Driving to Durango CO from Moab with a Fifth Wheel

Six percent isn't that steep when you are in the Rockies. And you should not be worrying about hot brakes if you have the proper setup. You should be using exhaust brake or engine brake and a low gear. Save the brakes for when you need them, only applying them when your speed goes up beyond where you would like it.

I used to just shudder following cars or RVs with the brake lights on all the way down a hill. Your question is a good one what shows a lack of experience, not unusual. Most people never polish big rig through the mountains. Just do a lot more research and make sure you have a proper setup. Safety safety safety.

Having “hot” brakes is driver error. Gear down and learn to stab. As cekkk said, six percent isn’t anything in the Rockies or Sierra.

Thank you for the input. We have it all but exhaust brakes. It is me (the wife) with worries. My husband says that he will use the tow/haul option as well as second gear. We went down 6% for 6 miles when driving to Moab from Zion park. We had to stop to let brakes cool off (it was in D and not 2nd like we learned should have been).

It went down ok eventually and I guess we will follow the 2nd gear and Tow/Haul option until getting a new truck with exhaust brakes.

I appreciate your respond!!! Thank you

You're the boss, have the driver pull over and stop!

We followed a car with our car down Pikes Peak with brakes lights on all the way speculating on a problem. At a temperature check he was given a 45 minute rest brake. We continued on.

I meet a group of one friend, part of 6 clueless RVs who came into Jackson Hole, Mt. 3 of them took advantage of the free coffee and popcorn at the Wilson brake shop to the tune of $3,000 EACH. Of course Google maps was blamed. I have no doubt that the employess enjoyed their coffee! :C

The smart one of the three woke up and attended a mountain driving class in Jackson Hole.

Meetravel, if you are pulling with a gasoline engine that gives you a lot of the same effect as a exhaust brake on a diesel. If you have a diesel you can add an exhaust brake, not cheap but cheaper than a new truck. But if you have a gas engine, just use second-gear first gear, whatever keeps you going slow. You are heading for beautiful country, have a really good time.

We did that last summer. Just take time to pull over now and then and cool the brakes down. We did a rv towing avwrangler

I drive 160 at least 20 times a year more like 40 if you count both ways. Between Mancos and Durango there are several up and down hills that go up and over the LaPlata mtns. the first one being Mancos hill is a decent hill up but not bad then once up you do some up and down but nothing really long or hard. The downhill just west of Durango is not to bad. The worst part is the very beginning of it which must be the 6% part. However after the initial part it drops to less. overall it is not bad at all road is good plenty wide has decent shoulders along much of it

Update: it went perfect!!!! 2nd gear, slow drive, tow/haul mode and good work with the brakes. My husband rock it!!!!

Congrats!

We did that drive a couple of years ago. It wasn't bad at all. Much better than the drive from Escalante to Torrey, UT. We always run in tow/haul mode but when going down hills, we go to manual mode for the transmission. That way we can nudge it down as needed. We have actually dropped down to first gear on a steep down hill grade. Just take you time and pull off if you need to.