Descending down a mountain

As others have said. Gear down. Your sig says you have a gasser. So you have lots of engine braking in the lower gears. I come down Black Mountain in 2nd. I start down 321 in 1st, and up shift to 2nd part of the way down, I start down 221 in 1st, and upshift to 2nd after the top 2 miles. I come down 226 in first, all the way down in 1st. I also do 16 in 2nd.

You didn't say which road you will come down. The interstates are easiest. They have the same max grade % all across the US.

IIRC, its 6% for 6 miles.

bud121156 wrote:
I came down Black Mountain on I-40, this week. I have a smaller trailer and a V-8 Silverado 1500. I was in tow mode and pulled down in third gear. Hardly had to use the brakes.

What % grade is that? Glad you made it down.

I came down Black Mountain on I-40, this week. I have a smaller trailer and a V-8 Silverado 1500. I was in tow mode and pulled down in third gear. Hardly had to use the brakes.

I just came back from morehead city using rt 24,40,74,, and rt 77 north to ohio its not bad , use towhaul and common sense , brake only a little at a time ,if you ride the brakes they,ll fry, stay in the right lane go at your own pace. enjoy the view.

Thanks. Experience is everything.

I concur with what others said. Have your speed managed at the TOP of the hill. Its easy to add speed, its more difficult to lose speed.

If you need to brake, I believe it is preferred to stab your brakes hard and quick rather than ride the brake pedal. The idea is that a quicker and more sudden brake won't produce the heat that a long gradual braking does.

Don't be afraid to go too slow. People might be pissed they are stuck behind you, but they will be WAY more pissed if the road is closed due to an accident.

You have a 3/4 ton truck and a relatively light trailer. You should be fine. Good luck.

Depending on how steep the grade is, start down in 1st. gear. It is much easier to up-shift than downshift. Good luck.

zackyboy3rs wrote:
1st timer hauling North Carolina mountains. Little nervous about the descent on the way back to flat land. I will be towing my parents TT which is 7500lbs total weight. Give me any tips or pointers. Tow/haul button on, gear down? Bend over & kiss my a$$ goodbye or what? Thanks

First slow down to the speed you want to maintain on the down grade, well before you start your descent.

Tow haul button on or down shift manually your choice. You don't say what vehicle you are towing with, but the same applies use your engines transmission and engine to provide much of the braking. If you need to use your brakes for more than a couple of seconds to scrub off speed, you should drop down another gear.