Tehachapi pass
Hi. I am in Temecula, heading to Bay Area. We have a 31 ft fifth wheel. I was very anxious coming south over grape vine. How is Tehachapi pass going north? Is that a better choice? Thanks for any advi...
Forum Discussion
TucsonJim wrote:
It's not too bad. It's just like any other mountain pass. Don't let your rig overheat. Gear down and pull at a speed your truck likes. Stay in the slow lane unless it's absolutely necessary to pass a really slow vehicle. If you do need to pass, make sure you have plenty of room if you are going at a slower speed. Some of the cars pull the pass at 75-80 mph, so you won't give them a lot of time to react if you change lanes at a slow speed. Hundreds of RVs and big rigs make the climb daily, and you shouldn't have a problem at all.
Jim....the OP is going North, not South. Going from the high desert to Tehachapi is just a minor climb.
OP, From Tehachapi to the valley floor is almost 95% down hill with a couple of short 6% grades. Typically shifting down one or two gears is more than enough to keep your speed down.
As mentioned, 126 to 101 is a good alternative.
Hope this helps
Ron
