Towing maxed out from West VA in a 96 F350 7.3L. Trying to decide if I go over mountains using route 60 to Amherst VA or I64 east toward's Charlottsvile to lynchburg. My post is not so much about the exact route as much as the dynamics of the route. One is winding and steeper....harder slow pulling constant turning and at very low speeds. But on the other side of the mountain at least if I lost brakes I can put it in the bank and live. The other route is more gradual but if I lost brakes on the other side theres no runaway ramp and it's a ways down. Any thoughts appreciated.

First thought? Make sure your brakes are in good shape, baby them so you don't loose them.

Take the easiest route with the least amount of steep downhills. and Use your gears to descend the hills. Here's a test with no towing involved. It's merely to see what gears you can use at what speeds.Go driving with just the tow vehicle and no trailer. Go find a bit of road that you can accelerate to 60mph without endangering yourself or others.Safely stop the vehicle and pull the shifter down into the lowest gear. Accelerate until 15 - 20 mph and then shift up one gear on the shifter.Can you drive 60 mph in that gear without getting within 500 to 700 RPM before the red or orange markings on the tachometer? If not shift up until you can drive 60 mph while still being below the red or orange markings on the gauge. The idea is to find the lowest gear (2nd, 3rd, 4th, fifth etc) that you can drive at 60 without letting the tachometer get to the orange or red markings. Once you find this gear you know that you can downshift to this gear on a hill and not damage your engine.Let's say your truck is like my Suburban that I can run 65 mph in 2nd gear without hitting the orange or red marks. When I crest a big hill like the grapevine I just use the brakes to slow down to about 50 mph. I then shift the transmission selector to the 2 position and take my foot off the accelerator pedal and away from the brake pedal and just start to coast down the hill.As I go down the hill the speed will slowly start to increase. But, since I'm in 2nd gear it behaves like I have my foot on the brakes which I don't. When the speed climbs up to about 58 mph I put my foot on the brakes and firmly press to slow the vehicle down to 50 mph again. Once I get to 50 mph I take my foot off the brake and start coasting again.I usually only have to touch the brakes three maybe four times for a hill the size of the grapevine. While it may seem like this is stressful it is usually just the opposite. With the transmission in a lower gear I don't have to watch the speed like a hawk. Instead it just goes down the hill as if I'm dragging a parachute behind me and only speeds up slowly

On a long downhill grade, select a low enough gear so that you touch the brakes only once in a while. (And turn on those flashers when driving less than 50 mph.)Make sure that the trailer brakes are properly adjusted.

If you don't have get an exhaust brake and don't worry.

Maxed out towing isn’t fun. RVing should be fun. Fix the issue.

Short Steep or Long gradual | Good Sam Community

Rover_Bill
Explorer II
Nov 01, 2020
Vw triker wrote:
You have large hills to go up and down 64 and 60. 220 to 460 not so much.
Some road construction on 220, for a short distance, then you hit 4 lane the rest of the way.

X2 on 220/460 nice easy ride. Don't have to worry about meeting a logging truck head-on in the switchbacks on 60.
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 01, 2020
Love winding and steep !
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Nov 01, 2020
I don't like winding and steep !
PWRmx24
Explorer
Oct 31, 2020
I came through christiansburg. 77 seems about the same as 64...some long downhills and steep climbs in some areas but at least you can down shift and hold a relatively straight line and let it pull. there's 4 lanes all the way so if you break down at least you're not blocking the whole traffic pattern. On 60 it's two lanes. Anyway. Leaking diesel fuel now.....happened before....was around my pump....not happy. Got the brakes in order now this. I think my 24yr old truck doesnt want to do this anymore.
Vw_triker
Explorer
Oct 31, 2020
You have large hills to go up and down 64 and 60. 220 to 460 not so much.
Some road construction on 220, for a short distance, then you hit 4 lane the rest of the way.
PWRmx24
Explorer
Oct 31, 2020
Complete reset. Brakes seem OK now.
time2roll
Nomad
Oct 31, 2020
I like a good loop. Take one on the way out and the other on the way back.
If you go again reverse the sequence.
PWRmx24
Explorer
Oct 31, 2020
Vw triker wrote:
I would not go rt 60, I would go 220 to Roanoke, then 460 to lynchburg.
I have used all three routes, like 460 much better.

Thanks! I'm near Chelyan WV and that route makes a lot of sense. It seems to shoot a gap in the mountains vs a hard over the top.

I've stopped because my brake controller suddenly started putting out a constant 2.4 to the trailer! Doing a cool down and disconnected all electrics (including batteries) to see what's going on.
ppine
Explorer II
Oct 31, 2020
Learn to use gears and stab the brakes. Never ride them or you will warp your brake rotors.
blt2ski
Moderator
Oct 31, 2020
Are you traveling for pleasure? Or work per say?
Sometimes taking the steeper slower route is nicer than the easy flatter route if you will. You also do not say how steel grades are! Some a 5-6% grade is steep, others like me, 15% gets my attention, 20+% is steep! Interstate freeways max out at 6% generally speaking.
Issue with this, is you need to know how steep a grade your rig will do before stalling out. If you don't know this, along with how steep the grade is, then fla5er might be better.
I will admit I have not answered your question, hopefully some food for thought!

Marty

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