Need some tips for Towing in mountains?

BigJohn2 · 01-30-2013, 07:52 AM

Hi all,

What are some tips for towing in the mountains? I have a 2012 SV305 Surveyor towing with a 2012 F150 echoboost, 3.73, max towing and payload package. Never towed in the mountains. I'm still new to towing.

Thanks,

John

Len & Cheri · 01-30-2013, 08:49 AM

Tips:

Go down the mountain no faster than you went up.

Don't ride the brakes on the way down, instead use the brakes to slow you to a certain MPH and then let off to allow them to cool off, rinse and repeat. Using a lower gear will also help keep the speed down.

If you have Tow/Haul option you can use it and it will help also.

Don't feel pressured to maintain the speed limit on big hills, drive at what your truck and your common sense says is safe.

comfun1 · 01-30-2013, 08:57 AM

Be extremely cautious on the way down. Some years back I was following a semi down Monarch Pass. I was towing a Cardinal fifth wheel. The semi was going about 35mph. I tried putting my truck in low gear but that was to slow. So I used second. The problem with second it was to fast and I had to keep applying the brakes. I didn't think it was a problem until I smelled something hot. I knew I had to stop immediatly to let them cool. It took both feet on the brake pedal pushing as hard as I could push to get it stopped. The wheels on both the truck and camper were so hot they would cause spit to sizzle. It was a very frightening experience that I will not forget. I still go through the mountain passes but I will not follow someone so closely that I have make repeated brake applications.

Dave_Monica · 01-30-2013, 09:35 AM

You have the ideal set-up for the mountains...manual/automatic trans in your truck. I recall that the ecoboost makes max torque at 2500 so you'd select the right gear to keep the rpm in that 2500 to 3000 rpm range for the speed your towing uphill. For down grades to help with engine braking, I'd select the gear that would keep the rpm in the 3000 - 3500 range. As others have said, don't ride the brakes on the way down.

BTW, you have the TV with the options that I'd be towing with if I hadn't bought the F250 V10. Aaahhh, it's probably the wrong color!

Dave

MtnGuy · 01-30-2013, 09:44 AM

An old truckers saying before the invention of Jake brakes......"go down the mountain in the same gear that you used coming up the mountain.

PineForestCamper · 01-30-2013, 10:22 AM

I have done quite a bit of towing in the mtns (annual affair) with a TV that that has undersized brakes with a popup w/o trailer brakes (my setup changes this year). Getting up never is a problem. Getting down is the tricky part that demands concentration and patience.

I throw her in low gear on the way down and let my gearing take me down the mtn (rarely go above 25-30mph). Its far easier to get stopped at a speed of 25 mph rather than 50 when you are on a 7-10% grade. My friends behind me are not happy as a nice long line of vehicles builds up behind me. I pull off into overlooks and rest areas to let the pile up clear as often as I can.

Some of these mtn drives are long and the desire to bump the speed up for the last few miles can be a temptation. This is where patience comes in and especially when doing it the slow way as I do. I just drove thru some mtns in AZ, UT, and CO and I should have taken a picture of some road signs that make this point. One of them went something like this...

"Truckers Keep Speeds Down. You Are Not Off The Mountain Yet. Still 2 Miles To Go".

Ditchooker · 01-30-2013, 10:39 PM

the beauty of the turbo is that it is not nearly as affected by the altitiude. however it will be working harder to make up for it, so if you need to stop after a hard pull, make sure to let it idle a few minutes to cool/slow down before shutting it off. I am not familiar enough with the ecoboost to know if it "turbo" brakes like the diesels do. the smaller displacement may not engine brake as well going down hill, something to consider since it is a beastly little motor going uphill.

Twisty · 01-30-2013, 11:48 PM

Speed up the hill does not matter. I almost always slow down to enjoy the scenery. Some of the most beautiful sights from the road are seen on those long, tough steep climbs.
Use the tow/haul mode. When beginning a descent, apply the brakes once when you have achieved the speed you would like to maintain. The tranny will downshift as speed rises and or it will lock into a low gear. I've had my tranny shift into 2nd gear at speeds above 45 mph. It is surprising, but it was designed to do that. My red line is about 7 grand and feeling that shift and seeing the tach rise to 5 grand or higher can be unnerving.
The T/H mode will help you or take over for you. In a good way.
Spend some time reading the owners manual and spend a lot of time driving around on familiar roads.
I spent about 3 hours towing the TT around in a couple areas that I know very well before we loaded up and took a 4 hour trip to central Oregon.

DualSport · 01-31-2013, 01:07 AM

The first major uphill I encountered was Monarch Pass in CO and I thought our GMC 2500 (6L V8 gas) pulling a 15,000lb (10K dry) 5'er wasn't going to make it up. I was down to 1st gear, foot flat on the boards, and down to about 15mph and had visions of getting slower, stopping, and then rolling backwards - it was scary. As soon as we got to Gunnison I called the dealer who had just assured me that our truck was definitely good enough to pull that trailer (despite seemingly inadequate specs).

After a short discussion, he said I was waiting too long to change down a gear (3 spd auto + OD), often at less than 2000rpm. He said to keep the rpm over 3000 and not to worry if it occasionally went up to 4500-5000.

It made a huge difference and we've made numerous high altitude pass crossings with no problems since.

BTW, our last 2 trailers were 4200 and 7300lb (dry) and the same truck doesn't even know they are there when climbing.

Bob

Sgt. Schultz · 01-31-2013, 11:00 AM

Be weather aware - rain at the base may mean snow at the pass. If you find you are going faster than comfortable in the gear chosen use snub braking (although described for air brakes the principals apply) to bring your speed down enough to switch to a lower gear. Know the signs of brake fade :Brake Fade – What are the symptoms and what you can do to stop it – StrikeEngine Other tips: Mountain Driving Tips For RVers: How To Drive Up Hills & Down Hills Without Burning Up Your Brakes - The Fun Times Guide to RVing

BarryD0706 · 01-31-2013, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DualSport

The first major uphill I encountered was Monarch Pass in CO and I thought our GMC 2500 (6L V8 gas) pulling a 15,000lb (10K dry) 5'er wasn't going to make it up. I was down to 1st gear, foot flat on the boards, and down to about 15mph and had visions of getting slower, stopping, and then rolling backwards - it was scary. As soon as we got to Gunnison I called the dealer who had just assured me that our truck was definitely good enough to pull that trailer (despite seemingly inadequate specs).

After a short discussion, he said I was waiting too long to change down a gear (3 spd auto + OD), often at less than 2000rpm. He said to keep the rpm over 3000 and not to worry if it occasionally went up to 4500-5000.

It made a huge difference and we've made numerous high altitude pass crossings with no problems since.

BTW, our last 2 trailers were 4200 and 7300lb (dry) and the same truck doesn't even know they are there when climbing.

Bob

This post really belongs in "Jokes and Humor". What are you going to do when something (like an accident or rock slide) causes them to halt traffic for a while, and you have to come to a complete stop?

MillerTime · 01-31-2013, 08:52 PM

Good point-
A couple years ago, hauling equipment (about 15-16k) I got to the top of a hill and my trailer brakes locked up. Luckily it was in town and I was only going about 30mph.
Truck was sitting at just down hill of the top of the hill( front end downhill), I set e-brake and put truck in park, and since I was by myself, I hopped out to unplug the trailer plug. Well as soon as the plug was out the truck started rolling downhill. I ran after and hopped in hit the brakes and popped the tranny in gear- freaked me out- I think it rolled about 30' or so but it seemed much longer.
I got to a flat spot down the hill about 1/2 a mile and checked everything out, still don't know what happened because I pulled out the fuse a plugged back in and haven't had a problem since.
- just emphisizing that stuff happens, and usually at the worst time.

BigJohn2 · 02-01-2013, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ditchooker

the beauty of the turbo is that it is not nearly as affected by the altitiude. however it will be working harder to make up for it, so if you need to stop after a hard pull, make sure to let it idle a few minutes to cool/slow down before shutting it off. I am not familiar enough with the ecoboost to know if it "turbo" brakes like the diesels do. the smaller displacement may not engine brake as well going down hill, something to consider since it is a beastly little motor going uphill.

thanks for the helpful info. The turbo in the ecoboost must have brakes. I pulled thru some small hills and it help brake for me. I know the mountains are a lot stepper then the hills I went thru.

Thanks,
John

BigJohn2 · 02-01-2013, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sreddy

Be weather aware - rain at the base may mean snow at the pass. If you find you are going faster than comfortable in the gear chosen use snub braking (although described for air brakes the principals apply) to bring your speed down enough to switch to a lower gear. Know the signs of brake fade :Brake Fade – What are the symptoms and what you can do to stop it – StrikeEngine Other tips: Mountain Driving Tips For RVers: How To Drive Up Hills & Down Hills Without Burning Up Your Brakes - The Fun Times Guide to RVing

Thanks, I will read that sometime this weekend. I will be traveling the mountains in July.

Later,

john

DualSport · 02-01-2013, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryD0706

This post really belongs in "Jokes and Humor". What are you going to do when something (like an accident or rock slide) causes them to halt traffic for a while, and you have to come to a complete stop?

Are you serious?

Just because you downshift early and keep the revs high (my truck is gas, not diesel) to stop the engine labouring, doesn't mean you can't stop in an emergency. No matter what technique you use for driving uphill, everyone faces the same problem of restarting if an accident stops forward progress.

The dealer who gave my that advice is one of the leading authorities on safe towing practices and writes articles for major RV magazines. It's good advice and it works.

Bob

You may also like: