Mountain driving and towing with a gas class A

[hoopers]

Just wondering what opinions are out there about towing 3000 lbs behind a newer gas class A motorhome. Mostly in the mountains. F53 with the 365 hp Ford motor.
Also, are the brakes good enough to stop or slow down on steep hwy grades? I would think good trailer brakes would help too.

Just looking for opinions...

[et2]

If the design engineers and engine manufacture say you can ... You can, within specs. Gas, diesel, or whatever. They wouldn't sell many MH's if you couldn't go up and down mountains.

Some people need to be to the top of the hill first. Just waive at them as you pass them at the next gas station.

Select the right gear on descent and let the engine do the work, only stab the brake to slow as needed, maybe a lower gear is needed at that time where speed is constantly building. Most of the time you could probably descend without using them at all.

[Vulcaneer]

bsinmich wrote:
I don't know of any gas motorhome ever built that weighed 25000# and I have been doing this since 1969.

Well now you do know of some. See F53 GVWR

[bsinmich]

Vulcaneer wrote:
I don't remember the OP asking for a comparison (or even an opinion) of a 450HP Diesel MH to his 365HP Gasser? So where does remark that even come from? And what does it do to help with the OP's question?

But as long as you bring it up, I would not have an issue towing a 3000# vehicle behind a 450HP DP that weighs 40,000 pounds. But that is my opinion, too. If your opinion is that the 365HP gasser does it better, then good for you. You are welcomed to your opinion. I don't agree...but that does not mean that I think you are uneducated. But that is my opinion too.

The uneducated part is probably because you have no motorhome experience. You then changed it to anything over 25000#. I don't know of any gas motorhome ever built that weighed 25000# and I have been doing this since 1969.

[Vulcaneer]

I don't remember the OP asking for a comparison (or even an opinion) of a 450HP Diesel MH to his 365HP Gasser? So where does remark that even come from? And what does it do to help with the OP's question?

But as long as you bring it up, I would not have an issue towing a 3000# vehicle behind a 450HP DP that weighs 40,000 pounds. But that is my opinion, too. If your opinion is that the 365HP gasser does it better, then good for you. You are welcomed to your opinion. I don't agree...but that does not mean that I think you are uneducated. But that is my opinion too.

[Deano56]

Ductape wrote:

Effy wrote:

Vulcaneer wrote:
Here is my opinion. If the Class A Gas MH weighs more than 15,000 pounds I wouldn't do it. Not that you can't do it. But it is just because it would drive me crazy to drive a slug like that. Uphill would be frustrating. Downhill would very nervous. Downshifting will be your friend going downhill. Keep off the brakes as much as you can.

What is your rear gear ratio? Hope it is 4:56 or lower.

This is obviously an uneducated answer. MANY on here who actually have class A's with the F53 can easily pull 3k up and down a mountain despite being 16-23k rigs. I can't speak for a 5er so I wouldn't.

X2. Which will be better on a grade, 20k lbs of gas MH with 362 hp or 40k lbs of diesel with 450? Do the math. Even at max GCW of 26k the F53 has a better power to weight ratio than most diesels.

the torque on the 450 hp diesel will be much greater than a gas engine, torque pulls

[Ductape]

Effy wrote:

Vulcaneer wrote:
Here is my opinion. If the Class A Gas MH weighs more than 15,000 pounds I wouldn't do it. Not that you can't do it. But it is just because it would drive me crazy to drive a slug like that. Uphill would be frustrating. Downhill would very nervous. Downshifting will be your friend going downhill. Keep off the brakes as much as you can.

What is your rear gear ratio? Hope it is 4:56 or lower.

This is obviously an uneducated answer. MANY on here who actually have class A's with the F53 can easily pull 3k up and down a mountain despite being 16-23k rigs. I can't speak for a 5er so I wouldn't.

X2. Which will be better on a grade, 20k lbs of gas MH with 362 hp or 40k lbs of diesel with 450? Do the math. Even at max GCW of 26k the F53 has a better power to weight ratio than most diesels.

[Goldencrazy]

Tow haul. Use it. Newer ones it works wonderfully as an exhaust brake. Up and down mountains very comfortably.

[sealevel_ram]

We had an Infinity 38 foot MH with the Ford V-10, and always towed either a Chevy S-10 or Jeep Liberty.
Can't say we did ALL the passes, but we traveled all over the western US and parts of Canada for 5 years. My wife would sometimes say on the way up, "are we going to make it?".
We always did, and had a great time.

[Vulcaneer]

Effy...If you read my post you would see that it says "Not that you can't do it." Just that I would not choose to do it if it was me. I don't like driving or traveling that way. No doubt the MH will pull up those grades and also get down the other side.

But not something I would enjoy doing. How can you say that is uneducated? I know what a V10 30V can do. I had one.

That being said, I will concede I did mis-type the weight. Should have said $25,000#.

[wallynm]

We drove La Veta and Wolf Creek passes with a 275 HP 99 V-10 with no particular problems towing a car on a dolly. Gear down going up and gear down going down. Use the brake as little as possible and gears as much as possible. Transmission will up shift going down hill and you can use the brakes to slow down enough so it will down shift and provide braking.

[Crazy_Ray]

I have NO problem with my GAS eng towing a Honda. JMO

[hoopers]

I typically tow an enclosed ATV trailer, which totals about 3000 lbs. An open trailer with no trailer brakes. I am thinking about getting trailer brakes, or a new trailer with them.

I think the gear ratio is 5.38 on a 2014 Newmar Bay Sport 2903. One that I looked at.

It is good to hear the positive stories.

[the_silverback]

You will not have any problem. I have done 10 and 14 % grades towing, with no problem.

[mowermech]

I have actually done mountain towing with my coach (see sig.), towing a Jeep Rubicon Unlimited (mildly modified; winch, custom bumpers, 30 gallon fuel tank, extra skid plates, etc.). I have no idea what the Jeep weighed, but I imagine it was well over 3000 lbs. I crossed the Continental Divide (Marias Pass, Hwy 2; Monida Pass, I-15; Homestake Pass, I-90) many times.
I towed the same Jeep with a 1995 Tioga Class C, E350 chassis, Ford 460 V8 engine. Again, over the Continental Divide.
I never had any problems.

[Effy]

Vulcaneer wrote:
Here is my opinion. If the Class A Gas MH weighs more than 15,000 pounds I wouldn't do it. Not that you can't do it. But it is just because it would drive me crazy to drive a slug like that. Uphill would be frustrating. Downhill would very nervous. Downshifting will be your friend going downhill. Keep off the brakes as much as you can.

What is your rear gear ratio? Hope it is 4:56 or lower.

This is obviously an uneducated answer. MANY on here who actually have class A's with the F53 can easily pull 3k up and down a mountain despite being 16-23k rigs. I can't speak for a 5er so I wouldn't.