greetings to all


I have a few questions regarding travelling with a 5th wheel through the mountains. first off - I have an 06 f250 v8 powerstroke deisal. it is equiped with tow/haul package, and airlift superduty airsprings. I am pulling a Montana 3400RL ( yes I know i am overweight, but it would be overweight with a 350 as well) I am going from FT Jackson, South Carolina to FT Lewis Washington in Mid November. My primary route would be I40, to Arizona. After Arizona I am not sure wether to take US95 to Reno or continue to I5 and continue up the coast to Tacoma. Although weather may determine road travel I also want to skirt challenging mountain roads with steep grades and areas of dense traffic (IE Los Angeles). This is my first long hual and first time to pull through mountains. Any suggestions on route and how to tow safely through mountains would be appreciated. Specifically I wonder when should I drop to a lower gear climbing and coming down. Any and all responses are appreciated.

 

That ought to be a nice trip, and Fort Lewis is a nice place to be stationed (assuming you are PCSing). I can't really give advice on the route as I flew out there when I went, but with regards to your truck I have a feeling it will let you know when you need to downshift, etc. I would be willing to bet you are going to spend a LOT of your drive with the OD off, which is also going to make for a slower-going tip. Best of luck, you should be fine, just dont get in a hurrry and be sure to do regular PMCS on your truck and trailer throughout the trip.

Also, just my two cents, but I dont think the phrase "I know i am overweight, but it would be overweight with a 350 as well" is a real good defense. Most guys on this forum don't berate you over weights, this isn't RV.net .

 

Hey Bob...I made that trip up I-5 from S. Cal to Tacoma a few years back pulling my old 5th wheel....was heaver than my present one ..... with my 05 6.0. Used tow/haul on those mountain passes and don't think you will have a problem. Just leave it in tow/haul and it'll also save your brakes on the downhills.... I thought it was amazing! Can't help you with the weather, it was July when I did it!

 

Yes I am PCS'ing and I have 30 days to do it - This trip is on my bucket list and I am excited to do it while still young. No more than 8 hours of driving per day with a few extended stopovers along the way

 

Absolutely! I tow very heavy through the mtns and keeping it in Tow/Haul (all the time) is the best thing anyone with a PSD automatic should do As the trip progesses, you will get the feel for how the truck shifts, both up & down.

If you want a lower gear while pulling a hill, depress the gas pedal and it will downshift... for a higher gear, let off the pedal slightly and it will upshift. To downshift on a downhill, simply tap the brakes and the truck will downshift to hold you at a certain speed- Although sometimes you may need to start the big downhills at slower speed (50-55mph) so that you are not exceeding the speed limit at the bottom.

Good luck and as BP said, it really is amazing

 

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B9O...yMDEy&hl=en_US

my set-up

 

If you are taking I-40 thru AZ, I know that road pretty well. You will not have steep grades till you get past Flagstaff. From there , you will go down for 30 miles or so, then you start the rather long climbs. They are pretty straight, but it will pull you down and pretty good. The area past Seligman will slow you down to climb up and then the up and down. Just make sure you get fuel in Flag (even though Winslow will be cheaper) and then you should make Kingman easy if you do not have an auxilary tank. The road is not really curvy, but is 6-9% plus grades in several areas and will make the truck work pretty hard for many miles at a time. Take your time from Flag to Kingman, its rather remote with limited services past Williams (turn off to the Grand Canyon). There are a few areas to pull off and do "brake checks". I advise, with your load, to use these. The first time I went thru there in a Class A, I said "I don't need to do that" well I wish I had stopped and done a check. You will be ok, just don't push it that 140 miles and the rest should be a piece of cake. Oh, Wind thru western Oklahoma, Texas Panhandle and Eastern New Mexico could be a factor. It always blows from OKC to Moriarity, NM. Again, use your best judgement and all will be fine. Have a Safe one!

 

That time of year, I40 to I5 north will be the safe bet. You could probably make it on any of the interstates, I80 to 84 to 5 north or i90. Depends on the weather.

Welcome to the Pacific Northwet! The summers are the best.

 

Camperbob,
I would stay on I-40 across to Barstow then head n/w on 58 over to the Central Valley (Bakersfield) and north on 99 until you connect with I-5 near Sacramento. I-40 is pretty flat out of Kingman except a pretty good grade just west of Needles and a slight grade near Tehachapi (more of a downgrade going west). Once you get to the Central Valley it isn't the most scenic route but it is very flat.
Not until north Cal and Oregon will you find more climbing. Weather wise, you won't need to worry about possible snow until the Siskiyou's Mtns in So Oregon.
Good luck and enjoy.