Georgetown XL going to Silverton, CO

[tamdle]

Hello Friends,

Have anyone drove their Class A Georgetown XL to Silverton, CO with a tow on the "million dollars highway"? If you did, please share with me the do and don't of driving on this section of the highway. I understood that there will be some high grade as well as some sharp turn.

I am heading to Silverton, CO in 12 days, just want to know how the V10 would handle this highway. My coach is about 36.5 feet long will have approximately 23,000 lbs in weight plus a tow car around 4,800 lbs.

Regard to my summer travel, today marked the 5th week on our 8 weeks trip. Just finished the 10 days camp in Corona, CA and arrived in Santa Paula to visit the grandkids for 10 days before heading out to Page, AZ for 2 days, then Silverton, CO for 7 days. So far, the coach performs flawlessly, everything works as expected (knock on wood). The mileage seems to be steady at 6.8 mpg despite many hills that this V10 has to climb through. I did try to maintain the RPM at 2250 to 2500rpm during normal driving and no more than 3500rpm on the hill grade. That said, sometimes I have to drive at speed as slow as 25 to 35 miles per hour at 3500rpm on some high grade in New Mexico.

Thanks in advance, and have a wonderful weekend.

[tamdle]

Other than the V10 performance going uphill to Silverton, I also heard about the difficulty for LP appliance as well including refrigerator, furnace, water heater, and stove. However, we will have full hookup, therefore electric will be used in place of LP. For that I think I am safe... or am I?

[ernest917]

Keep in mind that you will be dealing with three passes of abt 11,000 feet.... Going up can be done but your V10 will work pulling the grade.... Be extra cautious as you go down and use your tranny/brakes to get you down.... Don't be afraid to use a pull-off to rest them.....

[tamdle]

If it is too hard on the engine, I may have the DW to drive the tow vehicle up so that we could save close to 5000 lbs to help the engine. The distance from Durango to Silverton is only 50 miles. Hope that it would be fine from Page AZ to Durango, not too much stress on the V10.

[Iggy]

Learn more how to use the Tow Haul Mode going down hills and save your brakes.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Learn more how to use the Tow Haul Mode going down hills and save your brakes.

Thank Iggy!

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by tamdle

Thank Iggy!

Drive that rig like you stole it up those hills.
The Ford V10, transmission is solid as a rock and I have been up many big grades even up to 11,000 ft. Pedal to the metal going up and slow down on the way down and stay at a reasonable slow speed with your tow haul mode on. If you activate it at around 45 mph going down should hold that speed with only a little braking. If you use the brakes excessively you will burn them out and warp the disks. So maybe stop a few times going down in rest/pulloffs to cool things down.

So as I said slow down and you will enjoy it more going down hill.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Drive that rig like you stole it up those hills.
The Ford V10, transmission is solid as a rock and I have been up many big grades even up to 11,000 ft. Pedal to the metal going up and slow down on the way down and stay at a reasonable slow speed with your tow haul mode on. If you activate it at around 45 mph going down should hold that speed with only a little braking. If you use the brakes excessively you will burn them out and warp the disks. So maybe stop a few times going down in rest/pulloffs to cool things down.

So as I said slow down and you will enjoy it more going down hill.

Wow, you made me feel like a chicken when I drove my V10. I drove it so careful that I just can not stand the engine rev too high like more than 3500rpm. It sounds like it about to break apart...

I will practice using the TH mode and try not to use too much break.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by tamdle

If it is too hard on the engine, I may have the DW to drive the tow vehicle up so that we could save close to 5000 lbs to help the engine. The distance from Durango to Silverton is only 50 miles. Hope that it would be fine from Page AZ to Durango, not too much stress on the V10.

You talk about the 5000 #Towed vehicle going Up being a concern, what type of "Brake Control "is on the Towed Vehicle for going "Down"? Youroo! !

[A32Deuce]

To tell you the truth, disconnect the toad and drive it. As far as the V10 goes, 4500 RPM is nothing. No problem with those numbers. Have been through Colorado with my V10. No problem. Rum it!

[mikel68]

We stayed in Durango over spring break. Condo this time at a the Purgatory Resort. One afternoon we drove to Silverton. The whole time I was thinking, I'm glad I'm not going through with the RV. I don't think it was so much the driving as the traffic. Driving wasn't a problem. I like driving through mountains in an RV, EVERYONE MUST pass you then slow down. I would disconnect the toad. Silverton is neat small town, not much to do when it was covered in snow though at spring break. Good Luck!

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by tamdle

Wow, you made me feel like a chicken when I drove my V10. I drove it so careful that I just can not stand the engine rev too high like more than 3500rpm. It sounds like it about to break apart...

I will practice using the TH mode and try not to use too much break.

It is designed to handle those big hills and if you want to maintain a reasonable speed up the hills (45mph) you need to kick it in the butt at the bottom and don't be afraid of the engine noise or the transmission kicking down a gear or two. I know have almost 52,000 miles on my 2012 378TS my baby loves the hills. Now I have done my maintenance regularly on the engine , transmission and brakes but I feel confident my baby can handle anything.

Quit worrying so much about the hills and enjoy the journey and views while in the Rocky Mts.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

To tell you the truth, disconnect the toad and drive it. As far as the V10 goes, 4500 RPM is nothing. No problem with those numbers. Have been through Colorado with my V10. No problem. Rum it!

That would be the way I should do it. Thank.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by mikel68

We stayed in Durango over spring break. Condo this time at a the Purgatory Resort. One afternoon we drove to Silverton. The whole time I was thinking, I'm glad I'm not going through with the RV. I don't think it was so much the driving as the traffic. Driving wasn't a problem. I like driving through mountains in an RV, EVERYONE MUST pass you then slow down. I would disconnect the toad. Silverton is neat small town, not much to do when it was covered in snow though at spring break. Good Luck!

While research about this road since I have never put my rig up with this challenge before and know that the Rockies would be hard for driving a heavy vehicle like the RV. That said, people called this is the "million dollars" highway because they would not drive on this highway even if they were given a million dollars... , may be it because the traffic.

As for me, I am not worried about the traffic, I have all the time in the world for patients, there are only two things that I am concerned. One is the safety of driving the big rig up in this section of the highway and second is if the rig has enough power to handle the 11,000 feet terrain. With your comment as well as Iggy, it seems that the slow traffic is caused by the number of RV slowing down when climbing the grade. Fifty miles one way of slow traffic, I imagine that some small car drivers would not like that at all.

The best way to handle this is having the DW driving the toad car, and empty all the tanks, just keep enough gas to go up to Silverton from Durango and just let the V10 does it magic like Iggy said.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Iggy

...

Quit worrying so much about the hills and enjoy the journey and views while in the Rocky Mts.

Thank Iggy, I will do so.

[Dodge Guy]

The V-10 in my 02 will spin at 4500rpm all day long! The newer ones with more HP and TQ and a better transmission will perform way better!

Drive it hard and it will thank you. And fuel mileage will not suffer because of it.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Dodge Guy

... Drive it hard and it will thank you. And fuel mileage will not suffer because of it.

You were right! I noticed that my gas mileage does not change or may change very little compared to the hilly and flat highway. Average for my 2 months trip and so far, I have done 4 weeks and total about 2300 miles the average mpg is 6.8 with 23,000lbs RV plus 4,800lbs tow vehicle. Let see how my baby (Iggy's term) would do on this "million dollars" highway with the "pedal to the metal".

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by tamdle

Thank Iggy, I will do so.

Oh I just remembered you and your wife are professional outdoor natural photographers.
Sorry too many friends here. Enjoy.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Oh I just remembered you two love to watch the birds and take pictures.
Sorry too many friends here. Enjoy.

Yes, Iggy! You may want to check out my website: www.letranphotography.com and go to the "Portfolio" tab, you could visit many of our nature and travel photography works.

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by tamdle

Yes, Iggy! You may want to check out my website: www.letranphotography.com and go to the "Portfolio" tab, you could visit many of our nature and travel photography works.

Great website and Portfolio. It must be a great life to do what you enjoy.