Towing over mountains

[FLCoast]

All great advice. I’ll only add that you should refer to your manual to familiarize yourself with all the ways your vehicle controls speed and braking. I live in Florida and I get out the book before I head west so I can refresh myself with what works when. Enjoy your trip!

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The least obvious thing running in the mountains (at least to me): paying attention to the wind conditions. Mountains can block the wind, they also can focus it. Coming around this or that and getting socked is not at all uncommon. This applies just as much in the east as in the west .....

Bob

[GettinAway]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

IF the OP's Tundra is the 5.7 with a tow package, then yes, it has tow/haul, and I'm not aware of overdrive. (that we control)
I leave mine in tow/haul all the time while towing. Although I might not be able to tell leaving a gas station, the Tow/Haul changes the shift points so you stay in lower gears longer.

We do the same with our Tundra. Tow/Haul, and I keep set at 5th gear max. On steep declines I drop it to 2nd gear. No problems! Tundras are amazing.

[journeydog]

While all that advice is helpful, flip on your hazards while you are slowly and safely making your way to the lower altitude. The hazards will likely alert the jockey behind you to change lanes before he/she mates with your AS.

[Vitaver]

Engine break by forcing higher RPM, just like cruise control, don’t operate the trailer’s brakes. On a downhill, reducing speed only with the engine and without assistance from the trailer’s brakes gives a lot of work to your hitch, so you may want to chose the best, the one that will help you keep sway under control when the trailer wants to maintain speed (or by gravity, accelerate) and your TV is resisting that force. Even the best hitch (PP3 IMHO) may not be enough if, for instance, the descent includes a sharp curve. In that case, BEFORE THE TURN, I a apply the TT brakes by hand. They say here that the TV capabilities are of what they can stop even more than what they can pull. They are right and, again in my opinion, they need the help of the TT brakes as well. 90% of my towing is in the Rockies.

[davidrrand]

I was looking up the Appellation Mountain Range in my World Book Encyclopedia and see they are just east of the Salutations Range. You should be fine. ��

[F250e9]

Ever try spell check?

[Cyclist]

There is lots of good advice above. I also suggest the Mountain Directory to be used in route planning. There are two books, East and West.

https://mountaindirectory.com/shop/

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Vitaver

Engine break by forcing higher RPM, just like cruise control, don’t operate the trailer’s brakes. On a downhill, reducing speed only with the engine and without assistance from the trailer’s brakes gives a lot of work to your hitch, so you may want to chose the best, the one that will help you keep sway under control when the trailer wants to maintain speed (or by gravity, accelerate) and your TV is resisting that force. Even the best hitch (PP3 IMHO) may not be enough if, for instance, the descent includes a sharp curve. In that case, BEFORE THE TURN, I a apply the TT brakes by hand. They say here that the TV capabilities are of what they can stop even more than what they can pull. They are right and, again in my opinion, they need the help of the TT brakes as well. 90% of my towing is in the Rockies.

Hi

If you *do* use the trailer brakes a lot, you will destroy them. I have a lot of data (and a lot of bills ) to back this up. They simply are not made to do a lot of braking all the time.

Bob

[aftermath]

I really agree with this. In theory the TV brakes will slow the TV and the brakes on your trailer will slow the trailer. They need to work in tandem for optimal effect. I do like the boost function on my Prodigy controller. On those steep trips out of the mountains I do "boost" the trailer brakes. I never use the trailer brakes alone. Just as it is unwise to expect your TV to do all the work, you shouldn't do the same with the trailer.


I bought my '06 in '09 and it had very few miles on it. I take it in every 10K miles for a bearing/brake maintenance and with over 50K miles in, the brakes are still in good shape. Get the controller set up correctly and the system works together to get things stopped safely.

[Bompagene]

30 years of OTR trucking and many miles of RVing in mountains. Yes, slow before descent. Hazard lights. All of the advice from everyone is spot on.
This link might help explain the braking technique that WORKS! https://www.dieselhub.com/towing/snub-braking.html
I used this dropping down 9 % grades with a tanker full of hazardous waste, yup it works.

[tjdonahoe]

All the new diesels have excellent an engine brake...th lining on the trailer brake shoes is only .20 thick....

[87Sov29]

Keep in mind the appellation is Appalachian, not to be confused with apparition.

[Vitaver]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

If you *do* use the trailer brakes a lot, you will destroy them. I have a lot of data (and a lot of bills ) to back this up. They simply are not made to do a lot of braking all the time.

Bob

Not a lot, just enough to keep control. You don’t want the TT pushing you. I rather don’t wear neither brakes down, but it beats having an accident.

The article on snub braking is very good, yet it does not address brakes on the trailer, only on the TV…

Now, on a worst case scenario, when you see the TT swinging from one side to the other and your knuckles are white, I read here somewhere that to straighten the convoy you simultaneously apply brakes to the TT while actually ‘accelerating’, stepping on the gas: that should stretch out, align TT and TV. sounds reasonable.

[civeng99]

The brakes certainly should not be used. You know. Why would they come as standard equipment (required by LAW) and actually used.

Well that’s Kind of like an airstream itself. It will immediately self destruct if it is actually removed from under cover and enjoyed.

I see your point. Heavens to Betsy. It might get scratched.

Originally Posted by Vitaver

Not a lot, just enough to keep control. You don’t want the TT pushing you. I rather don’t wear neither brakes down, but it beats having an accident.

The article on snub braking is very good, yet it does not address brakes on the trailer, only on the TV…

Now, on a worst case scenario, when you see the TT swinging from one side to the other and your knuckles are white, I read here somewhere that to straighten the convoy you simultaneously apply brakes to the TT while actually ‘accelerating’, stepping on the gas: that should stretch out, align TT and TV. sounds reasonable.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Glenn,

OK I'll kick it off. Got brakes?

A pre trip verification that all trailer brakes are up to their assignments? Don't assume, prove it.

Gary

Hi, my most recent brake inspection showed that I was stopping with three trailer brakes. This is the third time in 16 years that I found a broken brake wire.

Keep your down hill speed low and controllable. It seems to me that most loss of control accidents are caused from going down hill, too fast, on a curve, and passing a truck.