Pulling a Travel Trailer across I70

[mjames]

My wife and I are newbie fulltimers and are going to Denver in May.We are going to Utah via I70.We are pulling a 32' Ultra Light Rockwood Windjammer7500 lbs loaded with a 2012 Ford F150 twin turbo eco boost with trailer package.Is this doable across the rockies? Any concerns

[lbrjet]

You will need to be in 2nd gear going down to stay off the brakes and will see 5K RPM's. Just put it in tow/haul and let the computer do its thing and you should have no trouble at all.

[lbrjet]

Dick_B wrote:
Yea, I'd be concerned as I am now contemplating such a trip with my 3/4 T Suburban with 6.0L gas engine. I'm not sure it will make it UP the mountains. It probably will make it in 1st gear at 15 mph but I'm not sure I want to do that. One also loses horsepower at altitude.
My 8.1L Suburban made it just fine.

I was worried too hauling 8500lbs with my 5.4L over the mountains. It was actually a piece of cake. We spent 10 weeks in CO and UT and crossed 6 passes over 9500 feet. Will be back in the high country again this summer and won't give it a second thought this time around. I'm sure you will have no problems. As APT said just press on the gas. I am always more concerned going down than up. Keep your RPM's around 4K going down and that tranny should hold you back just fine.

[kknowlton]

All good advice. We have pulled our 34-foot, 7500-lb (or so) TT with a Tundra 6.0L 1/2 ton up some pretty good long grades, no problem. Going slower, gearing down as needed, etc. should help when going down those grades. You shouldn't have a problem.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

3oaks wrote:

Dennis M M wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

mjames wrote:
My wife and I are newbie fulltimers and are going to Denver in May.We are going to Utah via I70.We are pulling a 32' Ultra Light Rockwood Windjammer7500 lbs loaded with a 2012 Ford F150 twin turbo eco boost with trailer package.Is this doable across the rockies? Any concerns

Why wouldn't it? You are well UNDER the rating for the truck. A turbo does not lose HP, or Torque at the higher elevations. Interstate grades are not real bad. So going UP is not an issue.

I would however start down at a very conservative speed, and a low gear. like 2nd. Remember. It is easier to keep the speed down, and rig under control, than it is to get it back after you have lost speed control. The engine will hold you back pretty good if you use the low gears.

Absolutely correct! Start very slow - let the traffic go around you - pick your max comfortable speed (25-30-35) and start out 10 MPH below it, when you reach your max speed brake FIRMLY back to start speed and release brakes; Let the brakes cool as speed builds back up and repeat. Do this all the way down. DO NOT ride the brake pedal, keep your foot off the brake pedal more than on it.

I totally agree with all that is stated. Too many drivers start their descent down a steep/long grade at much too fast then are almost to the point of panic trying to slow down. If the tow vehicle is rated for the load, it is capable of handling that load, provided the trailer brakes are in good condition and properly adjusted. It's the driver that must know how to maintain control. Even professional big rig drivers sometimes loose control while descending a hill too fast.

Exactly! My family has pulled that many times with a 1969 Chevy with a small block and a 7,000 lb TT. That truck is rated somewhere around 175hp at the wheels at sea level. Now take 30% off of that for the altitude.

With your truck you have waaaaaaaaaay more than 175hp to the wheels and you don't lose any power because of the turbo's.

You will have no problems at all. Have fun.

[JIMNLIN]

Well I as thousands before me and after me have pulled a 7k-8k trailer all over the southern Rocky Mountains with a '70s era smallblock v8 with a romp stompin' 175 hp pickup. If we could do it you will have no problem with a vastly superior truck.

I've found the biggest issue pulling any trailer is going east-west through say western KS is 35-45 mph winds all day long usually out of the south.

[3oaks]

Dennis M M wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

mjames wrote:
My wife and I are newbie fulltimers and are going to Denver in May.We are going to Utah via I70.We are pulling a 32' Ultra Light Rockwood Windjammer7500 lbs loaded with a 2012 Ford F150 twin turbo eco boost with trailer package.Is this doable across the rockies? Any concerns

Why wouldn't it? You are well UNDER the rating for the truck. A turbo does not lose HP, or Torque at the higher elevations. Interstate grades are not real bad. So going UP is not an issue.

I would however start down at a very conservative speed, and a low gear. like 2nd. Remember. It is easier to keep the speed down, and rig under control, than it is to get it back after you have lost speed control. The engine will hold you back pretty good if you use the low gears.

Absolutely correct! Start very slow - let the traffic go around you - pick your max comfortable speed (25-30-35) and start out 10 MPH below it, when you reach your max speed brake FIRMLY back to start speed and release brakes; Let the brakes cool as speed builds back up and repeat. Do this all the way down. DO NOT ride the brake pedal, keep your foot off the brake pedal more than on it.

I totally agree with all that is stated. Too many drivers start their descent down a steep/long grade at much too fast then are almost to the point of panic trying to slow down. If the tow vehicle is rated for the load, it is capable of handling that load, provided the trailer brakes are in good condition and properly adjusted. It's the driver that must know how to maintain control. Even professional big rig drivers sometimes loose control while descending a hill too fast.

[APT]

OP should have no problems with mountains. Let the engine sing when it needs to. Some Ecoboost owners have commented about the lack of engine braking particularly downhill. Again, let it sing. With the available torque under 3000rpm many owners never need to exceed that going up. But you still want 5000rpm going down.

Dick_B, put the pedal down! 3rd gear 60mph 4500rpmm shouldn't be a problem for the truck, so get your mind over it. Wear ear plugs if you want. That 6.0L doesn't wake up until 3500rpm and sounds great to my ears pulling hard to 5700rpm.

[K_Charles]

Our Rockwood is a little over 8000 lb and we had no trouble doing I70 with our X. The V10 gas stayed at the speed limit on the way up and we went down at about 45 in 2nd gear.

[Dennis_M_M]

Terryallan wrote:

mjames wrote:
My wife and I are newbie fulltimers and are going to Denver in May.We are going to Utah via I70.We are pulling a 32' Ultra Light Rockwood Windjammer7500 lbs loaded with a 2012 Ford F150 twin turbo eco boost with trailer package.Is this doable across the rockies? Any concerns

Why wouldn't it? You are well UNDER the rating for the truck. A turbo does not lose HP, or Torque at the higher elevations. Interstate grades are not real bad. So going UP is not an issue.

I would however start down at a very conservative speed, and a low gear. like 2nd. Remember. It is easier to keep the speed down, and rig under control, than it is to get it back after you have lost speed control. The engine will hold you back pretty good if you use the low gears.

Absolutely correct! Start very slow - let the traffic go around you - pick your max comfortable speed (25-30-35) and start out 10 MPH below it, when you reach your max speed brake FIRMLY back to start speed and release brakes; Let the brakes cool as speed builds back up and repeat. Do this all the way down. DO NOT ride the brake pedal, keep your foot off the brake pedal more than on it.

[Terryallan]

mjames wrote:
My wife and I are newbie fulltimers and are going to Denver in May.We are going to Utah via I70.We are pulling a 32' Ultra Light Rockwood Windjammer7500 lbs loaded with a 2012 Ford F150 twin turbo eco boost with trailer package.Is this doable across the rockies? Any concerns

Why wouldn't it? You are well UNDER the rating for the truck. A turbo does not lose HP, or Torque at the higher elevations. Interstate grades are not real bad. So going UP is not an issue.

I would however start down at a very conservative speed, and a low gear. like 2nd. Remember. It is easier to keep the speed down, and rig under control, than it is to get it back after you have lost speed control. The engine will hold you back pretty good if you use the low gears.

[Dick_B]

Yea, I'd be concerned as I am now contemplating such a trip with my 3/4 T Suburban with 6.0L gas engine. I'm not sure it will make it UP the mountains. It probably will make it in 1st gear at 15 mph but I'm not sure I want to do that. One also loses horsepower at altitude.
My 8.1L Suburban made it just fine.

[Davion206]

We had a Windjammer 3008 we pulled with a Chev 1500 6.2 truck. It pulled it fine up the mountains, but scared us enough going down the hills that we now have a Ram 3500 dually. The Windjammer wanted to push us too much. Of course, since we had more truck, we got the larger Windjammer 3025. Love it!!!