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Bears_Den's avatar
Bears_Den
Explorer
Jan 21, 2017

TT towing advice for the mountains

Let me preface this post by saying I am a firm believer in life experience being a far greater teacher than any book or professor. With that said, my DW and I are planning a trip in the next 1-1 1/2 years to the area of Ashville NC. We want to set up a base camp and then explore areas like Brevard, Blueridge Parkway, Boone, Hendersonville just to name a few. I will be towing a 30' EW 6100# TT with a Ford F-150 eco boost, all of my towing experience is on the flat land of Florida and Georgia. I'm asking you guys for advice from your experiences on what to expect towing in that area, what routes should I avoid or take advantage of and ideas of where to camp. I've driven various routes in that area before but not towing a TT. Prior to the trip, I plan on having the brakes checked and replacing the off brand tires with either Maxxis or Carlisle tires. Feel free to PM me if you'd like with any info or just keep this post going. Thanks and safe travels.

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  • ken56's avatar
    ken56
    Explorer
    Jan 21, 2017
    Biggest thing would be to understand how to use your transmission and lower gears to go down hill, not riding your brakes down hill, you will over heat the rotors and shoes. For the most part there are no really hair raising hills to deal with in that area but..... you are not in FL any more Toto and you will be dealing with hilly terrain. Your route may make a difference too. 95 to 26 on into Asheville is tame and no real issues.
  • RoyF's avatar
    RoyF
    Explorer
    Jan 21, 2017
    We did the entire Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive last summer. We found that 50 miles from base and return was enough for one day, since we wanted to allow time for frequent stops at overlooks and various points of interest. Therefore, we picked bases spaced about 100 miles apart. Asheville was the first base, then we moved up to Boone. (Although you may not need a base beyond that, our other bases were in the vicinities of Meadows of Dan, Natural Bridge, and Harrisonburg.)

    Near Asheville, we were happy with Campfire Lodgings. That was a small RV park with great views from a mountaintop and very friendly hosts. The final approach to Campfire is a pretty steep grade!
  • IdaD's avatar
    IdaD
    Explorer
    Jan 21, 2017
    You won't run into more than small hills going from Florida to NC. Don't sweat it. Gear down on hills and if you need your brakes use them in intervals rather than riding them constantly so they have a chance to cool and don't overheat.
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    Jan 21, 2017
    You have a good combination and should have no problems.
    Kind of a thumb rule: Go down hill no faster than you towed up that hill.

    (Living and camping where we do, it's hard to think of not dealing with mountains and steep grades).

    Having been to Florida a number of times I remember that the highest elevation was an overpass on the highway.....:)

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