Forum Discussion

speediq99's avatar
speediq99
Explorer II
Mar 14, 2022

What is your speed uphill?

We are new to the 5th wheel world.

My 32ft MH f450 was very slow going up hills (6%). It will keep 45mph.

Our 2021 F150 32ft TT combo could do 65mph on the same hills with ease.

I don't want to win any races but I hated the motorhome going up hill and loved the F150 with the TT.

We now have a 2022 Ram 3500 4.1 gears Diesel LB and are buying a 44ft 5th wheel (14,000 dry).

Most videos I have seen (2019) have people flooring the RAM and getting to 45mph on 6% hills towing 28K lbs. What can I expect towing 16k? Does the RAM have enough power to keep up good speed going up hill? If so, what are you towing and what is your tow vehicle?

It looks like newer F350 and F450 can get up to 70mph up hills better than RAM 3500 but the stuff I have been watching could be biased. What is your experience?

Thanks

MC
Tow Vehicles
  • bgum's avatar
    bgum
    Explorer
    Mar 14, 2022
    I don't know about speeds up hills but I still jump as high as I always did I just don't stay up as long.
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Mar 14, 2022
    Not following....are you worried your new truck will be a turd up a hill like the old moho, or thinking aboot trading it in on a Ford?
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Mar 14, 2022
    I ascend at 55 in California and 60 in other states. Could go faster but I’m not interested. Forty-five isn’t bad and if I get caught behind a 45er, no problem.
  • KD4UPL's avatar
    KD4UPL
    Explorer
    Mar 14, 2022
    I generally drive (towing or not) at the posted speed limit. Be it 45 or 70 that's what I try to run. The one exception is when towing my flat bed trailer which has tires only rated for 65 MPH.
    Depending on which truck, which trailer, and which hill I may or may not be able to maintain the posted speed limit. I use every bit of throttle, HP, RPM, whatever to keep my speed as close to the posted limit as I can. If I'm towing the boat with my Duramax truck I could probably run 80 MPH up the mountain if I really wanted too. If I've got an excavator on the flatbed behind a gas powered truck then on some mountains 35 MPH is all it will do with my foot flat on the floor.
  • Diamond_c's avatar
    Diamond_c
    Nomad
    Mar 14, 2022
    We have a 2020 f250 with a 6.7l diesel pulling a41 ft 5th wheel. I don’t know what the grade are but we pull every hill and mountain between Nashville and Gatlinburg at posted speed limits, or mabe a little more.
  • jfritz_drfritz's avatar
    jfritz_drfritz
    Explorer
    Mar 14, 2022
    I would relax about the speed. I doubt that there would be more than 5 mph difference between the various brands. If going 70 mph up any reasonable grade is your important criteria then get a class 8 truck with an 18 speed and the biggest engine option and numerically low differential
  • richclover's avatar
    richclover
    Explorer
    Mar 14, 2022
    “…Most videos I have seen (2019) have people flooring the RAM and getting to 45mph on 6% hills towing 28K lbs. What can I expect towing 16k? Does the RAM have enough power to keep up good speed going up hill? If so, what are you towing and what is your tow vehicle?…”

    I’m towing about 12,000 lbs. No problem holding 65-70 on some significant hills. Parleys Canyon, I-80 east of Salt Lake and the “Sisters”, I-80 east of Evanston, Wy, come to mind. Along with Scipio Pass and similar on I15 in UT. The Cummins doesn’t care, just more fuel and DEF ;). My 5’er tires are rated at 75 mph.
  • Me_Again's avatar
    Me_Again
    Explorer III
    Mar 15, 2022
    24,500 lbs combined I never had a issue of going slow on Western mountain pass with my 2015 3500 Ram 4x4 SRW HO.

  • StirCrazy's avatar
    StirCrazy
    Moderator
    Mar 15, 2022
    I pull a 42 foot 5th and coming up the coquahalla in the grade 6 areas I can maintain 75 (speed limit) pretty much but the grade 9 and 11 sections slow me down to about 55 in a stock 2014 f350 diesel.

    Steve
  • ford_truck_guy's avatar
    ford_truck_guy
    Nomad
    Mar 15, 2022
    my 2020 1 ton W/6.7 loves pulling my 42' fifth wheel up hills..... What a beast, this combination of 6.7 and the 10 speed has made for an awesome tow vehicle !!!

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