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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 07:04 AM
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From: Battle Mountain NV
High altitude

I am looking at a relocation possibly this spring, may be moving to a location of approx 10,000 ft in Colorado. Where I'm at now is around 1000ft.
Wondering if for those who have traveled thru or for folks that may live at these altitudes if you notice any changes in performance in our trucks.
Thx
 
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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 09:32 AM
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Originally Posted by uscgmkcret03
I am looking at a relocation possibly this spring, may be moving to a location of approx 10,000 ft in Colorado. Where I'm at now is around 1000ft.
Wondering if for those who have traveled thru or for folks that may live at these altitudes if you notice any changes in performance in our trucks.
Thx
I've not driven at high altitudes with my 6.7L truck, but I've been through the mountains with other diesel trucks. Power dropped off some, but the most noticeable difference was the increase in turbo lag.

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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 11:25 AM
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I wouldn't worry about it I drive my truck exclusively at 4k feet and above to 10k some say our engines don't compare well to chevy at altitude, I don't know if thats it or the truck just defuels at highway speeds.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 02:06 PM
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Like Cowboy, I live at 4500 foot and often tow my horses to trail heads in the 8,000 to 10,000 foot range. Don't notice any problems. Just go and enjoy it.

It's not like the old days of carburators, where you had to rejet your carbs to match with the elevation. PCM in the truck reads the barometric pressure and adjust the fuel accordingly.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 04:49 PM
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I live at 7700 ft and constantly run down the hill to Denver and back, mostly unloaded. 65 - 75 mph up the hill and still room to go much faster but this is unloaded. With my TT in tow, no problem at all up the hill at 65 mph with again, still room to go faster but no reason to in tow so I don't. Been as high as 9k with it and ran fine.

You going to Leadville? I've not had it up to 10k yet, or through Eisenhower tunnel but I am not concerned...it runs great. Should be up and over Loveland pass soon but work responsibilities
 
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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by cummins cowboy
I wouldn't worry about it I drive my truck exclusively at 4k feet and above to 10k some say our engines don't compare well to chevy at altitude, I don't know if thats it or the truck just defuels at highway speeds.
Seems like I remember FoMoCo offering an improvement with the 2012's in this category.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 05:50 PM
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Kper. I believe you are correct. I just cant place exactly what they did.
 
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Old Oct 23, 2012 | 11:30 PM
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I live in col springs at 6700 ft. Pull the 5er all over the place here and notice no power drop, if i compare my 2012 to my 07 6.0l, it outpreforms it at altitude hands down. We drive to the top of pikes peak 12,000 ft regularly and my old 6.0l bucked towards the top every time. Seems the turbo was starved for air and produced a surging throttle i couldnt control. The twin turbo is smooth as silk up top the peak with no bucking or surging. As mentioned above, maybe a high altitude improvement was made in the 2012s. My truck pulls hard up ute pass here which is a twisty climb up to 10k feet with our loaded toyhauler.....the new truck sips fuel up here compared to my old 6.0 which drank a half tank here to the camping spot. New truck only uses an 1/4 tank.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2012 | 04:58 AM
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I used to live on Colo and have driven all over it. You will be fine. I never really noticed any drop off.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2012 | 05:54 AM
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I'd like to point out that there was never really any deficiency at altitude, just that it didn't pull quite as well as the Silverado. Lots of folks here in the 6.7L forum took umbrage to the fact that the Silverado won this test, but remember that they were pulling 18,920 lbs of trailer up the nastiest interestate mountain grade in the country.

I've pulled up to the Eisenhower tunnel loaded heavy before, and it was the only time I've ever overheated a truck. The cooling system was working just fine though, the cooling fan just couldn't move enough air through the radiator to keep that thing cool. The grade is that bad. A 42 MPH average speed is really good for being that heavy up that hill.

I'm absolutely certain that there is power loss at altitude. But it's really not that bad, and nowhere near the power loss a non-turbo engine would have.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2012 | 06:42 AM
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Ive been thru eisehower tunnel more time than i can count. Yes you will loose power. All you gotta do is get out and try walking around. Alot of folks need oxygen that high. Well our diesel is the same way.it would love to have more air. But i dont need to go any faster going up. Im more. Concerned going down. You wont have problems.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2012 | 12:26 PM
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I just pulled from coast-to-coast and I definitely noticed a difference in performance when running through some of the mountains. More than once I was questioning whether something was wrong, but I'm also pulling 18,000 pounds. After a couple times of that, I noticed it was always at altitude and pulling grades.

I'm glad I only have to do that once a year! And this is MY experience only.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2012 | 10:51 PM
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From: Battle Mountain NV
Yes to Leadville.
Just got home from a quick recon trip to area to check things out, awesome country.. Wish I would have had more time to explore, Flew into Denver Monday night, drove to Leadville and back to Denver Tues, flew out Wed morn.
By watching a couple 6.7's blow by my 6 cyl rental going up to the Eisenhower tunnel, I decided that getting up will not be as big of issue as dropping down loaded could be.
 
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Old Oct 24, 2012 | 11:01 PM
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Yea beautiful country, miss Colorado.
 
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Old Oct 25, 2012 | 04:58 AM
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Originally Posted by uscgmkcret03
Yes to Leadville.
Just got home from a quick recon trip to area to check things out, awesome country.. Wish I would have had more time to explore, Flew into Denver Monday night, drove to Leadville and back to Denver Tues, flew out Wed morn.
By watching a couple 6.7's blow by my 6 cyl rental going up to the Eisenhower tunnel, I decided that getting up will not be as big of issue as dropping down loaded could be.
Leadville is so nice...lucky man! I have lived in Grand Junction, Pueblo and the springs..family in Denver.

Do it!
 
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