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11-27-2017, 01:03 PM
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#1
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geezer with gadgets
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SE Virginia
Posts: 672
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Mountain Driving
Wondering what has been some of the most butt puckering mountain grades that you have driven up or down?
Curious minds want to know!
__________________
Sent from my Atari 2600
2011 Sunseeker 3170ds "Ladybug"
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee TOAD
Days camped 2015: 37; 2016: 66; 2017: 86 2018: 57 2019: 30
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11-27-2017, 01:13 PM
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#2
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DW's 401(k) Plan
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Western MD
Posts: 2,372
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Coming westbound over the Big Horns in a '98 Blazer S10 towing a Coleman Rio popup. Thought I was going to burn up all the brakes coming down that long descent.
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"Sunny" the 2017 Sunseeker 3010DS
2006 Jeep Liberty Toad
.... and lovin' life........MOST of the time.
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11-27-2017, 01:20 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,694
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No mountains but pretty good hills in TN I lost the brakes in a 34' class A, and the toad had surge brakes so no help there. By the time I reached a safe looking pull off about 20 miles down the road the brakes were back to normal. Turned out to be water in the brake fluid boiled, combination of 90+ temp and a little more brake usage was too much. Change your brake fluid at lease every few years.
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2024 Artic Fox 3018 5th Wheel
Grand Design 2800BH TT 2021 - for sale
Prior TT 2017 Flagstaff 831CLBSS Classic Ultra lite - SOLD 5/21
TV 2024 F350 DRW - on order
Prior TV 2017 F150 6.5' bed 3.5 Eco-boost Max tow 1800lbs payload
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11-27-2017, 01:20 PM
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#4
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Insert witty title here
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: About 30 miles west of Beantown.
Posts: 4,034
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With camper in tow: Bighorn Mountains, WY
Unattached: Mt Washington, NH
__________________
2021 Transcend Xplor 247BH
Husky WDH with Sway Control
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD LT 6.6L V8 Duramax
Forever in my memory. Forever in my heart.
Laurie J. Wood 3/22/67 - 8/23/19
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11-27-2017, 01:22 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 82
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Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado. I wasn't too worried about going down, just up. By the time we got the 40 foot RV and toad to the top we were doing 10 MPH. I wasn't sure we'd even make it over the top. Downhill hill was another adventure. I let the engine do almost all the work going down.
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11-27-2017, 01:23 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 5,712
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Wolf Creek Pass Colo. The Divide on I-90 between Bozeman and Butte.
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11-27-2017, 01:24 PM
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#7
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Insert witty title here
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: About 30 miles west of Beantown.
Posts: 4,034
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Diesel owners know the joy of the exhaust brake on steep grades.
__________________
2021 Transcend Xplor 247BH
Husky WDH with Sway Control
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD LT 6.6L V8 Duramax
Forever in my memory. Forever in my heart.
Laurie J. Wood 3/22/67 - 8/23/19
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11-27-2017, 01:39 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Maryland
Posts: 204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timfromma
Diesel owners know the joy of the exhaust brake on steep grades.
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X2
I 77 from Fancy Gap Virginia to the NC line (about 8 miles) I touched the brakes once!
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2015 XLR 29HFS Toy Hauler
2016 Ford F250 Lariat Crew Cab FX4 Power Stroke
2007 Harley Softail Deluxe
2005 Victory Vegas
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11-27-2017, 01:40 PM
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#9
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Scoundrel
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Montrose, Colorado
Posts: 2,804
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This is my second chance at life (ok, third). It was night, a deer jumped out in front of the Jeep and I instinctly swerved and ended up on the soft shoulder of a narrow road along a cliff. The Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled off the cliff on Jacks Cabin Cutoff near the Taylor River, Colorado. I was thrown out of the Jeep and was banged up horribly but survived with cuts, bruises and concussion. The jeep ended up on the Taylor River Rd down below the dirt road that I was driving on - upside down and crushed like it was made out of paper.
And yes, I was wearing a seatbelt. It happened so fast I don't know how I was thrown out. Released from the hospital later the next day.
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2024 Geo Pro 15TB, 400W Solar, 2 Golf Cart batteries
2015 F-150 5.0L V8 XLT Crew Cab, 4x4, Tow Package, 36 gal tank, 3.55 locker, 1891 payload, Integrated Brake Controller, Roadmaster Active Suspension
Wooden Spoon Survivor
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11-27-2017, 01:41 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 849
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timfromma
Diesel owners know the joy of the exhaust brake on steep grades.
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X3, I just lock it into 55 mph and let the exhaust brake do it's thing. I hardly ever have to hit the brake, unless I come up on a slow truck or a curve that is posted at 50 mph or lower. Even then I can usually stop the CC and it will slow down enough on it's own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 757Dave
Wondering what has been some of the most butt puckering mountain grades that you have driven up or down?
Curious minds want to know!
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Not towing but in the TV, Mt Washington, they make you put your side mirrors in and in some stretches it is a huge drop off with barely enough room for you and the opposing vehicles.
__________________
2016 Windjammer 3006WK - Sold July 2018
2002 Lance Lite 835EC TC - Sold July 2015
2010 Dodge Ram 2500, 4x4, Diesel, Front Hitch, Air Lift 5000 Rear Air Bags, Sold Mar 2019.
MISSION COMPLETED!
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11-27-2017, 01:48 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Western Montana
Posts: 883
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Glacier Park, Going-to-the-Sun hwy in a 24ft Class A in 1987 before the length restrictions - drove it again in 94 with a pickup camper - not sure why they let me through. The 2nd time I removed the passenger side mirror (it didn't fold).
Also Beartooth Pass from Montana into Cooke City in the same 24ft Class A.
__________________
Mike and JoAnne
Montana Summer / Arizona Winter
2016 Prism 24G /2002 HitchHiker 38LKTG
ACME EZTowing a 2015 Chevy Sonic RS Hatchback
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11-27-2017, 09:58 PM
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#12
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geezer with gadgets
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SE Virginia
Posts: 672
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Glad everyone made it up, over, and down OK.
Dang, HangDiver, glad you survived that event!
__________________
Sent from my Atari 2600
2011 Sunseeker 3170ds "Ladybug"
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee TOAD
Days camped 2015: 37; 2016: 66; 2017: 86 2018: 57 2019: 30
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11-27-2017, 10:14 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 806
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Nothing so far while towing, biggest butt pucker was Mt. Washington, we were literally the last idiots, I mean IDIOTS that went up. We stopped at the shack at the entrance and and was advised on the weather, not great, after a few minutes of my wife saying "We better not" and me saying "I didn't drive all the way here for nothing" we went up, misting, clouds, flirting with freezing temps., not good. Got to the top and my daughter and I got out and explored what it was like in a cloud on top of a wet, wind blowing, freezing Mt. My DW and her mom stayed put in the car. It was a long trip down, don't know how we mad it, when we did get to the bottom they had the road closed. A time I'll never forget!
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2006 2500HD CCSB 2WD 2014 Crusader 285RET
Nights camped in 2013 - not enough!, 2014 37, 2015 40, 2016 39, 2017 38, 2018 36, 2019 37, 2020 26, 2021 28
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11-27-2017, 10:24 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
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Quote:
Originally Posted by timfromma
Diesel owners know the joy of the exhaust brake on steep grades.
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X4
The hairiest experience ever wasn't even in the mountains, it was in Saskatchewan about 15 years ago. Towing my 36' gooseneck trailer on solid ice on Hwy 11 going down the Qu'Appelle valley North of Regina at 3 in the morning when I suddenly had the trailer in the fast lane trying to pass me. Holy Crap, I'll never forget that wake up call  .
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
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11-28-2017, 05:05 AM
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#15
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Insert witty title here
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: About 30 miles west of Beantown.
Posts: 4,034
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I would not want to go up Mt Washington with my 3/4 ton. Due to how narrow the road is and how big my truck is, I would probably mess my pants every time I had to pass another vehice.
__________________
2021 Transcend Xplor 247BH
Husky WDH with Sway Control
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD LT 6.6L V8 Duramax
Forever in my memory. Forever in my heart.
Laurie J. Wood 3/22/67 - 8/23/19
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11-28-2017, 06:55 AM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Buena Vista CO
Posts: 79
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Drove over Monarch Pass on US50 in Colorado twice this past summer. The pass is 11312 feet in elevation and a really good test of your TV pulling power and engine braking.
__________________
2016 Prime Time Crusader 322RES
2016 Ford F250 6.7L Diesel, Crew, 4X4, SRW, 3.55, Platinum, Ride Rite air bags
Reese Elite 18K Hitch
Nights camped 2016=47 2017=67 2018=53 2019=121 2020=76 2021=106
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11-29-2017, 09:33 PM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: SE La
Posts: 32
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Live and Learn
North Alabama, Little River Canyon area, a small county road off Hwy 35.
Pulling a 30-ft TT with a pickup going down a long steep grade at night. I fought the descent for several miles down until I checked and noticed my electric trailer brake control was dead. I was descending with only my truck brakes.
At the bottom, my brakes were smoking.
Next morning I discovered the brake connector wire in my 7-pin connection had broken during the trip. On flat land I hadn't noticed the brake controller wasn't giving a reading.
Since then, I am very conscious of the condition of the connection and continually check my brake controller reading.
Fortunately, I had just put new high quality brake pads and rotors on my truck before the trip. I knew I was going to be pulling in the mountains, so I went all-out and got very high quality stuff (not the corner national chain auto parts store junk). I noticed a small fade at the very bottom, but still stopped.
I am glad I didn't decide to use my old brakes for one more trip.
Live and Learn - horsepower to pull it up is not as important as stopping power to slow it down!
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11-29-2017, 11:02 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,502
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Haven't had one yet pulling my 5th wheel. Wolf Creek and Monarch are no biggies in my experience.
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11-30-2017, 11:58 AM
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#19
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geezer with gadgets
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SE Virginia
Posts: 672
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Thanks for all of your replies!
Still wondering whether the eastern or the western grades are the most difficult driving or most taxing on your engine.
__________________
Sent from my Atari 2600
2011 Sunseeker 3170ds "Ladybug"
2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee TOAD
Days camped 2015: 37; 2016: 66; 2017: 86 2018: 57 2019: 30
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11-30-2017, 11:40 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,502
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Western are taxing by far because a normally aspirated engine (non turbo or non-supercharger) loses about 3% in horsepower for every 1,000 gain in altitude. A turbocharged vehicle turbo needs to spin faster and EGT's can run very hot too and thinner air provides less cooling over the radiators for engine and transmission.
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