Priests Grade in California

You will be alright on the "new" priest grade, just stay on 120, do not turn right onto the "old priest grade going up, east. When you come to the grade have the co pilot look up the grade and she/he can see all the traffic coming down so you can be aware of that truck coming down and be on the lookout going around that next corner because that truck just might be coming around the same corner. Gear down and hold a steady throttle and take your time. Have a good trip

I will drive up the Old Priest Grade with my camper on my truck, as it saves some driving time following the new road. However, I won't drive down it.

Bob in Calif.

jbbrick wrote:
Make sure you take the newer side, not the "old" Priest Grade. You won't have any problem at all, I did it not long ago with my 32' MH pulling a car. As you do down you can look across the canyon to the folks going down the old one. It's fun and not bad at all, just gear down to save your brakes. We've stayed at Yosemite Lakes, nice park.

2x on not going off on the right side where the old/new Priest run divide like we did. We made it in our 1992 32' P30 based MH in 2011 but it was pedal to the metal doing 15 MPH in first gear for four very long miles with the temp gauge 3 hairs from the red zone. We would have been in a heap for trouble had one plug wire failed or the cooling system had not been only five years old I expect. We went out the Fresno side which is a piece of cake way in and out.

Interesting enough...I have been up old priests grade more times than I can count and honestly would not have a problem(from a power perspective) trying the run up it with my TT and F-150 Ecobeast. I am not sure I would be able to make some of the turns. That being said, I think it defies good sense to actually try Old Priests grade with a TT for two reasons: 1. I can only imagine how much fuel I would use going up it. I would prob just watch the gas gauge drop as the turbos sucked the fuel. 2. It seems to me to be stupid to put that much unnecessary wear and tear on a vehicle if you don't have too assuming you can actually make all the curves.

There is no way in heck I would even think about going down Old Priests grade with an F-150 and a TT.

I appreciate the feedback since we just recently got into the TT/RV thing. We have not made very many trips let alone on those kinds of grades. The advice is well taken.

It's steep but the "new side" was newly paved in April of 2012 when we did it in our Truck Camper. Plenty of turn outs but sometimes you can't see what's coming around the curve at you and you hope the other guy stays in his lane.

If I did it again I would dump the gray and the black tanks and NOT fill that 60 gal fresh water tank full. I would NOT fill fuel tanks fuel either. There's stations at the top. I'd caution you to watch your engine temp gauges and not use your a/c while you tugged up the grade.

There is a very nice transmission repair place at the top of the grade and they do a nice job putting in the cooling unit in series on a 1999 F-350. Transmission oil on the hot exhaust pipe does look like you're on fire but it's really all smoke. No need to grab that fire extinguisher and dive underneath, really.

Don't be afraid of it - You're smart to ask quesitons before you get there. I did not.

Make sure you take the newer side, not the "old" Priest Grade. You won't have any problem at all, I did it not long ago with my 32' MH pulling a car. As you do down you can look across the canyon to the folks going down the old one. It's fun and not bad at all, just gear down to save your brakes. We've stayed at Yosemite Lakes, nice park.