7% Grade

You have around 210-220 HP at the crank at 3000RPM
Maybe 170HP at the ground
14,000 lb requires 105HP to go up a 7% grade at 40MPH
This leaves you 65 HP which is about enough to cover drag at that speed with a truck/camper combination.

Sounds right to me.

rhagfo wrote:
Just a question, what is the Minimum speed on that section of I26? It is my brief that a TV should be able to carry its max GCVWR at the Minimum interstate speed, should that be a requirement?

AFAIK there will be no minimum speed posted on a grade either up or down.
Just a "slower traffic keep right" or a "Please use turn outs"

transamz9 wrote:



I have never had to have my truck hit 3000 rpm to hold my speed and I am well over my GCVWR. There's no need in it . Besides, I don't know if the 2002 5.9 in the OP will turn 4500 rpm.

He pulls a grade 200 rpm below peak torque. Can you do that? Maybe 200rpm below peak horsepower at 1200 rpm above peak torque. I cruise on the interstate nearly 2000 rpm below peak torque. Why do you need to run 400 rpm above peak torque? Why do you need to run 2/3 of your rated rpm just to run empty? Can't tow your rated capacity at 1400rpm like real trucks? Nope. Yours has to scream at 2000-2900rpm well above peak torque and often nudging the governor. Putting it into perspective I'd say yours is the one struggling. :B

Yes the gas 5.9L will spin at 4500rpm, but it is out of breath by then. it makes it`s peak torque around 3200rpm.

dodge guy wrote:

Hannibal wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

Getback wrote:
In July i went up the Green River Gorge on I-26 in North Carolina it's a 7% Grade. Coming from South Carolina. I was doing 3000 RPM at 40 MPH in the right side truck lane. My truck is a 2002 Dodge Ram with a 5.9 Liter, V8, 2WD Magnum Gasser engine . The Camper i was pulling was 3,925 lb.( NADA Guides) 1986 Prowler, 25 ft. Does 3000 RPM at 40 MPH sound about right ??

Just a question, what is the Minimum speed on that section of I26? It is my brief that a TV should be able to carry its max GCVWR at the Minimum interstate speed, should that be a requirement?

What do you do on two lane state highways with hills in the 5% to 7% range, just watch the traffic stack up behind you? Sure hope the trailer weighs closer to 6,000# that would help me understand why only 40.

We read here and witness on the roads diesel owners towing 55-62mph on flat interstate quite frequently so traffic stacking up behind isn't a problem on an occasional mountain grade simply because it's a gas engine under the hood. Diesel owners scared to death of a downshift are also holding up traffic on the grades right along with most commercial trucks and rubberneckers.

Agreed. There are many here that don't know how to tow a trailer with a gas engine. They think it is a problem when it winds up to 4500rpm. Automatically they go out and buy a diesel truck. Little do they know it when a diesel winds up to 3000 rpm it is screaming!

I have never had to have my truck hit 3000 rpm to hold my speed and I am well over my GCVWR. There's no need in it . Besides, I don't know if the 2002 5.9 in the OP will turn 4500 rpm.

On my '04 Chevy 2500 (4 speed), I'd frequently hit 5000-5200 on some really steep hills when pulling the FW. Even then, I'd sometimes get down to around 38-40mph on the 8% grades.

Hannibal wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

Getback wrote:
In July i went up the Green River Gorge on I-26 in North Carolina it's a 7% Grade. Coming from South Carolina. I was doing 3000 RPM at 40 MPH in the right side truck lane. My truck is a 2002 Dodge Ram with a 5.9 Liter, V8, 2WD Magnum Gasser engine . The Camper i was pulling was 3,925 lb.( NADA Guides) 1986 Prowler, 25 ft. Does 3000 RPM at 40 MPH sound about right ??

Just a question, what is the Minimum speed on that section of I26? It is my brief that a TV should be able to carry its max GCVWR at the Minimum interstate speed, should that be a requirement?

What do you do on two lane state highways with hills in the 5% to 7% range, just watch the traffic stack up behind you? Sure hope the trailer weighs closer to 6,000# that would help me understand why only 40.

We read here and witness on the roads diesel owners towing 55-62mph on flat interstate quite frequently so traffic stacking up behind isn't a problem on an occasional mountain grade simply because it's a gas engine under the hood. Diesel owners scared to death of a downshift are also holding up traffic on the grades right along with most commercial trucks and rubberneckers.

Agreed. There are many here that don't know how to tow a trailer with a gas engine. They think it is a problem when it winds up to 4500rpm. Automatically they go out and buy a diesel truck. Little do they know it when a diesel winds up to 3000 rpm it is screaming!

rhagfo wrote:

Getback wrote:
In July i went up the Green River Gorge on I-26 in North Carolina it's a 7% Grade. Coming from South Carolina. I was doing 3000 RPM at 40 MPH in the right side truck lane. My truck is a 2002 Dodge Ram with a 5.9 Liter, V8, 2WD Magnum Gasser engine . The Camper i was pulling was 3,925 lb.( NADA Guides) 1986 Prowler, 25 ft. Does 3000 RPM at 40 MPH sound about right ??

Just a question, what is the Minimum speed on that section of I26? It is my brief that a TV should be able to carry its max GCVWR at the Minimum interstate speed, should that be a requirement?

What do you do on two lane state highways with hills in the 5% to 7% range, just watch the traffic stack up behind you? Sure hope the trailer weighs closer to 6,000# that would help me understand why only 40.

We read here and witness on the roads diesel owners towing 55-62mph on flat interstate quite frequently so traffic stacking up behind isn't a problem on an occasional mountain grade simply because it's a gas engine under the hood. Diesel owners scared to death of a downshift are also holding up traffic on the grades right along with most commercial trucks and rubberneckers.

Getback wrote:
In July i went up the Green River Gorge on I-26 in North Carolina it's a 7% Grade. Coming from South Carolina. I was doing 3000 RPM at 40 MPH in the right side truck lane. My truck is a 2002 Dodge Ram with a 5.9 Liter, V8, 2WD Magnum Gasser engine . The Camper i was pulling was 3,925 lb.( NADA Guides) 1986 Prowler, 25 ft. Does 3000 RPM at 40 MPH sound about right ??

Just a question, what is the Minimum speed on that section of I26? It is my brief that a TV should be able to carry its max GCVWR at the Minimum interstate speed, should that be a requirement?

What do you do on two lane state highways with hills in the 5% to 7% range, just watch the traffic stack up behind you? Sure hope the trailer weighs closer to 6,000# that would help me understand why only 40.

Jayco-noslide wrote:
You didn't say what gear but probably 2nd? Sounds about right. 3,000 is not at all high RPM. It may sound like it only because we are used to cruising around 2000. 5,000 won't hurt an engine for short periods though usually not necessary. 3 or 4,000 RPM's would be better on the motor than "lugging" it up a grade at 1500 in a higher gear.

^THIS The computer is programed to shift early to squeeze every bit of gas mileage. So we are used to hearing the engine loaf along, only hitting maybe 3000rpm for a second before shifting, never really even hearing 4000 or 4500 at all. When you put a TT behind a gas engine truck and ask it to work climbing a hill, now you get to hear 3000, 4000, 4500 rpm a lot more because that is where gas engines make their power, especially small block SOHC. We are not used to this sound for more than a second or two, so it sounds like the engine is going to blow up. It is not, a gas truck engine with proper cooling will run at it's peak for hours if necessary and not hurt it.