Towing with a 1/2 ton.

carbonman · 07-25-2011, 10:34 PM

I have seen many posts that starts with with, "Can I tow this?". So I thought I would write about towing with my 1/2 ton.This has been our first year camping with a TT. We have tent camped for years but wanted a little more comfort. (ie nice bed and bathroom) We bought a 23' Wildwood XLITE. This was our 5th trip this year and are loving it.

This weekend we decided to go north on Hwy 1. I have driven this road many times but without a TT. My major concern about this trip was about my brakes and transmission. My Chevy 1/2 ton pulled up and down the winding roads with no problem. I couldn't keep up with the commercial trucks on the steepest grades but not so slow that would be embarrassing. I would used turnouts to let locals pass. Downshifting to reduce braking worked as planned. Being on the North Coast and the temperature was never above 65 degrees surely made it easier on the tranny.

With all my family and gear I am guessing I am at 2/3 of towing capacity (7600lbs) though I am making plans to weigh my rig so not to guess. So if any one is thinking of towing with a 1/2 ton I would say a 23' is quite confortable to tow.

**bikendan** · 07-26-2011, 12:10 AM

that's one of the reasons i chose a 23' HTT. i've driven Highway 1 with it, on the North Coast also, with no problems.
our Coastal Range is taller than a lot of mountains in the East.

by the way, where are the pics from? north of Fort Bragg?

carbonman · 07-26-2011, 12:18 AM

Jenner and Gualala

Glenn5995 · 07-26-2011, 06:44 AM

Glad all went well for you and thank you for sharing your pictures.

momtovn · 07-26-2011, 08:09 AM

just looking at those windy roads makes me queasy...lol.. i am extreemly paranoid when we are driving even without the trailer.. whenever we go on a new trip i have to google the trip at road view to make sure there's no big hills..lol the truck is fine, its just- "me"- drives poor DH crazy.. every time the tranny shifts im like " what was that???" he gives me the look of death...lol

fordmantpw · 07-26-2011, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momtovn

just looking at those windy roads makes me queasy...lol.. i am extreemly paranoid when we are driving even without the trailer.. whenever we go on a new trip i have to google the trip at road view to make sure there's no big hills..lol the truck is fine, its just- "me"- drives poor DH crazy.. every time the tranny shifts im like " what was that???" he gives me the look of death...lol

Ha ha...my wife is the exact same way! Plus my 8 yo daughter gets car-sick too, so we try to stay on the straight roads. Of course, we haven't taken our trailer out of MO...yet...

Glenn5995 · 07-26-2011, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momtovn

just looking at those windy roads makes me queasy...lol.. i am extreemly paranoid when we are driving even without the trailer.. whenever we go on a new trip i have to google the trip at road view to make sure there's no big hills..lol the truck is fine, its just- "me"- drives poor DH crazy.. every time the tranny shifts im like " what was that???" he gives me the look of death...lol

That's nothing....it's paved and everything!

momtovn · 07-26-2011, 04:05 PM

please, please tell me you are joking and yo did not drive there with a trailer??? i just lost feeling in my lower half of my body... lol!!!!

Glenn5995 · 07-26-2011, 04:40 PM

No, we did not pull our fifth wheel through that. We did drive up it and out of the canyon without our camper. Wife did not care for the sections where the drop offs were on her side. She wasn't really thrilled when the wall was on her side, but at least she could breath. Kids loved it. lol

mrpackerguy · 07-27-2011, 07:18 PM

Isn't there a reality show about roads like this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn5995

That's nothing....it's paved and everything!

Glenn5995 · 07-29-2011, 07:36 AM

Hmmmmm....."Dirt Road RVers". You never know!

trudinator · 07-29-2011, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momtovn

just looking at those windy roads makes me queasy...lol.. i am extreemly paranoid when we are driving even without the trailer.. whenever we go on a new trip i have to google the trip at road view to make sure there's no big hills..lol the truck is fine, its just- "me"- drives poor DH crazy.. every time the tranny shifts im like " what was that???" he gives me the look of death...lol

OMG...another post from my twin. I actually laughed out loud at this one because it is so ME. You should have been with me on the trip home from the dealer when we picked up our new TT. The Equalizer hitch was making all sorts of noises and every 30 seconds I was asking "what was that???" I was a nervous wreck and I'm sure my DH wanted to leave me somewhere on the side of the road.

trudinator · 07-29-2011, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn5995

No, we did not pull our fifth wheel through that. We did drive up it and out of the canyon without our camper. Wife did not care for the sections where the drop offs were on her side. She wasn't really thrilled when the wall was on her side, but at least she could breath. Kids loved it. lol

OH
MY
GOD.

You would have to hit me over the head with a brick and throw me in the back of the pickup before driving on this road. Beautiful though, in a very scary way.

chadster1 · 07-29-2011, 12:17 PM

I would hate to meet someone coming the other direction on that trail.

Glenn5995 · 07-29-2011, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadster1

I would hate to meet someone coming the other direction on that trail.

The switchbacks weren't bad. You could see far enough to anticipate approaching vehicles and there were enough sections wide enough for two vehicles, that it wasn't really a problem.

Down along the river was a different story. You couldn't see very far ahead and I was dreading meeting someone, because someone (and I was hoping it would not be me) would have to back a long ways and it would not be easy backing.

Glenn5995 · 07-29-2011, 02:43 PM

For anyone interested, the trail is the White Rim Trail In Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The switchbacks are the Shafer switchbacks. One of the ways in or out of the Canyon to the White Rim Trail.

fordmantpw · 07-29-2011, 02:52 PM

I think I would have my dumbo-ear mirrors folded in on that "road" to let me inch over just a tad closer to the wall!

landcruisers · 07-29-2011, 05:23 PM

I'm glad someone started this thread so that we could see all these great pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Glenn5995 · 07-29-2011, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordmantpw

I think I would have my dumbo-ear mirrors folded in on that "road" to let me inch over just a tad closer to the wall!

Oh, I did!! I was as close to the wall as I could get. The wife insisted and I did not argue because I agreed wholeheartedly. Amazing how we think alike...isn't marriage wonderful.

fordmantpw · 07-29-2011, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn5995

Oh, I did!! I was as close to the wall as I could get. The wife insisted and I did not argue because I agreed wholeheartedly. Amazing how we think alike...isn't marriage wonderful.

Ha ha...yes it is. My wife would be saying "If you go down that, I will stay here and wait for you to come back." And, if she was driving, I would say the same thing to her, though I wouldn't mind driving it myself.

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