I-80 pulling a 25RBT with a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

[Ndcctrucks]

Out of ALL THESE REPLIES:

ONLY A COUPLE actually answered the question!

YEESH

OP: To answer about grades, you have to give the highways, not some vague description of possible destinations.

A whole lot of people here love to give their opinions based on published manufacture’s numbers. Seems like NONE take into account that car builders use very conservative ratings to cover their butts, and not what the vehicles can actually safely handle!

I have towed a WWII 1 1/2 ton dump truck on a flatbed car trailer with my 2000 Dodge Dakota down Lamb’s Canyon (greater than 4% grade) with ZERO handling problems; weighed gross vehicle was 13,783 lbs at a certified scale. That’s just under 7 tons. The brakes did not overheat, nothing broke, and I maintained 50 mph no sweat.

You want to exceed manufacturer’s specs? Your loss if u screw up. But the idea that you’re definitely going to cause a massive disaster doing so is ridiculous and ignorant.

Bunch of armchair lawyers / engineers.

Stop wasting peoples time making replies not directly answering the question

[gzeigler]

Originally Posted by Jeeplover

I'm planning a trip for June 2022... I pull my 25 with a Gladiator Rubicon without issue in MN, MI, WI, IL, IA etc... but want to get some input for this journey. We're leaving Minneapolis and heading to Napa... stopping at Yellowstone, Salt Lake City etc on the way... and then the Black Hills on the return. Looking at adding a supercharger for uphill climbs... downhill I'm comfortable with low-gear manual shifting, braking properly etc... but haven't been on I-80 since I was 15 in a rented Class-C / family road trip from MI to CA. We survived then so I'm not overly concerned... that thing had a 3-spd and most likely a 360 CU Mopar. Looking for thoughts / areas of extreme grade to avoid etc... and no, I'm not willing to upgrade my tow vehicle... been there / done that... the Gladiator does the job with style.

We live in Jackson, Wyoming. We tow our 25’ both to Salt Lake City and Yellowstone regularly. We like Togwotee Pass but never tow Teton Pass. We like Provo Canyon but never tow Parley’s Canyon.

[safaridave]

I met a Gladiator diesel owner this summer who pulls a 20FB Caravel wonderfully without any issues. He mentioned that he initially was going to get a 23FB FC but after crunching all the numbers, was convinced it would overload the payload capacity of the TV. Your 25 footer will have a tongue weight that will put the Jeep in overload status the moment you hitch up and will end up being the classic tail wagging the dog. If you like the Gladiator that much, please consider going to a lighter trailer and be safe.

[HappyNomads]

We just returned from a trip Seattle - Black Hills. Here are some observations that may pertain. You've already listened to expert opinions and modified your plans. So here are some other points.

This summer we had low-lying smoke from Wenatchee WA all the way to Buffalo WY before it thinned out. The entire region was smoky, sometimes dense. This seems to be the new constant reality for summers up here. A barrista in Ennis MT said they had smoke in that valley (west of Yellowstone) most of the season. The return trip westbound a week later was clear sailing. Fabulous.

Cabin filter and covid masks helped. A small portable HEPA filter air cleaner inside the trailer made sleeping comfortable. It has also been useful when a happy neighbor close by leaves their fire smoldering through the night with plastic or something tossed into it.

This summer was hotter earlier. Road temps in eastern Oregon in the 90s in early June. Engine temps no problem, but a TPMS system with air pressures and tire temps helped make us feel more secure.

Buffalo WY to Yellowstone East Gate is a great stretch all the way, especially eastbound Cody to the East Gate on a sunny morning. Cody WY is a must stop. Good state park campgrounds west of Cody along the lake..

But even a big engine equipped with transmission oil cooler was challenged going up the very long steep grade on 16 from Buffalo up and over the Big Horns to Ten Sleep. Forget trying to keep up your speed, and DO NOT pull over and stop to let things "cool down". It will just cook your transmission.
Better to stay in the right lane with flashers, watch your transmission oil temperature and imitate a commercial trucker hauling a load of steel. Keep the air flowing through the oil cooler and enjoy a leisurely drive. The locals know the situation and respect it.

There are some grades east of Butte you can avoid by taking route 2. It winds through some pretty valleys and leads you down to 41 through Virginia City on the way to Ennis and then to the West Gate of Yellowstone.

Ahhh, Yellowstone! Jammed parking lots, queued up cars overflowing back to the road. Four lanes of traffic going in, but still worth the wait. Early mornings always the best before the crowds awake.

In the Black Hills you will be tempted to take the Needles Highway. Your bigger truck and mirrors may experience some body modification in the 8' 9" wide rock tunnel halfway along the route. Otherwise a great hour of driving. And consider a visit to the Chapel in the Hills, an authentic Norwegian stave church built in Norway and constructed just west of Rapid City. Most miss it.

[MonacoJay]

Tail wagging the dog
No
Heck no

[farrel509]

No. Too much trailer for the Gladiator.

[nhaas]

I remember growing up, my dad had a Jeep 1973 (Rubicon???) and we pulled a 26' Wilderness trailer. Oregon was fun! it had a chevy 350, 488 gears. Have run and be safe! I remember everyone would always say, "You cant pull that, with that" Its all in the setup. Though the wind sucked, I will say that.

[Dennis C]

Originally Posted by Ndcctrucks

Out of ALL THESE REPLIES:

ONLY A COUPLE actually answered the question!

YEESH

OP: To answer about grades, you have to give the highways, not some vague description of possible destinations.

A whole lot of people here love to give their opinions based on published manufacture’s numbers. Seems like NONE take into account that car builders use very conservative ratings to cover their butts, and not what the vehicles can actually safely handle!

I have towed a WWII 1 1/2 ton dump truck on a flatbed car trailer with my 2000 Dodge Dakota down Lamb’s Canyon (greater than 4% grade) with ZERO handling problems; weighed gross vehicle was 13,783 lbs at a certified scale. That’s just under 7 tons. The brakes did not overheat, nothing broke, and I maintained 50 mph no sweat.

You want to exceed manufacturer’s specs? Your loss if u screw up. But the idea that you’re definitely going to cause a massive disaster doing so is ridiculous and ignorant.

Bunch of armchair lawyers / engineers.

Stop wasting peoples time making replies not directly answering the question

His initial post said “Looking for thoughts”, so I’d say ALL the posts answered the question. He got plenty of thoughts!

[Honest Ray]

Originally Posted by Jeeplover

I'm planning a trip for June 2022... I pull my 25 with a Gladiator Rubicon without issue in MN, MI, WI, IL, IA etc... but want to get some input for this journey. We're leaving Minneapolis and heading to Napa... stopping at Yellowstone, Salt Lake City etc on the way... and then the Black Hills on the return. Looking at adding a supercharger for uphill climbs... downhill I'm comfortable with low-gear manual shifting, braking properly etc... but haven't been on I-80 since I was 15 in a rented Class-C / family road trip from MI to CA. We survived then so I'm not overly concerned... that thing had a 3-spd and most likely a 360 CU Mopar. Looking for thoughts / areas of extreme grade to avoid etc... and no, I'm not willing to upgrade my tow vehicle... been there / done that... the Gladiator does the job with style.

“In any conflict between Physics and Style, Physics always wins”

[Hittenstiehl]

NDCCTRUCKS and you didn't answer his question either just tooted your own horn [emoji9]

[ElBrillante]

Check with your insurance company and see if your coverage will be valid if you exceed your vehicles stated payload and towing capacity. There will be little “ grey area” if for some reason anything goes wrong.

[blahargoue]

Donner Summit has an average grade of 6%, both uphill and Down. But there are segments where the grade is 7%. You will slow down and the pavement is awful in many places once you enter CA.

My concern is I-80 across Wyoming (or many areas of Wyoming for that matter). I just drove across I-80 from CA to Cheyenne last week before dropping down to CO. We didn't take the trailer this trip. It was a "Calm" day across Wyoming with "only" 30 mph cross winds. I noticed that other RVers were having stability issues and I was glad I wasn't towing anything. Cross winds would be my concern with your combo and you aren't going to be able to modify your way out of that.

[Andrew T]

In August of 2002 I drove I80 from Chicago to San Francisco. I was towing a 30’ Classic with a 2002 3.5 V6 4 speed transmission Chrysler Intrepid.
At the time we had traded in at the store a 2500 Suburban with a 454. Gas for it was not in budget and it rode awful but would have climbed hills better. So I was curious about just how much time I would have saved towing with the 454 and I kept track of it.

I used second gear 17 times so 45 mph at 3800 rpm on the trip and first gear twice 30 MPH at 30 mph. The first gear sections were going into Salt Lake and the Donder Pass. I may have climbed those in second but traffic did not allow the higher speed. Additional driving time worked out to about 25 minutes. Though I would have spent that 25 minutes in gas stations filling the Suburban.

Your Jeep has 60 more horsepower than the intrepid and 30 pounds more torque. My Airstream was 2000 pounds heavier but the intrepid was 1000 pounds lighter with far less rolling and air resistance.

Personally I would not add the Supercharger as you don’t want to climb in heavy boost anyway. If your not off roading on this trip you could get a set of 16” x 8” wheels and mount 225/75R x 16” LT all season tires. They will improve performance quite a lot due to the reduced rolling resistance and smaller diameter. They will also handle much better in crosswinds etc. Confirm the 16” wheels clear the brake rotors.

I hope that helps.

Andy

[Gibson3798]

Once a snowstorm I towed a section of the Prudhoe Bay Pipeline from LA to Fairbanks with an El Camino, without a safety escort.

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by Ndcctrucks

Out of ALL THESE REPLIES:

ONLY A COUPLE actually answered the question!

YEESH

OP: To answer about grades, you have to give the highways, not some vague description of possible destinations.

A whole lot of people here love to give their opinions based on published manufacture’s numbers. Seems like NONE take into account that car builders use very conservative ratings to cover their butts, and not what the vehicles can actually safely handle!

I have towed a WWII 1 1/2 ton dump truck on a flatbed car trailer with my 2000 Dodge Dakota down Lamb’s Canyon (greater than 4% grade) with ZERO handling problems; weighed gross vehicle was 13,783 lbs at a certified scale. That’s just under 7 tons. The brakes did not overheat, nothing broke, and I maintained 50 mph no sweat.

You want to exceed manufacturer’s specs? Your loss if u screw up. But the idea that you’re definitely going to cause a massive disaster doing so is ridiculous and ignorant.

Bunch of armchair lawyers / engineers.

Stop wasting peoples time making replies not directly answering the question

The vehicle manufacturer, Jeep, has set load limits for safe operation based on design, testing, and engineering standards using real engineers. As an engineer who spent over 40 years in R&D and volume manufacturing I know a bit about this. Only jeep engineering and reliability know how much margin is in there specified load limits and what the weakest components are. The OP was asking for information on places to avoid on his trip based on his configuration. Although the OP has never shown exactly what his payload is, he has accepted some good homework by other, acknowledged he has an issue, and thanked everyone for helping. Your post seams like an attempt to unwind success for unknown reasons. You seam to think you know there is lots of margin in the design and that your experience and example of a non-disater help prove this. Now who's the armchair engineer here.

[DonRich7878]

When men were men and F250's were scared..

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by DonRich7878

When men were men and F250's were scared..

Always loved that pic, but now days I just look at it and wonder where he got E rated bike tires.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Ndcctrucks

Out of ALL THESE REPLIES:

ONLY A COUPLE actually answered the question!

YEESH

OP: To answer about grades, you have to give the highways, not some vague description of possible destinations.

A whole lot of people here love to give their opinions based on published manufacture’s numbers. Seems like NONE take into account that car builders use very conservative ratings to cover their butts, and not what the vehicles can actually safely handle!

I have towed a WWII 1 1/2 ton dump truck on a flatbed car trailer with my 2000 Dodge Dakota down Lamb’s Canyon (greater than 4% grade) with ZERO handling problems; weighed gross vehicle was 13,783 lbs at a certified scale. That’s just under 7 tons. The brakes did not overheat, nothing broke, and I maintained 50 mph no sweat.

You want to exceed manufacturer’s specs? Your loss if u screw up. But the idea that you’re definitely going to cause a massive disaster doing so is ridiculous and ignorant.

Bunch of armchair lawyers / engineers.

Stop wasting peoples time making replies not directly answering the question

Wow! Didn't know "your" the expert we all should be listening too on the Forum because you towed a heavy trailer with a Dodge Dakota, once?

Most all of us try to share our knowledge and experience gained primarily from towing AS's with various TV's. Some of us also have "engineering" backgrounds, which helps when evaluating the limits or the modulus of elasticity which could contribute to the failure of the TV, the hitch, or the WDH when stretched to limits. Many of us can also share our experiences when we have towed outside safety limits, I am sure...when elements like speed combined with heavy wind or weather or bad roads or even a semi passing have altered our safety margins, even causing serious accidents. Guess the question for you is, "what is wrong with folks sharing towing advise here to stay within the tow limits of your TV"?

[Firemanharry]

A lot of different numbers out there

[field & stream]

Originally Posted by Andrew T

In August of 2002 I drove I80 from Chicago to San Francisco. I was towing a 30’ Classic with a 2002 3.5 V6 4 speed transmission Chrysler Intrepid……..

I used second gear 17 times so 45 mph at 3800 rpm on the trip and first gear twice 30 MPH ……….
Andy

Funny, I had the same experience in the 1970’s driving an old Volkswagen bus across country!

It was a horrible experience and I swore I would never do it again. I can’t imagine how anyone can can consider this to be acceptable or safe performance while towing a trailer on a windy Interstate with everyone else (including semi’s) driving at or above the posted speed limits of 75 and 80.