Go west…uh further west…

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by babock

I had the exact same truck. Upgraded to 2018 Ford F-150 in my signature. You will be amazed how much better a newer truck pulls. Even the exact 5.3L in a new Chevy 1500 truck is night and day and has more power than the 6.0 in your new to you 2006.

I’ll just disagree with this. I’ve rented new trucks and have been dissappointec in the performance vs. older trucks. Last one was the 5.3 in a Yukon which has a very noticeable lag between the time you hit the accelerator and the the time it actually moves. Additionally, the on board computer showed mpg were dramatically different from the window sticker. Sticker was 17-24 mpg. Actually got14.6 mpg over 2500 miles. My very old 454 had better performance and the same Mpg.

[Jakieboy]

All of the above advice is valuable.

I would add the folowing:

1. If you plan to visit Yellowstone, don't bother to stay in the RV camps their. Try to get reservations at Colter Bay RV Park in Grand Teton NP. So much nicer than anything in Yellowstone, and close enough to Yellowstone you can do a road trip through the park in l less than a day, depending upon how many European Tourists are blocking your way!!

2. South of Grand Teton, you might want to check out Arches and Canyonlands NP's. They are both spectacular and both can be visited in one day. We always stay at Shady Acres RV Park in Green River, UT, just off the I-70. Visit the great Lewis and Clark Museum just East of the River for a trek back through time.
nd

[Sandy B]

Are any of you carrying compressors that will deal with the 85 - 100 psi pressures on the 19.5 tires on motor homes? My 30 year old 120 a/c one is giving up the ghost and was wondering if a 12 volt could do the job.

[Go West]

We ordered our half-ton 2007 Avalanche with the same drivetrain that came with the Chevy 1500HD and 2500 trucks at the time: 6.0L engine, 4L80 heavy duty transmission, 4.10 gears, with auxiliary transmission and engine oil coolers. It pulled our Outback trailer superbly. But we paid at the pump for that big engine with 4.10 gears. The truck has about 150,000 miles today and our youngest son is still driving it. You should be very happy with that drivetrain.

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by Go West

We ordered our half-ton 2007 Avalanche with the same drivetrain that came with the Chevy 1500HD and 2500 trucks at the time: 6.0L engine, 4L80 heavy duty transmission, 4.10 gears, with auxiliary transmission and engine oil coolers. It pulled our Outback trailer superbly. But we paid at the pump for that big engine with 4.10 gears. The truck has about 150,000 miles today and our youngest son is still driving it. You should be very happy with that drivetrain.

Very nice!

[babock]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

I’ll just disagree with this. I’ve rented new trucks and have been dissappointec in the performance vs. older trucks. Last one was the 5.3 in a Yukon which has a very noticeable lag between the time you hit the accelerator and the the time it actually moves. Additionally, the on board computer showed mpg were dramatically different from the window sticker. Sticker was 17-24 mpg. Actually got14.6 mpg over 2500 miles. My very old 454 had better performance and the same Mpg.

You can disagree all you want. The proof is in the specs. I have had 3 3/4T Suburbans with my middle one, a 99 3/4T with a 7.4L. Towing the exact same boat, my Ford F-150 tows mountains easier than that Suburban...by FAR. Of course the specs agree with that. My 3/4T Suburban with the 7.4L got 12MPG on the highway not towing anything. My 2002 3/4T Suburban with a 6.0L got 14 MPG not towing anything. My Ford get 21MPG not towing anything.

There is a good reason GM got rid of the DOG engines 7.4L and 8.1. They are old tech engines with low power and fuel efficiency.

My boat has a 1998 7.4L engine it. Newer offerings with 6.2L engines run circles around it.

[Jakieboy]

Sandy B. We bought a 200 psi 12-volt DC air compressor several years ago from a local Auto Parts outlet - can't remember which, they change frequently. Works fine after 12-15 years , but we only use it once or twice per year. Takes a long time to inflate a tire to 75 psig, but it beats the heck out of pumping up with our bicycle pump - which we always carry just n case.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Go West

We ordered our half-ton 2007 Avalanche with the same drivetrain that came with the Chevy 1500HD and 2500 trucks at the time: 6.0L engine, 4L80 heavy duty transmission, 4.10 gears, with auxiliary transmission and engine oil coolers. It pulled our Outback trailer superbly. But we paid at the pump for that big engine with 4.10 gears. The truck has about 150,000 miles today and our youngest son is still driving it. You should be very happy with that drivetrain.

I also have a 2007 5.3 Avalanche 4x2 with the 3.73 rear end. I've replaced it with a 2014 F150 3.5 Ecoboost 4x4 with the Max Tow package and 3.73 rear end.
Mainly because the Avy struggled towing my new 2016 27' TracerAir 255. It weighs 1000lbs more than my old HTT.

The difference between the two is night and day. The F150 has a payload of 1828lbs, instead of the Avy's payload of 1325lbs.
The F150 tows it like it's not even there and is WAY more stable. I even get better fuel mileage than the Avy, towing or not, even with the heavier 4x4 equipment.
I'm a believer in the Ecoboost V6, over a naturally aspired V8.

[rmillermtsu]

Originally Posted by Jakie-Boy

Sandy B. We bought a 200 psi 12-volt DC air compressor several years ago from a local Auto Parts outlet - can't remember which, they change frequently. Works fine after 12-15 years , but we only use it once or twice per year. Takes a long time to inflate a tire to 75 psig, but it beats the heck out of pumping up with our bicycle pump - which we always carry just n case.

The Viair pump we purchased from Amazon is not cheap, but the best pump I have ever used. It connects directly to the battery and airs up tires very quickly.

[rmillermtsu]

I love this thread because we are planning a similar trip, except we will be traveling from Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone on June 18th. Our route and destinations from start to finish will generally be: Oxford GA, Waco TX, Amarillo TX, Santa Fe NM, Pueblo CO, Salt Lake City, West Yellowstone WY, Hardin MT, ? ND, ? SD, ? MN, Madison WI, Murfreesboro TN, then back home to GA. We are using campgroundreviews.com as our primary source for selecting our destination campgrounds.


I am hoping West Yellowstone is a great home base for excursions into Yellowstone NP and that the route from SLC there will be safe in Mid-June.

We had a similar trailer towed by a Nissan Titan in the flat lands of the Southeast. My primary concerns would be brakes while towing in the mountains and the winds.

I would suggest considering upgrading your trailer tires from those that came on the trailer and have the wheel bearings checked and possibly replaced while you are at it.

I have absolutely no experience towing out west and will be watching this thread very closely. Good Luck - Rick

[270S]

I don't carry an air pump. I do a visual walk around before EVERY movement - std practice for flying is good for me! If any tire is low, I'll fill it up asap at the closest service station. This shouldn't happen overnight, but gradually unless a tire problem or radical change in elevation or temperature and those are known conditions one should expect and deal with as part of SOP. For a tire problem, the odds are it is just one and a spare should handle that. If more than that, a pump will not help, you have bigger problems and will need outside assistance.

TTs usually have a spare and for RVs, not having a spare as std or optional equipment is not an option for me, so I manufactured one!

The take away I am trying to make is DO A WALK AROUND before you start every move (may take a whopping 30 seconds if done properly), even if it is "only" a gas fill up, lunch break, rest area pull over, arriving at your daily destination, … Yes, that may be more than once a day, but do it or complain and blame something else. No points for second place.

BTW, I check for unlocked or (yes) forgotten open compartments, items left on, items not loaded, items not secured (MC), ...

[spock123]

DW brought me a 125psi pancake air compressor plus I carry two Honda’s 2000i generators. I have TST 507 TPMS, I hardly ever physically check the air in the tires. I do a walk around at every stop to check on camper. When we are in the Yellowstone area we like to stay at Grizzly RV park in West Yellowstone MT. By all means drive the Beartooth Highway. Outside of Cody WY on 14A is a Indian Medicine Wheel. I enjoy going there, it’s high up.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by rmillermtsu

I love this thread because we are planning a similar trip, except we will be traveling from Salt Lake City to West Yellowstone on June 18th. Our route and destinations from start to finish will generally be: Oxford GA, Waco TX, Amarillo TX, Santa Fe NM, Pueblo CO, Salt Lake City, West Yellowstone WY, Hardin MT, ? ND, ? SD, ? MN, Madison WI, Murfreesboro TN, then back home to GA. We are using campgroundreviews.com as our primary source for selecting our destination campgrounds.


I am hoping West Yellowstone is a great home base for excursions into Yellowstone NP and that the route from SLC there will be safe in Mid-June.

We had a similar trailer towed by a Nissan Titan in the flat lands of the Southeast. My primary concerns would be brakes while towing in the mountains and the winds.

I would suggest considering upgrading your trailer tires from those that came on the trailer and have the wheel bearings checked and possibly replaced while you are at it.

I have absolutely no experience towing out west and will be watching this thread very closely. Good Luck - Rick

West Yellowstone is one of the better bases to check out the park and other things around the park imo . make reservation now

[LambPen-1]

Originally Posted by Sandy B

Are any of you carrying compressors that will deal with the 85 - 100 psi pressures on the 19.5 tires on motor homes? My 30 year old 120 a/c one is giving up the ghost and was wondering if a 12 volt could do the job.

Sorry cannot address that. When I mentioned always taking a compressor I should have clarified it is a pancake tank 120 ac version. I also have a generator to run it if 120 ac not available. Maybe someone else can address your question. Thanks

[LambPen-1]

Originally Posted by Go West

We ordered our half-ton 2007 Avalanche with the same drivetrain that came with the Chevy 1500HD and 2500 trucks at the time: 6.0L engine, 4L80 heavy duty transmission, 4.10 gears, with auxiliary transmission and engine oil coolers. It pulled our Outback trailer superbly. But we paid at the pump for that big engine with 4.10 gears. The truck has about 150,000 miles today and our youngest son is still driving it. You should be very happy with that drivetrain.

I am hoping so, it has the same engine, transmission, gears and coolers you mentioned above. That was the main reason for the purchase. Right at 95,000 miles, body in good shape and way cheaper than new. Thanks.

[IndyGlenn]

We went to YS last year in June from Indianapolis I suggest making a stop at Badlands NP, Mount Rushmore and Deadwood. All well worth seeing, we stayed on 90 all the way into Cody. Our first big test was going over the Bighorn National Forest, just remember to give your brakes a rest going down. We stopped to get some pictures and I realized I probably should of stopped sooner to give them a cool down. We entered through the East entrance but I believe fishing bridge is closed next summer for renovation. Be ready to have times with no cell signal at all in some places which was a weird feeling but other than that I would suggest extra tools, bottle jack, kit to plug tires and good rainwear! Sounds like you have a awesome trip a head of you, good luck.

[rmillermtsu]

We are planning 5 days just south of Rapid City SD to see all of these sights.

[LambPen-1]

A big thank you to all who have given input it is much appreciated! Now for a brief update. Have booked all of our camp grounds and have been slowly doing camper and truck preparation and maintenance. I say slowly due to delays related to cold weather and snow here at home. Still have lots to do but DW and I are excited for the upcoming trip and being able to spend time with our daughters along the way. Will update as the preparations continue. Thanks again!

[rmillermtsu]

We wish you the very best on your trip. We have 55 nights booked with 5200 travel miles between home and all of our stops.

[LambPen-1]

Just a brief update...still waiting for a break in the weather that coincides with my days off so I can get to the maintenance and prep work for our trip out west. We have booked a weekend trip close to home in early May as a prep run with the new TV so I need to make all the adjustments before then. DW and I are making all our lists and checking them twice. About all we can do until it warms up and stops snowing or raining. Will post more later.

Happy camping!