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TT towing advice for the mountains

Bears_Den
Explorer
Explorer
Let me preface this post by saying I am a firm believer in life experience being a far greater teacher than any book or professor. With that said, my DW and I are planning a trip in the next 1-1 1/2 years to the area of Ashville NC. We want to set up a base camp and then explore areas like Brevard, Blueridge Parkway, Boone, Hendersonville just to name a few. I will be towing a 30' EW 6100# TT with a Ford F-150 eco boost, all of my towing experience is on the flat land of Florida and Georgia. I'm asking you guys for advice from your experiences on what to expect towing in that area, what routes should I avoid or take advantage of and ideas of where to camp. I've driven various routes in that area before but not towing a TT. Prior to the trip, I plan on having the brakes checked and replacing the off brand tires with either Maxxis or Carlisle tires. Feel free to PM me if you'd like with any info or just keep this post going. Thanks and safe travels.
2014 Kodiak 279 rbsl
2017 Ford F-150 King Ranch V8
Equalizer hitch
Ford integrated brake controller
2004 Travel Lite 23S Hybrid Travel Trailer ( previous trailer )
1998 Viking Popup ( previous trailer )




No substitute for experience
34 REPLIES 34

GrandpaKip
Explorer
Explorer
We live on a mountain in Henderson County. We've been most places that you will tow your camper up here. I don't believe you should have any problems towing as long as you stay on paved, main roads. Do not trust your GPS as it can send you on some pretty, hairy drives.
Kip
2015 Skyline Dart 214RB
2018 Silverado Double Cab 4x4
Andersen Hitch

BizmarksMom
Explorer
Explorer
Here in Idaho, there are extremely few options for paved turnouts. If the gravel is level, I go ahead and use it. I'm probably going to be using a gravel road to get to my campsite anyway.
2019 F350 towing a Nash 22H

dpowli
Explorer
Explorer
You are correct! I misread what was being stated.

time2roll
Explorer II
Explorer II
dpowli wrote:
hohenwald48 wrote:
A little nit picking point. Most grades in the US are indicated in percent and not degrees. A 7 percent grade means that you go up 7 feet for every 100 feet of roadway. A 7 percent grade is the equivalent of about a 4 degree slope. "Degree" and "percent" are not interchangeable terms.


Sorry, but I beg to disagree. A 100% grade equals a 45 degree angle of slope.

Clicky
That is the same thing. 45 degree is 100% in that you move forward 100' and you go up 100'.
What is the confusion?

The original point was that 45 degree was not the same as 45 percent.

tragusa3
Explorer
Explorer
OP, I have a very similar rig and your targeted area is my home turf. You should have no issues whatsoever. Climbing or descending, I have never felt the need for more truck.

You guys have too much testosterone with your "our mountains are bigger than yours" banter. Yes, they are higher and longer out west, but generally not any steeper. In many ways, I find our mountains to be a tougher place to tow due to the tight quarters, extremely twisty roads causing low visibility of what's coming up (don't use BRP as your gauge, it is not representative of most of the smaller roads). I have been more relaxed generally during our time in the Rockies.
New to us 2011 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 34TGA
Join us on the road at Rolling Ragu on YouTube!

dpowli
Explorer
Explorer
hohenwald48 wrote:
A little nit picking point. Most grades in the US are indicated in percent and not degrees. A 7 percent grade means that you go up 7 feet for every 100 feet of roadway. A 7 percent grade is the equivalent of about a 4 degree slope. "Degree" and "percent" are not interchangeable terms.


Sorry, but I beg to disagree. A 100% grade equals a 45 degree angle of slope.

Clicky

RPreeb
Explorer
Explorer
hohenwald48 wrote:
I refuse to pull over in gravel or off a road edge drop off. I'll take my chances with the local LEO's. I'm not going to risk damage to my tires or rig just because the folks behind me might be in a hurry. If I'm going the speed limit I'm not pulling over regardless unless there is an extra driving lane on the right. Say what you want, quote all the laws you want I'm not taking the chance.


A lot of my driving is already on gravel roads. If I had a problem with pulling off on gravel, I wouldn't be doing much driving.:R
Rick
2016 F-150 XLT 4x4 3.5 EB
2017 Jay Feather X213

hohenwald48
Explorer
Explorer
I refuse to pull over in gravel or off a road edge drop off. I'll take my chances with the local LEO's. I'm not going to risk damage to my tires or rig just because the folks behind me might be in a hurry. If I'm going the speed limit I'm not pulling over regardless unless there is an extra driving lane on the right. Say what you want, quote all the laws you want I'm not taking the chance.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

2019 Newmar Canyon Star 3627
2017 Jeep Wrangler JKU

coolbreeze01
Explorer
Explorer
RPreeb "Where the opportunity exists, I pull over on paved turnouts. Where no such opportunity exists, I look for option B, and that would be a gravel turnout with a minimal drop off. I'm not going to take a chances with my rig, but I'm also not going to force anyone to follow me any farther than necessary."

Me too, but the mountains is where a diesel really shines. Seldom have a need to pull over. Plenty of power going up and exhaust braking going down, allowing faster yet safer descents than gasoline engines.
2008 Ram 3500 With a Really Strong Tractor Motor...........
LB, SRW, 4X4, 6-Speed Auto, 3.73, Prodigy P3, Blue Ox Sway Pro........
2014 Sandsport 26FBSL

RPreeb
Explorer
Explorer
Terryallan wrote:
RPreeb wrote:
hohenwald48 wrote:
profdant139 wrote:
One more tip -- look way ahead for good spots to turn out and let the folks behind you pass safely. A really good turnout will be paved and long, with no dropoff from the road to the shoulder. Many are short or unpaved or un-level or all three. Signal way ahead of time before pulling over, and get your speed way down before leaving the pavement.


I would never pull over to let others pass unless there is a lane specifically for that purpose. Pulling off to an unpaved shoulder or driving over any kind of road edge drop off is a sure fire way to damage your tires.


If there is no significant edge to the pavement, I'll always pull over at a wide spot when I've picked up a train. Waiting for a paved turnout isn't always an option, and I'm not going to be that jerk who thinks he owns the road.


you would wait for a turn out in the Blue ridge Mountains. Our mountain roads give you 2 choices. Stay on the pavement, or either hit the cliff on one side, or go down the cliff on the other. Rarely is there another choice. Our mountain road just aren't real wide. We have several that you have to use BOTH side of the road to just get by. You literally can look out the side window, and see the side of the TT.


It all depends on the situation. I'm in Colorado, I've driven extensively in the Rockies, and your Blue Ridge has nothing on our mountains. We have hills and curves and no shoulders, and we have them all the way up to 12,000 feet.



Where the opportunity exists, I pull over on paved turnouts. Where no such opportunity exists, I look for option B, and that would be a gravel turnout with a minimal drop off. I'm not going to take a chances with my rig, but I'm also not going to force anyone to follow me any farther than necessary.
Rick
2016 F-150 XLT 4x4 3.5 EB
2017 Jay Feather X213

RPreeb
Explorer
Explorer
profdant139 wrote:
Here is an article discussing a Washington state statute about the need to pull over:

Bellingham article


I knew that Washington had such a law, but if Colorado does, nobody pays any attention to it. When I'm "sightseeing", that is out looking for stuff to point my camera at, I often putter along even when I'm not towing, and I pull over often to let others pass. It can be frustrating to get stuck behind a MH or towing unit that refuses to let anyone by on a road where it's impossible to pass.

Almost as frustrating is the situation where you get 2 or 3 cars stacked up, but then they won't pass even where the opportunity is there, so choice for me is to pass 3 or 4 vehicles at once (usually difficult or impossible), or follow the line that just keeps getting longer. The "tourist" at the front probably thinks he is being a good driver by keeping his rig to a safe speed, when in reality he is "inspiring" those following him to take unsafe risks to get past him.

I don't know how some people can be so rude or clueless.
Rick
2016 F-150 XLT 4x4 3.5 EB
2017 Jay Feather X213

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Here is an article discussing a Washington state statute about the need to pull over:

Bellingham article
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Just FYI, in many Western states you can get a ticket for not pulling over when there are five or more cars behind you. Maybe that is not true in the hills east of the Mississippi??

Plus, if you do not pull over when you have a clear chance to do so safely, the folks behind you will get frustrated and sometimes will try to pass unsafely. Head-on collisions tend to be very messy, even for the folks being passed.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."

Airstreamer67
Explorer
Explorer
This is often a point of confusion.

Most folks learned to measure and understand degrees because it's so easy to do and is so prevalent in other fields such as home construction, etc.

You can buy a $5 gauge to show the degees factor of a road; not so easy to gauge the percent-of-grade factor.