Hot weather towing

[marpel]

'22 GMC Sierra 2500HD, 6000lb trailer.

Will be heading to Denver Co from Vancouver BC in a week or so.

Have towed this route a number of times in the past, mostly in spring or fall, so the temperatures were less than current. Usually have done the Interstates through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, then either I80 or down to I70 from Salt Lake City, but have done I90 east then south down I25 as well. Regardless, mountain ascents are encountered (although I70 is significant).

Appears this heat is affecting every state in the south/southwest. Due to schedule, we will be travelling about 8-10 hours a day both ways, and only early morning/late night is not feasible.

For those pulling in this heat, any issues encountered or any suggested changes to routine?

Marv

[marpel]

Thanks all for the replies.

Yes, the truck is rated for 14500lbs, so am less worried about the weight of the trailer. Just wondering about the excessive heat and whether that changes anything, especially going up steep grades and hours of driving a day.

And I am a bit OCD when it comes to tires (vehicle and trailer), in fact am in the process of putting brand new ones on the trailer (Goodyear Endurance), so they can't be in any better shape than that. Good suggestion about regular inspection.

Marv

[valhalla360]

Bare minimum that truck should be rated for 12 to 15k lbs trailer... 6k should be a dawdle.

As others have said, check your tire pressure and follow the manufacturer pressure recommendations. Also a good idea to stop and feel the tires and hubs an hour or so into the day to make sure they aren't overheating...of course I do that anyway regardless of the temperature.

[ktmrfs]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you have any issues I highly suggest trading in that truck!!!

exactly!!

We've towed our almost 10K lb trailer all over including at times with temps near 100 and high temps over pretty long passes. Not an issue with today's trucks. Was 30 or 40 years ago with marginal cooling systems on trucks along with marginal power.

Also we haven't had any tire issues in these conditions either on the truck or trailer.

[way2roll]

My biggest concern would be cooling the rv down once you get there.

[Cummins12V98]

If you have any issues I highly suggest trading in that truck!!!

[BB_TX]

As long as you have good tires, I would not worry about it. We used to make annual trips from DFW area to Colorado every July towing our 35' 5er behind our F350, traveling from about 7-8 am, reaching Texas panhandle mid afternoon, and usually stopping in stopping somewhere in New Mexico late in the day. Around 10 hours or more depending on where we stopped. Mid day temps across north TX and the TX panhandle were usually 100+ and as high as 106. Truck temperature never went above the normal temp range. Even stopped on a remote section of I-40 for 45 minutes one time due to highway closed for an accident. Michelin tires on both the truck and 5er and tire temps were never overly high as shown on both my TPMS and an infrared thermometer. Relax and enjoy the trip.

[dedmiston]

I have zero science to back this up, so feel free to treat it as the ramblings of a superstitious native...

I always check/fill my tires the night before a trip.

One time we had two blowouts as we towed though a hot desert (100°+). I attribute this to filling the tires "cold" the night before when it was probably in the 60s and then the tires expanding when the daytime heat got into the 100s.

So now I factor this in when I know the next day's drive is going to be a hot one. I'll back off 5° below my usual target PSI to give some wiggle room for expansion.

Now excuse me while I go toss another virgin into the volcano.

[time2roll]

Worst case slow down a bit and downshift to keep the rpm up some.
My older, smaller truck pulls a larger trailer in worse conditions.
The real issue is to have utility power at the destination to cool the trailer.
+1 to check your trailer tires daily.

[Retired_JSO]

I wouldn’t worry about your truck but the trailers tires may cause a problem.