I towed my 9000# RV from Las Vegas to Wendover over the weekend and I'm wondering which of these two situations would be "better" for the truck.

Situation 1: Towing up a light grade in overdrive. The truck will pull the grade no problem without downshifting, but the EGT's quickly climb into the 1100-1200* range. The air filter is whistling so hard it sounds like it has a dozen Hoovers attached to the exhaust. The RPMs are at about 1800 or so.

Situation 2: Same grade, but overdrive locked out. It tears up the hill, EGT's are 200-300* cooler, but the truck sucks fuel down so fast you can practically see the gauge move. RPM's are 2600 but the filter doesn't whistle.

Which would you rather do? Better yet, what's a good strategy as far as EGT's go? I know the upper limit is 1250, and I back off the throttle as soon as it goes north of 1200, but am I doing any long-term damage by keeping the EGT's in the 1100's, or am I better off sucking down the extra fuel and keeping things cooler.

I generally keep the speed within the 60-65 range.

Thanks for any advice.

 

I'd keep RPM's up and egt's down. Fuel is cheaper than a engine

 

This is my choice as well......and I believe your transmission temps will appreciate it as well from my experience.

 

Absolutely agree with both of the above posts.

Situation #2 using higher RPM's, 2600-2800, which is where the higher horsepower is located, is preferable along with slowing down a little on the grade.

 

^^^ What he said.

 

..........

 

in doing a quick look at the map of your route, it looks like when you jump off I-15 at the Loves truck stop heading north HWY 93 you have a nice pull of some 6-700 ft of vert.. then all with way up to some 6800 ft.. man that is a steady diet of uphill on that dude..

that lake i see on sat view look like a nice place to camp a bit,, on the left going up and has a nice paved trail around it.. bet it nice for bikes or walking. see a nice long ride around that thing.

might get in the habit of pulling stuff at 55 to 60 and watch the MPG go up and EGT go down.

Even in my car when i hit a hill i get in the slow lane and find a spot the engine is pulling nicely and my MPG is still 11-12 vs trying to keep up with the jones getting 3-5 MPG.. yes they get to the top sooner, by like a min or so, but i am more relaxed and have more fuel at the top.. plus when i crest the top I am not moving as fast so less braking to slow in the other side..

WIN WIN WIN..

PS heading back to Vegas its all down hill.. Kick it out of gear and roll that babie...

 

I didn't mention that I spent the night at a hot spring about 20 miles east of Austion. So I took 95 to US 6 to NV 376 then US 50 through Ely and then 93. In a way, going all that way east on 50 was more of a workout for the truck. There were three or four passes at 7000 feet or so, with the valleys at 4000-5000. It was a lot of up and down. The roads were clear and dry and it never once got scary even with all that weight. I'm really glad I went with the Excursion.

Now that I understand even more how important EGTs are, I will tend toward the cautious side when pulling grades in the future.

 

OT (a little):

You know... I get teased (by a few) about worrying so much about breaking down and carrying so much "survival" stuff in the truck. It's not just my truck, every rig I own is equipped for survival - even the motorcycle. That drive from LV to Wendover is a great example of why one would do that - it's no-man's land.

There are many parts of the country where a break-down is an inconvenience. Pick up the cell or stick out your thumb and all is well. To the uninitiated - the West is still wild. andym's drive is miles and miles of nothingness, and summer temps are well North of the century mark with no water or shade. No cell signal, very little traffic, unfriendly surroundings and climate, and many miles between what one would loosely refer to as "civilization".

Another scenario: One can be on a mountain pass in bumper-to-bumper traffic because of a snow-related pileup, and what you have on board is what you have - it's snowing so hard the traffic has stopped. No convenience store for many miles, no restroom, no fuel station, no U-turn - just you and what you brought... for several hours. This has happened to me on more than one occasion.

Too many roads in NV have that "Shoot-Me-Now" ambiance, like the drive from Reno to Winnemucca... but I still enjoy much of the state. The scenery can be so dramatic.

Such is the "driftiness" of my thoughts before coffee.

 

rich you are so right.. Us easterners do not realize how remote and wild the wild wild west still is..

I know for some of us "remote" is when you don't see a billboard or exit ramp for a couple miles.. It scary and thank gad cell service is good..

In 6 or so years we, the wife and I, plan to have gotten an airstream, have the 7.3L souped up and head out to see the wild west so all the info you guy put out about spare part is GOLD..

I am on a plan to replace HPOP lines, do the fuel crossover, 6.0 trans cooler, etc to get this thing hardened as possbile before hitting the road full time. This post is another good one why a good EGT guage is needed on these trucks.

thanks for the posts, i know it make me a smarter 7.3L owner.

 

Rich - For long drives in real desolation, you are 100% right and from a New England perspective, there are plenty of places I go in the winter where a breakdown is a real problem. I carry a decent amount in the F-250, jack stand, tools etc. as my nightmare scenario is having two horses on the trailer and being stuck on the side of the highway somewhere......that is a problem.

And I think to tie this back to the original thread, all the reason to take a conservative approach to driving and temp mgt when driving through an area that remote and where a breakdown is ugly. Why introduce the higher risk?

 

I agree with fordpride.

 

It definitely makes you think about the "what-ifs" when you've just passed a sign that says, "Last gas for 124 miles". It's a small consolation that I'd have the RV with me, so I'd have food, water, and shelter for a couple of days, but the expense of getting towed out would be astronomical.

I also tend to be over-prepared. I carry all my tools with me along with a bunch of stuff I can improvise with - zip ties, hose clamps, duct tape, etc.

I once fixed a busted radiator hose with a bicycle tire repair kit that I bought at a store way out in the desert. It held together pretty good until I got home.

 

how about option #3.....................

Larger intercooler (100-200 towing degree drop depending on intercooler choice) and a high flow outlet (100 towing degrees drop) for that stock turbo. Those will drop your EGT's nicely.....for a price......

 

good quality duct tape.. not the crap you buy at lowes or home depot but the stuff you get at HVAC supply store.. its UL listed.. sticks to everything and has a brute strength..

Had a hose pop a leak when 4 wheeling on beach some years ago, sand was almost knee deep so lots of high rpms.. noticed steam coming out under hood so stopped and popped hood.. could see water spewing out of slit in hose.. shut off engine and let it cool.. rinsed off antifreeze from hose and did couple of wraps of duct tape.. filled with water, always carry extra water jugs and off we went.

drove for a week then remembered the hose issue..

was not diesel so no EGT issues.. (on thread)