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Old 04-29-2014, 10:26 AM   #1
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Need advice on towing in mountains

Hello friends,

I am prairie boy, and will be towing my 32bhds into the Rockies this summer with a F250 diesel, I will be going to Banff and then down to Waterton.

I am not worried so much about going up, as about coming down. Going down kinda scares me. I want to take it slow. Any advice on what gear I should downshift to? I am not that experienced in towing at the best of times and do not want to ride the brakes.

Thanks in advance.

Ensign
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Old 04-29-2014, 10:30 AM   #2
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Downshift to the gear that allows you to control your speed best...


Always a good thing to stop completely at the top of a big hill... then let yourself go slowly (instead of coming in the hill at 90-100km/h!!!). Downshift and apply brakes to keep a certain speed...


For example, you want to go down at 70km/h.... downshift, apply brakes lower speed to 60-65 then let the brakes off.... take a bit of speed, then rebrake... don't go down a 1-2km hill with the foot on the brakes... you'll overheat them and won't have braking power when you need it!

Ensure that your TT brakes can stop you...ie set the power high enough... but not too high so that the wheels lock up as soon as you brake...no good!
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Old 04-29-2014, 11:48 AM   #3
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X2. Coming down Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado with a 4-spd auto & gas engine, I had to go all the way down to 1st gear. I pulled over in the right lane and cruised down the hill at about 30mph never having to touch my brakes. As long as you're not over-revving, you'll be OK.
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Old 04-29-2014, 12:16 PM   #4
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If your Ford has the 6 speed trans with the tow/ haul feature, make sure you use it. It works great for helping keep your speed down. The engine may rev a little going down the steeper grades, but you save your brakes for when you need them. You can trust the trans, just watch the trans temp gauge.
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Old 04-29-2014, 12:17 PM   #5
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Does your Ford Diesel come with an exhaust brake? My Dad has a similar weight and length trailer and a 2012 Silverado 2500 Diesel and in tow/haul mode with the cruse on it will maintain the speed you want regardless of the downgrade using the exhaust brake. He went down the 7% grade of I-70 to Denver and had the tow/haul and cruse set at 30 mph and never touched the brakes once with a 10,000 lbs trailer. Impressive.
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Old 04-29-2014, 01:04 PM   #6
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Never go down faster than you went up. Use the tow haul mode of the truck and you should be fine.
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Old 04-29-2014, 01:51 PM   #7
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Thanks all, interesting on engine breaking with exhaust breaking

I don't think I have an exhaust brake, just the tow haul. There are differences as explained in this link I just found:

http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/...45/index2.html

What I didn't realize is you can just tap on the brakes to downshift when in towhaul. That will be helpful when I go down that first big hill.

Question though: Do I manually downshift as well, or just let the towhaul do its job?

Thanks
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Old 04-29-2014, 02:36 PM   #8
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You can downshift if you feel the need. However diesels do not have compression braking like gassers do. that is why the jake brake on the exhaust side. First thing I did when I got my truck was to install drilled and slotted rotors all the way around and more aggressive brake pads.. as I drive lots in the mountains and to me whoa is more important than go.
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Old 04-29-2014, 04:52 PM   #9
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Not sure how the Ford tranny and tow/haul work...but on my Sierra if I want the downshifting effort to be applied properly, I have to have the tow/haul activated and I need to downshift manually... If I simply use the tow/haul, the engine will rev up at the most inconvenient time!!!
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Old 04-29-2014, 05:35 PM   #10
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You do not need to downshift, the Tow/ Haul will do that for you. It works rather well and will get more aggressive if you brake. Once you brake, it will want to keep you at a lower speed (what ever speed you braked to) until you increase it again using the gas pedal. Any large enough load on a steep enough grade may require some braking to assist the tow/ haul. YMMV.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ensign View Post
I don't think I have an exhaust brake, just the tow haul. There are differences as explained in this link I just found:

http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/...45/index2.html

What I didn't realize is you can just tap on the brakes to downshift when in towhaul. That will be helpful when I go down that first big hill.

Question though: Do I manually downshift as well, or just let the towhaul do its job?

Thanks
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Old 04-29-2014, 11:28 PM   #11
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As others have said, use Tow/Haul. I always try to go down a hill in the same gear it took to get up.
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Old 05-01-2014, 02:13 PM   #12
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Just take it slow and easy. Use your tow/haul feature and apply the brakes when speed and rpm's start to build to much. Don't worry about people behind you and speed up because of them. They can pass you, or if there is a turn out, you can pull over and stop to let them go. Don't let them hurry you along.
As far as drilled and slotted rotors, slotted is fine, but I would never have drilled rotors again. They can and will break eventually. Myself, I just stick with regular OEM rotors, and haven't had any issues with them. I live in the Colorado Rockies and pull up and down 7% to 10% grades on a regular basis.
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Old 05-01-2014, 03:05 PM   #13
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I know all the roads in the area and you'll be fine - guys in 18-wheelers go through Banff all the time and Waterton is actually pretty flat - it's down in a valley bottom. If you were taking Logan's Pass in Glacier National Park (MT) or the Icefield highway between Banff and Jasper, that requires a bit more attention
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Old 05-20-2014, 10:46 PM   #14
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We're in Golden just west of you in MB. Same trailer as you, F350, tow every weekend to the Okanagan or down to Nelson in west kootenays..basically mtns every weekend. Use the tow/haul to hold you back, use the brakes to bring your speed/rpms back down every so often when you need to and it will be fine. Like some one said don't worry about the people behind you, they will find a way around you. Nice and easy is the way to do it.
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Old 05-29-2014, 06:47 PM   #15
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I don't think you need to worry about it as there arn't any big hill going to Bamff. There is a divied two lane highway. On the way to Waterton there isn't any hill either really.
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Old 05-29-2014, 07:59 PM   #16
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Tow haul, and do a brake check with your brake controller every once in a while.
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Old 05-29-2014, 08:26 PM   #17
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However diesels do not have compression braking like gassers do. that is why the jake brake on the exhaust side. What do you mean by this? I know about jake brakes, as I used to drive trucks with them. It's the first part I'm lost on. Diesels have more compression than gas engines.
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Old 05-29-2014, 10:42 PM   #18
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However diesels do not have compression braking like gassers do. that is why the jake brake on the exhaust side. What do you mean by this? I know about jake brakes, as I used to drive trucks with them. It's the first part I'm lost on. Diesels have more compression than gas engines.

I am confused also. My 98 Dodge diesel had compression braking when the torque converter was engaged. A lot of people with a similar truck had a switch to keep the torque converter engaged. With the switch you didn't have to hit the throttle to re engage the converter if it kicked out. None of the diesel pickups have a Jake Brake. If they have anything it is an exhaust brake. Cummins, Ford, and GM diesels don't have optional cylinder heads to have a Jake.
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Old 05-29-2014, 10:50 PM   #19
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Just plied the coquihalla with a trailer on my first trip towing a trailer ever back in early may. Coming down the smasher will make a man of you. That part of my trip occupied two weeks of thinking. You know what. If your equipment is in good shape and you do what we truckers call "checking your speed" which means applying correct amount of service brake power and downshifting then the smile will return to your face. Sometimes momentum is your friend.
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Old 06-02-2014, 09:18 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by clutch View Post
I am confused also. My 98 Dodge diesel had compression braking when the torque converter was engaged. A lot of people with a similar truck had a switch to keep the torque converter engaged. With the switch you didn't have to hit the throttle to re engage the converter if it kicked out. None of the diesel pickups have a Jake Brake. If they have anything it is an exhaust brake. Cummins, Ford, and GM diesels don't have optional cylinder heads to have a Jake.
Easier to just read it here....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compres...e_engine_brake

There are a few aftermarket people that make exhaust brakes for the Dodge, chevy, fords... pacbrake being one of them. I have it on my dodge... It really does work great, makes hills a non issue. I have at least 60% on my stock from the factory brake pads at 115K miles... of which most were in town hauling 25K worth of equipment for work.

They packbrake actually make an jake style of brake that mounts in the motor it might be the first of its kind on the small motor in the pickup VS semi.


One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is to make sure your brakes are properly adjusted on the trailer, some are automatic but most aren't, a simple search online or from Jayco will have the exact directions for the axles on your trailer but it simple to do yourself but usually neglected and or not know that you have to do it about every 5000 miles.
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