Black Mountain Up and Down advice

[zackyboy3rs]

Been awhile since descending BM and I have never went up BM (diffenert route prior). As I am traveling west (up) I will be using my truck (signature) and pulling my parents TT - 7500 to 8000 pounds. What advice can y’all share? I am from Eastern NC so I don’t make many trips to mountains. Thanks

[zackyboy3rs]

sgfrye wrote:
on a side note where are you staying on this trip?

Mama Gerties Swannona.

[sgfrye]

on a side note where are you staying on this trip?

[sgfrye]

zackyboy3rs wrote:

BarabooBob wrote:
The speed limit for trucks and Rv's is 35 mph going down Black Mountain. I came down doing 35 mph with my F150 pulling a 3000 pound TT. By downshifting, I never had to touch the brakes (yes, I know that this is a very light TT.) Several RV's and trucks pulling TT's blew past me but I was not trying to get in a hurry so I stayed at the speed limit. Most of the heavy trucks stayed at about 30 mph.

Yes I am not going to be in a hurry. It will be early Sunday morning when I descend.

x2 on this

wife and i went up and down this stretch 3 weeks ago. our tt is about 7500lbs loaded to camp. our truck is a f250 gasser. no problems up or down but going up and down the semis in right lane will be crawling. middle lane worked fine for us.

going down i averaged about 40mph using tow haul and little footbraking.

[zackyboy3rs]

BarabooBob wrote:
The speed limit for trucks and Rv's is 35 mph going down Black Mountain. I came down doing 35 mph with my F150 pulling a 3000 pound TT. By downshifting, I never had to touch the brakes (yes, I know that this is a very light TT.) Several RV's and trucks pulling TT's blew past me but I was not trying to get in a hurry so I stayed at the speed limit. Most of the heavy trucks stayed at about 30 mph.

Yes I am not going to be in a hurry. It will be early Sunday morning when I descend.

[BarabooBob]

The speed limit for trucks and Rv's is 35 mph going down Black Mountain. I came down doing 35 mph with my F150 pulling a 3000 pound TT. By downshifting, I never had to touch the brakes (yes, I know that this is a very light TT.) Several RV's and trucks pulling TT's blew past me but I was not trying to get in a hurry so I stayed at the speed limit. Most of the heavy trucks stayed at about 30 mph.

[Retired_JSO]

Black Mountain Info

[wecamp04]

zackyboy3rs wrote:
Last trip (pulling 5th wheel) I think I used 3rd gear and stay 35-45 max & had no problems. Going down.

You just answered your own question

[zackyboy3rs]

Last trip (pulling 5th wheel) I think I used 3rd gear and stay 35-45 max & had no problems. Going down.

[jaycocamprs]

Black Mountain isn't any steeper than Mounteagle,Jelico, or Sams Gap. What makes Black Mountain bad is the curves. Black Mountain has a vertical descent of 1,361 ft. over a distance of 4.8 miles, about 6%. Zackyboy3rs stated that he is pulling a TT, not his 5th wheel. So starting slow with a unfamiliar trailer on a unfamiliar crooked steep down hill road is good, you can always speed up.

[Ralph_Cramden]

dave17352 wrote:

Merrykalia wrote:
You are on an interstate highway (I assume you are on I-40), so don't hold it back to 35 or 40 mph. That could get you killed with traffic flying by you going 60 mph.

I respectfully disagree with this. I think you should pick your speed and choose the gear to hold you at that speed without braking.

Yea thats some bad advice. Yes its an interstate highway but it also has a mandatory stop at the crest for big rigs, limits them to 35 mph descending, has a descent lane, and a runaway ramp.

The idiots who are flying down that grade at 60.....actually it is more like 75 to 80 are the ones who are risking the catastrophe, since the limit is 55. Not the truck doing 35 or the RVer doing 40 while under control trying to save brakes.

[dave17352]

Merrykalia wrote:
I will agree that you need to hold it back a bit going downhill, but if you use your tow/haul mode on your truck and hold it back to about 50 to begin your descent. You are on an interstate highway (I assume you are on I-40), so don't hold it back to 35 or 40 mph. That could get you killed with traffic flying by you going 60 mph. Use your brake to slow you down to about 50, then let it coast on down until you get about 60, then brake again to slow it down to 50. Keep doing this all the way down the mountain.

I respectfully disagree with this. I think you should pick your speed and choose the gear to hold you at that speed without braking.

[Merrykalia]

I will agree that you need to hold it back a bit going downhill, but if you use your tow/haul mode on your truck and hold it back to about 50 to begin your descent. You are on an interstate highway (I assume you are on I-40), so don't hold it back to 35 or 40 mph. That could get you killed with traffic flying by you going 60 mph. Use your brake to slow you down to about 50, then let it coast on down until you get about 60, then brake again to slow it down to 50. Keep doing this all the way down the mountain.

[dave17352]

Just make sure your tranny controls your down hill speed. Do NOT control your speed with your brakes. Or they may overheat and then you will have no brakes!!

[Lwiddis]

Use the same gear going down as you did going up...or one lower. Don’t ride the brakes. Slow your rig below the speed you want and then release the brakes. You’ll be fine! Westerners aren’t better drivers than Tarheels, we are just used to it.