Depends... What do you mean by 'struggling'? Is it that it downshifts to a lower gear and revs the engine more than you are used to? Say in the 3000-3500 rpm range and you slow down to around 50 mph?
If so, then that's "normal" when you are towing a heavy load up a grade... :)
What you are doing is letting your engine work and it's just running at it's peak levels, which it was designed to do from time to time.
Sure, it's louder and uses more gas, but it's not really 'struggling' IMO.
Now, if it shifts all the way down to first gear and you still can't get up the grade, that's 'struggling' to me.... ;)
Good luck!
Mitch