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Pulling a Travel Trailer across I70

mjames
Explorer
Explorer
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
12 REPLIES 12

lbrjet
Explorer
Explorer
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.
2010 F250 4X4 5.4L 3.73 LS
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equalizer E4 1200/12000

lbrjet
Explorer
Explorer
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.
2010 F250 4X4 5.4L 3.73 LS
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equalizer E4 1200/12000

kknowlton
Explorer II
Explorer II
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.
2020 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 5.7L V8 w/ tow pkg, Equal-i-zer
2020 Lance 2375

Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Explorer
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.
~ Too many freaks & not enough circuses ~


"Life is not tried ~ it is merely survived ~ if you're standing
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JIMNLIN
Explorer
Explorer
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.
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers

'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er 11200 two slides

3oaks
Explorer
Explorer
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
Explorer
Explorer
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.
A & A parents of DD 2005, DS1 2007, DS2 2009
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K_Charles
Explorer
Explorer
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
Explorer
Explorer
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.
'99 Volvo VNL610 - 425 HP Volvo; Super 10 Spd
'13 smart CityFlame on Volvo
'05 Newmar Mountain Aire 35 BLKS
Trailer Saver; Bigfoot; Pressure-Pro.
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Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
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.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

Dick_B
Explorer
Explorer
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.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2011 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two electric bikes (both Currie Tech Path+ models)

Davion206
Explorer
Explorer
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!!!
2018 Coachmen Leprechaun 260ds
2016 Colorado 4x4
Ed and Joyce and Luci Lou