I’ll be doing Wolf Creek Pass westbound in 2 weeks hauling my 14k lb 5th wheel. I only have a few thousand miles on my ‘26 F450 and definitely have not done any downhill runs like Wolf Creek.

In tow/haul mode with the engine brake on, do I want to:
1 - Set cruise control to about 35mph, or
2 - Set the transmission manually?

I had a 2018 F450 but never ran anything close to WC. I did run the pass with my ‘99 F350 equipped with an exhaust brake hauling a 9k lb 5th wheel. Very different animal.

And yes, I will channel C.W. McCall…….🤠

Insight appreciated!!

 

No idea what Wolf Creek Pass is. Is it a highway/interstate, or a 2-lane route/byway? If it's the former, I'd set the cruise and let the truck downshift on its own. If it's the latter with switch backs you'll have to slow down for, I'd manually shift it as setting the cruise won't work in that situation. You actually shouldn't have to downshift it, as in Tow/haul mode, the trans will automatically downshift when you touch the brakes.

You've done it once in a much lesser truck. Don't overthink it. The newer F450's are very capable with much larger brakes.

 

I agree with this, it depends on what the road is. If it's an interstate, or a long relatively straight grade, just set the cruise and let the truck run it, it should handle it just fine. If it's got switchbacks, you may want to take a bit more control.

 

only time I was through Wolf Creek Pass was in a heavily loaded Toyota 4Runner and there was snow/sleet/rain falling and I slowly crawled down off the highest part but what a view!! We could smell the brakes on the way down. Next time will be during better weather. When towing our 11k trailer with our 24 F350 through the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire I found the tow/haul engine braking to be very aggressive, the programming must use info from a sensor reading the slope of the road because the downshifting was more aggressive the steeper the slope of the road. I was unhappy with how high the revs got when it aggressively downshifted on steep slopes and ended up controlling the gear selection myself. Either way I never had a problem with the brakes although I was using slower speeds than some of the people behind me were happy with. I was letting it pick up some speed letting the brakes cool and then slowing down to a lower speed and not simply riding the brakes all the way down. hope this helps but experience is the best teacher. By the way there is no part of that road that is flat or straight and my wife has refused to ride that way again with the trailer attached, she wants to go back just not with the trailer. Just one couples experience who live on flat ground in the eastern shore.

 

From a few years back...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...elevation.html

On the climb I'll lock out 6th gear and use cruise control. On the decent once cresting the top I'll lock out a couple more gears and let the gears and engine brake hold the truck/ trailer back.

 

I've done Wolf Creek. I used manual mode; much more simple and it does exactly what I want it to do.

 

@JimFishes Use the Auto exhaust brake (second push of the button), not the manual exhaust brake (first push of the button). The auto exhaust brake works to keep your speed from exceeding what you were at when you hit the button and apply the brakes. The engine will rev higher, do not worry it is designed to work that way and it will not hurt it. Do not rely on cruise control, it will use your truck brakes to slow you down and will probably cause them to overheat, this happened to one of the members here! It has been a long time since I went over Wolf creek pass. At the top there was a place to stop and I wanted to get out and throw a snowball in the middle of summer, but the kids were not interested in getting out of the expedition.

 

My GF's son lives in Pagosa Springs, which is just west of the Pass. I've been back and forth over Wolf Creek Pass, both directions, 4 or 5 times with the camper and numerous times with just the trucks. Granted they've all been in a 6.2 or 7.3 gas engine F250. With the camper, both setups scaled around 15,000 lbs, so I'm much lighter than you. Heading west on 160, the road is rather narrow heading up from Southfork to the pass. Watch your speed through Southfork! And if weather on the pass becomes an issue, there's a southern loop that bypasses WCP. 285 south out of Alamosa to 17 west thru NM to 64 then 44 into Pagosa. Pagosa Springs can be a pain to get thru at times. They've been working on the infrastructure under the main drag of 160 thru town for several years. Its been a mess.

With no engine brake, what works best for me while towing is manual mode/manual gear selection...both uphill and down. My tow/haul often holds a lower gear too long when going down, leaving the engine screaming more than is necessary...just touching the brakes when needed. It's 2 lanes the whole way down on the western side, so just take your time. There'll be others doing the same. Speed limit up and down the steep parts is 35mph. I use manual mode uphill to keep it from hunting back and forth between gears. Maybe with the 6.7 that is needed.

If you're continuing west on 160, I think the drag up out of Durang is a longer, more taxing pull, than Wolf Creek...as are a few other passes in CO..

 

"Wolf Creek Pass
Way up on the Great Divide
Truckin' on down the other side"

 

I should have clarified a bit. Westbound Wolf Creek Pass in SW Colorado has a downhill 7 mile stretch at a 7% grade. A couple 25mph sharp turns, 2 truck runaway ramps. I’m not worried about making it, simply trying to figure out whether opinions lean towards cruise control or manual shift with these SuperDuty’s. Thanks!

 

As I stated before do not use cruise control, it relies on your truck brakes not the exhaust brake. Use the Auto exhaust brake in tow/haul mode and you probably will not have to touch the brakes.

 

Thanks!