First long trip

[Allamakee1]

I bought my first travel trailer this past summer and planning a trip this coming summer from Iowa to North/South Carolina.

It's a 2009 Dutchman sport lite 28b (4600 dry) with new tires. TV is a 2005 silverado 1500 z71 3.42 gears with tow package with some upgrades. (Synthetic fluid change in rear axle, heavy duty trans cooler and guage installed, Bilstein shocks, new quality brakes & D tires) I have a p2 bake controller and Equilizer hitch.

I don't plan on hauling any water, basically just some food and camping supplies. I am well under on my all my weights except payload is about 200 shy of the max. I've towed this setup on the interstate before and it did well, but that was only a couple hour stretch.

I'm just curious how it will handle the long trip, particularly Black Mountain? I've read mixed reviews on how difficult it is. I would be interested to hear how people think the trip will go.

[Allamakee1]

I'm curious, where do you think I will be over weight at? I've got wiggle room for the trailer weight. Am I forgetting something?

[Lwiddis]

"I don't plan on hauling any water, basically just some food and camping supplies."

I believe you about not hauling any water but not about "just some food and supplies." You'll be over weight...want to wager on it?

[Campinfan]

DutchmenSport wrote:

Allamakee1 wrote:
The truck does have tow/haul and I always use it. I normally tow in 3rd on the highway and just put it into drive when I get up to speed on the interstate.

I think you'll be JUST fine then! You can still expect your speed to be about 50 mph though. Sounds like you're very comfortable with your truck, so just drive the way you know best and you'll do fine!

To help wet your appetite, these are from December 2016, Dec 24:

I was driving in the same area on the same day. We were heading the Keys in FL. Lots of curves on that road--sharp ones.

[kw_00]

Sounds like u have done all the homework already. Enjoy the trip, you will be fine, town in 3rd and drop to 2 on the hills if need be. The 5.3 likes the revs in the hills so don't worry when it hits 4500rpm at times. It causes no damage to the engine, and will pull just fine. Enjoy.

[Allamakee1]

Thanks Dutchmen

[DutchmenSport]

Allamakee1 wrote:
The truck does have tow/haul and I always use it. I normally tow in 3rd on the highway and just put it into drive when I get up to speed on the interstate.

I think you'll be JUST fine then! You can still expect your speed to be about 50 mph though. Sounds like you're very comfortable with your truck, so just drive the way you know best and you'll do fine!

To help wet your appetite, these are from December 2016, Dec 24:

[Allamakee1]

The truck does have tow/haul and I always use it. I normally tow in 3rd on the highway and just put it into drive when I get up to speed on the interstate.

[DutchmenSport]

I've driven Ashville, NC I-40 many, many times over my lifetime. I driven it with 18 wheeler semi-trucks to a motorcycle. I once crossed over (from Morganton, NC to Indianapolis, IN) with a 1972 Oldsmobile towing an 18 foot U-Haul covered trailer loaded to the max and crossed over just fine. I towed with my 1500 suburban towing my 18 foot Dutchmen Sport Travel Trailer (see my profile on the right - click the link), to my now 3500 diesel pulling my 36 foot Outback.

I will say, I was able to climb that mountain at 70 mph with my motorcycle, and 95 coming down! Oh that was sweet!

My Oldsmobile limped to the top (from the Piedmont side) pulling that trailer, but made it (that was back in 1979. I towed my daughter's car with my 3500 gas duly over that same mountain when she was stationed at Charleston, SC in the Navy. (2007)

We just crossed over that same mountain twice this last December pulling our Outback.

Bottom line ... with your 1500 you can do it. But you do not want to tow in overdrive. Pull the trailer in Drive. Going up those mountains, drop down into the next gear lower and just keep moving forward. Keep the RPM's up on your truck. When you can move to a higher gear, do so. You can probably cross over about 50 mph. Don't be intimidated when everything on the road is passing you. Some spots on that section of road have truck lanes (far left prohibited from trucks). Where those appear, move right. You'll be fine.

If your truck does not have a "tow haul" mode, coming down hill, use a lower gear and let the engine do the braking for you so you won't burn out your breaks. Break only enough to slow down, then down-shift into a lower gear to maintain a SAFE down-hill ride.

You'll have no problems, just use your head and don't let other traffic on the road intimidate you.

(I absolutely LOVE that stretch of road from Knoxville, TN to Morganton, NC. Especially the Ashville area.

Do you know that Ashville, NC is Billy Graham's home? He has a home on one of those mountains.