Central Ca to las vegas

You cant get there from here. Be sure to check the wind forecast if you plan on taking 58, other than that it is a good road

Cleetus wrote:
What are some of the EGTs you all are experiencing on these climbs?

Nothing that caused concern. Pretty conservative driver when it comes to grades so I have the habit of sitting back, keep an eye on the temp and taking long grades in hot weather slowly. Even more so since the lower turbo hose got into the habit of coming off under boost approaching much over 3.

Cleetus wrote:
What are some of the EGTs you all are experiencing on these climbs?

I drive a DP and I've never really paid much attention to the temp other than to make sure it doesn't overheat. I can get over Tehachapi and the Grapevine fairly easily. Tehachapi is an easier climb. There are a few spots where I may get down to 45 if I have my toad along. 40 to 45 at the slowest on the Grapevine too. I normally don't go to Vegas in the summer, but if I was going over on a hot day I'd probably have to pay closer attention to the temps. I have overheated on long climbs in other areas on 95+ degree days.

What are some of the EGTs you all are experiencing on these climbs?

We've gone from Morro Bay to Las Vegas several times. Once on 99 we take 58 to 15 and have had no problems. 58 to Tehachapi is a good climb both ways as is the climb into and out of Las Vegas.

Thanks for the info, yeah I don't want to take the longer route, it's going to be a long drive either way and I don't want to add any more time in the see if necessary. We will be traveling during the middle of the week. Due to our work schedules our days off are during the week and we work on the weekends. I still expect to encounter some traffic.

No reason to go on I5 for anything. OP is in Visalia. Without question the route is 99 to 58 to 15 to Vegas. Per Google that is 360 miles. If you go over the Grapevine and pick up the 210 to 15 and up to Vegas the route is 445 miles plus you've added Los Angeles traffic to your trip.

Both routes require a fairly steep climb and a mountain pass. I think the Grapevine actually goes to a little higher elevation. Each pass can get snow, but it's fairly rare since neither is really that high. But both have closed to snow a couple of times this year. They mostly close because nobody carries chains on those routes.

You're not going until April, so snow will be more unlikely, but not out of the question. So just check the weather. Also plan your driving time as about a half a million people from Los Angeles go to Vegas every weekend. You won't hit that Los Angeles traffic until Barstow, but if you go at the wrong time on a Friday evening you can be at 20 mph all the way from Barstow to Vegas. And if you're coming back on Sunday, if you don't get out of Vegas by 10am at the latest, you run the risk of 20 mph all the way back to Barstow.

I-5 south to Bakersfield then Hwy 58 to Barstow. I-15 to Vegas is the safest route.

An alternative route would be Hwy 65 south to I-5 above Bakersfield.

I've done both with my 15,000lb 5th wheel.

By the way, I safely pulled this 15,000lb 5th wheel for 15 years with a 3500 chevy dually with a tow rating at 10,000lbs. Just had to make sure I left plenty of room to stop and good braking techniques going down steep grades.

I did some research before I made the purchase and found a bunch of conflicting info regarding the truck and its capabilities... What I found interesting was that the axles under the '00 f250-450 SRW were all the same with the only difference between the f250/350 and the 450s were brakes and suspension... I can take the brakes(rotors and calipers) from a f450 and bolt them directly onto my truck.. Only requirement is need to have 17" rims to accommodate the bigger brake package. Once i do that and beef up the suspension I will basically have a SRW f450. I was able to confirm this thru forums, actual owners, and local shops who specialize in ford trucks, one of which specialize in building suspension packages for trucks that pull RVs... So yes you are correct in the fact the unit is right at the trucks legal limit in stock form... But once I do the upgrades and additions it will still be many thousands of dollars cheaper than buying a new truck. I could have bought a smaller trailer but there were none that my wife and I remotely liked.

Welcome!

I've traveled Hwy 58 many times towing my 14K 5vr w/o any issues
Also been up/down I-5
Course my 14K 5vr is well within my 2007 3500 towing abilities.

Wish you had joined/asked question prior to buying that 5vr.
Very nice 5th wheel but it is too heavy for your truck. Sorry

That Momentum 'dry weight' (12,400#) is only 800/1300# under your trucks MAX Tow rating (which is a magical mfg. marketing number)------hope you have good braking for the pass
Truck is going to be overloaded.

Realty check......
Go get it weighed 'camp ready' truck/trailer loaded up for trip.
Cat Scales....Front/Rear Axle weights---Total truck/trailer and then just truck ($10/12)
Compare actual weight numbers against your trucks GVWR, Axle Weight Ratings, Tire Max Load Ratings

Good luck/stay safe