to stay home.

I have NEVER EVER put pedal to metal when towing. I have no desire to thrash my truck; none at all. The specs say my truck has 401 ft lbs torque, but I don’t really know what that means because I will never push it that hard. All I need to know is that my truck as sufficient.

Last week we towed all over Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, and the week before we were also in Oregon, Washington, and Utah. In all of that, there was only one incline that I couldn’t keep the truck above 40 mph without flooring it, so I put on my flashers and took it slow. Even at 32 mph I passed a semi.

If I felt I needed to travel at maximum speed, I may need to reconsider why I’m pulling a trailer in the first place. There are much faster ways to travel. Perhaps if I were towing a Bambi I would drive the speed limit. But I’m pulling the weight of THREE Bambis. So I’ll take it easy, and enjoy the road.

[MontyV]

hi there, we have a 34'AS. When we are on 6% inclines we are at about 40mph. we could go faster is we put it all they way down. we are definitely in overdrive but we turn the overdrive switch off when towing. we have an automatic F250 gas. There is no red line and we are told we can roll up on 6000 rpms but that just seems excessive to me in terms of wear and stress on everything. So we try to keep it closer to 4500. we have crossed the rockies in the US and Canada. you will see in the mountain states that it is common and at times posted to put on your flashers if you are going slow. we generally will pass the fully loaded semi's but the empty ones will pass us going up these hills.

[Vitaver]

"Why are you guys in such a hurry? Last week we towed all over Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, and the week before we were also in Oregon, Washington, and Utah."

Who is in a hurry? Sorry, somebody had to say it . Actually I am 'speaking' out of envy, I would love to be making the trip you are, sounds fantastic. I want to do that too.

Tonight I drove from Silverthorne to Denver on I70, not a mile over (or under) 50 and I was passed by everybody. I am normally the one doing the passing, it is a whole new feeling for me... not sure I like it, but made it safe. Tomorrow to Windish shop for some work on my AS. I am still towing with the LR4, the F350 sprang a leak on the cooling system so they delay the delivery and I could not wait, I fly out tomorrow. I'lol get the F350 on my return. Stuff happens...
BTW tonite I drove that road on manual, third gear, 3,000 RPM, 50 mph constant. Gas? On uphill about 4 mpg

[NevadaGeo]

[QUOTE=Vitaver;1867110]"Why are you guys in such a hurry? Last week we towed all over Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, and the week before we were also in Oregon, Washington, and Utah."

You can drive in parts of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana in a day...Or you can see three states at a time on top of certain hills.

[Alluminati]

Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound too grandiose. My dad is in Portland, and wife’s folks are in Vancouver BC. You kinda have to go through WY, UT, ID, OR, and WA to get there; I-80, I-84, then I-5. On the way home we spent two days wandering Yellowstone, then stayed on I-94 to I-39 on the way home. Three weeks on the road.

Our Sequoia is classified as ½ ton, but the specs allow us to pull a trailer weighing 9.5K fully loaded. No point looking at gas usage uphill without averaging in the downhill. The truck got 9.5 to 12 MPG depending on which way the wind blew. We dropped the trailer in West Yellowstone for a day of bobtail touring, then picked it back up and drove through the park the next day. Our average for that tank, half with the trailer, half without, was >16 MPG. But our average speed was 35 MPH.

Someone said the 6-speed Toyota transmission has lockup torque converters in 5th and 6th gears. So it looks like there are 8 speeds if you’re watching the tach. The truck seems to enjoy hunting gears when using cruise control, so I only the the cruise briefly on long downhills to give my foot a rest and wiggle my toes. Otherwise I try to keep the revs below 2K where I get the best gas mileage. (The truck hits 2K at 73 MPH when empty.) Screaming up steep grades I rarely went over 3.5K. Downhill engine braking worked well enough in the high 3Ks, though the redline is in the 5Ks (I think).

Bottom line: the speed limit is for people with motel reservations. Take your time so both you and your TV can enjoy the road. Stay safe.

[mikapen]

"Pedal to the metal" driving with a diesel will provide less pulling power. Flooring it will select the lowest gear available, and you will be revving near the redline, far above the diesel powerband.
With a 3.0L diesel, (which we pull with), use a bit more finesse to pull the Colorado grades (where we do most of our pulling).
Select the gear you want, use 3/4 throttle, and you will do much better.
In other words, aim for 3-4,000 rpm, NOT 5,000.

I'm not sure what your tow vehicle is - somebody said M-B but it doesn't look like one. What is it?

Downhill is where you need to go slow and careful. If it's a M-B, you have more brakes than a 3/4 Ton pickup, but not exhaust braking. Fall in behind an over-the-road trucker, select one gear lower than your first estimate, and you should be fine.

[tcrum]

Your Mercedes has 215 hp and 398 ft lbs of torque. Our Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel has slightly more at 240 hp and 420 ft lbs of torque. We are able to keep at 60-65 on most uphill grades without any problems other than we watch the temperature closely. I like what mikapen said.

[mikapen]

By the way, depending on where you are heading, there are often better ways to get there than I-70.
As a Colorado driver, we avoid the Eisenhower tunnel because there are often wrecks that hold up traffic. Drivers tend to be crazy, maybe showing off their fancy, speedy vehicles. Left Lane Bandits populate the roadway, forcing erratic driving, weaving, and cutting off other drivers. Road conditions are lousy.
If you continue over Vail Pass, multiply these comments by three.
It's just no fun.

US-160 (Wolf Creek Pass), US-50 (Monarch Pass), or I-80 (no real passes) have less of those irritations.
I actually prefer the US routes over the Interstates through the mountains, because they have more switchbacks that limit speeds for all, plus they are more scenic. Fewer stupid drivers in general.

[Zephyr2]

There is a lot of good information in this Email thread. I recently purchased a 2016 Yukon Denali to tow my 27FB. Prior to that, I towed my 27 FB with a 1989 R2500 Suburban with a 454 (2WD with a 3 speed automatic transmission). On the steepest roads to Lake Tahoe, I had to slow down to 35 mph like many others. I received a lot of gestures from others on the 2 lane roads :-(

Before I bought my new Yukon, I did some homework to make sure my next vehicle had the power I needed to get to Tahoe at a reasonable speed. What I stumbled on was a bunch of YouTube videos that were excellent. They have "Ike Gauntlet towing test" (Colorado) in their title and this team has tested many of the towing vehicles that are currently available. Their testing is at elevation on a 6% grade with a 7K load in most cases. I believe their videos (vehicle specific) may be of some help to set your towing expectations. I found the car sales people to be totally useless on this subject.

[blickcd]

As I understand it, modern vehicles have enough sensors to adjust the fuel/air ratio so no special tuning should be required.

I've crossed Colorado on I-70 with ease, though I was towing with an F250, 6.0 diesel, with automatic trans. I had added a transmission temperature gauge and while I don't remember the max temp I got to, it was never really too hot.

Going downhill was not too tough. If you brake just right, my transmission will downshift and that helps a lot. Yours might do the same.

The best suggestion I can offer, and this should apply to any tow vehicle, is that after towing some steep grades, when you stop for gas, lunch, or whatever, let the engine idle for a bit to let the trans fluid flow through the cooler. Don't just stop with everything super hot and shut it off.

[ElliotA]

I pull a 28' Safari S/O with a GVW of 9200# at 65+ through the mountains with no problems at all. My tow vehicle is a Ram 2500 with the Cummins Diesel. I also average about 14 mpg towing with this rig.

A rule of thumb someone told me years ago is that in the mountains you need a tow capacity at least 20% higher than your GVW.

ElliotA #4448

Originally Posted by trekerboy

We're towing our 31' Excella through Colorado via I-70 W for the 1st time. Wow, it's beautiful. In Georgetown west of Denver at the moment and taking some time to learn about the rest of the route; specifically, the upcoming grades.

There were some fairly long and relatively steep grades on the way to this point (6%) where we were bogged down to about 35 MPH at one point with the pedal to the floor. Saw some semis crawling along as well.

I've read elsewhere that if your tow vehicle is having trouble (we have a diesel TV) just make sure you're in the right lane and tow at whatever speed is safe and your vehicle is capable of.

I'm wondering if other Airstreamers see getting "bogged down" up mountains as "acceptable" as long as it's infrequent (such as my case) or if the community leans more toward getting a more capable tow vehicle to conquer any/all steep grades. In our case, we're mostly on flat roads, so I never really questioned the capability of our TV up to this point.

Do people really tow 8,500lb trailers up these mountains at the speed limit (65MPH)?

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[Kota]

There's nothing like the high country. We been across most of the paved passes in Colorado and Wyoming. And a few of the unpaved ones like Kebler Pass. Takes a little technique and planning to do it right. I try to do the big climbs early in the morning if possible. It's cool and the traffic is light. Just pick a gear and speed that your vehicle is comfortable with. One that you can run continuous without overheating.

On the way down don't let the speed run away to the point you have to brake hard to slow down. Don't ride the brakes. Pick a decent speed of say 30 and use engine braking (lower gear) as much as possible. Let it role and check your speed with short but firm applications. If you smell hot brakes, stop and let them cool down. Enjoy the view.

In 35 years living in the Rockies I've seen my share of accidents caused by impatience and stupidity. Don't let some impatient idiot intimidate you. On 70 you can usually find some truck to fall in behind and enjoy the scenery.

First picture is the top of Trailridge.

[tjdonahoe]

When we were on l70 with our 07 2500 dodge with 6.7 Cummings , no trouble, just like a cake walk, exhaust brake going down hill .....

[Waltinjc]

Thank you. I'm shopping tow vehicles\daily drivers for my '76 Sovereign 31' and was leaning towards a 3/4 ton GMC diesel. You have confirmed my decision.

[Kota]

Originally Posted by Waltinjc

Thank you. I'm shopping tow vehicles\daily drivers for my '76 Sovereign 31' and was leaning towards a 3/4 ton GMC diesel. You have confirmed my decision.

I've got a 2008 Ram 2500 mega cab 4x4 with 6.7 Cummins and auto tranny. I've moved a lot of heavy equipment +10,000lbs in the mountains and across the country on Interstates. It does a great job towing. Can't compare it to other brands but I'm quite happy with it.

[mikapen]

Big diesel trucks can pull a lot of stuff, but they have trade-offs, and may not be the best solution.

The extra wheelbase makes maneuvering Corps of Engineer, State and other Agency campgrounds tricky. If all you do is pull-through sites or resorts, this probably isn't an issue - but getting groceries when you aren't towing is still a bother.
Long wheelbases also mean a lot more chassis flex, which is particularly noticeable on bad surfaces and washboards. The rear wheels dance around with less road contact.

A stout diesel SUV addresses those issues, and they can tow a lot of trailer.

Our Mercedes-Benz ML with its 3.0 Turbo Diesel (210 hp, 400 lb-ft, new ones are 240 hp, 455 lb-ft) pulls our 27 footer (6,000#) as if it's not there, maybe downshifting a couple on the steepest passes in Colorado, but having plenty of power to accelerate past dawdlers when needed. There is plenty of engine braking for safe descents with few brake applications.
No sway, massive braking capabilities - and superior mpg. (Notice that those hp & torque exceed the legendary Ford 460 gas engine - one of my old favorite tow engines - except for mpg.)

We like the short TV - we slip right in to prime sites, while we watch the LWB trucks circulate past because their truck is just too long.
And, for some, the enclosed storage of an SUV is a bonus.
Some of the buying decision is based on what you might use the TV for when you aren't towing.

The 80% rule referred to earlier, was more appropriate when manufacturers tow ratings were driven by the Ad Department, during the towing claims war. Now, there is a standard - SAE J2807 - that all manufacturers have adopted (Toyota in 2011 and Ram in 2014). So there is some validity in published tow specs.
Unfortunately, it doesn't apply to ratings >14,500#, so manufacturers have rated all their 3/4 ton trucks at or above 14,500#, so they don't bother complying with the standard (!).

I agree with another poster about towing in Colorado (49 years for me). I have seen my share of accidents resulting from impatience and stupidity. Take your time and think ahead.
If you are anywhere near Denver - that would be a 40 mile radius - avoid rush hour.