We will be heading up to the south fork colorado mountins near pagosa springs here in July stopping in redriver nm. They have some steap killer passes like the popular wolf creak pass.(wolf creek pass even has a song by C W McCall called wolf creek its so steep) I will probably be pulling a 4 horse slant trailer with living space in the front loaded with 4 wheelers and stuff (no horses) and another trailer behind that pulling a 16ft flat bed with my jeep with my 7.3 turbo e40d w 4:10s Total CGVW will be around 19,000lbs and they both have trailer brakes.
My dad uses our 2000 ford 1 ton 7.3 and pulls a 35ft 5th wheel with dual slide outs and a 20 foot bass boat. We have gone to the mountians with his several times and it pulls great so Im going to see If I can keep up although he wont be pulling the boat this trip. They have plenty of run off ramps so im not too worried if I lose my brakes. My main consern is the transmission and head gaskets. That much boost with the pedal on the floor for that long has to do a number on 15 year old head gaskets and I don't know what shape my tranny is in. I may back off a little and not give it all it has just so I don't have to get towed back. Any comments. I can always let him pull the jeep on the trailer if it sounds like its way too much weight. I have a pyro meter for egts so atleast I can watch my temp

A few years ago my dad was pulling the 5th wheel and a trailer with the jeep going up bobcat pass in New mexico outside of red river and I was pulling a 16ft flat bed with 3 motorcycles and a generator with my 95 chevy k1500 with a 350 tbi and 4l60 w 3.73. You should have watched that 2000 ford pulled away from me. I was on the floor trying to climb them hills and he was leaving me pulling 4 times what I had!!! just leaving me in a trail of smoke. The altitude and steep grades sure get them non turbo'ed gas engines. I can't wait too see how well this does. I think bobcat pass peaks at around 12,000 ft above sea level so the air is kinda thin up there.

 

You'll be hauling a road train!

Please take pictures.........


What does your boost peak at right now? If the head gaskets are indeed 15 years old, than I would not want to go above 10 PSI for very long. But even if it does fail it won't be like what you see in the movies. It will simply push the fire ring back until small amounts of combustion gasses can get on to the cooling system. You may not even know if you have a leaking head gasket. The first clue will be if you have siginficant amounts of pressure in the cooling system even after the engine is completely cold. Followed by a failure to recover coolant from the overflow tank.

If time permits, I would get a trans temp gauge before heading out.

 

my boost peaks at about 10 psi and was set defalt by banks when I got it so I hope theres no problem there with boost. I Was going to get me a trans temp guage soon.

 

Tranny temp and good tranny cooler would be required items.
Watch the EGT's.
If you stop on the way up, or at the top, give the engine 5 minutes cool down time before you shut it off.

10 PSI should be no problem.
Going up to that elevation, new air filter before you leave.

 

Good clean air filter, check
Good tranny cooler, Check
Watch egts, Check

Tranny temp, no check. Will buy before trip Whats the best place to pick up the tranny temp at? In the pan or the output to the cooler? Thanks

 

Output of the cooler is best.

 

dont forget to chec the radiator cap.