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Old 01-01-2017, 10:30 PM   #1
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Driving in the Rockies

We need to drive from Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Junction, CO about April 20, 2017. I've never towed a travel trailer through the Rocky Mountains. We have a 2010 Chevy Suburban to tow a 2012 JayFeather UltraLite x20e, which weighs about 4,000 pounds packed. Mapquest suggests taking highway 89 from Flagstaff to 160 to 191 to I-70 East through the mountains. Is this wise for a newcomer to mountain driving? Thanks.
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Old 01-01-2017, 10:50 PM   #2
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From Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Junction, CO is not really through the Rocky Mountains. The 'Rocky Mountains' are east of Grand Junction, CO.

Where have you towed that Jay Feather with your Suburban? Have you had any issues towing up hills anywhere?
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:01 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by John K. View Post
We need to drive from Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Junction, CO about April 20, 2017. I've never towed a travel trailer through the Rocky Mountains. We have a 2010 Chevy Suburban to tow a 2012 JayFeather UltraLite x20e, which weighs about 4,000 pounds packed. Mapquest suggests taking highway 89 from Flagstaff to 160 to 191 to I-70 East through the mountains. Is this wise for a newcomer to mountain driving? Thanks.
Your trip will be primarily desert, not mountain. That doesn't mean that it can't be pretty hilly, but it isn't like going over 11,000 foot passes.
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Old 01-02-2017, 08:49 AM   #4
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John you should not have any problems.. IF the transmission starts to hunt for a gear (rapid up and down shifting) then drop the selector out of OD and keep going down till it stops hunting.. please remember that trailer tires (ST) are only rated for 65 mph max.. check your tire pressure every morning BEFORE you start to drive..
Enjoy your trip
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:17 AM   #5
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Your trip is nothing to worry about. Your tow vehicle is more than adequate for a 4k load. It's tow capacity is limited primarily by its braking ability. Do you have a brake controller? If you'll be loading the truck up, a weight distribution hitch would be worthwhile. You want sufficient weight on the steering axle. Of course, you may have those things covered already. As a former resident of high country,a frequent cause of ruined vacations for inexperienced mountain drivers is a tendency to leave the transmission in OD or D and holding down their speed by keeping the TV's brakes on until they overheat. While you won't be in the heart of the Rockies, I seem to recall a long downgrade on I-70 near the Utah/Colorado line. If that 15 year old memory is accurate, that would be one place you could practice using a lower gear to help control your speed. Enjoy your trip!
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Old 01-02-2017, 11:11 AM   #6
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From Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Junction, CO is not really through the Rocky Mountains. Oops...the online map I viewed made it look to me like we'd go through mountains.

Let me ask this: What about driving I-70 from Grand Junction to Denver? That looks mountainous.

Do you have a brake controller? Yes, and I have plenty of experience using it; I typically apply the TT's brakes before the TV's brakes and assume the same would be true on mountain roads after putting the TV into a lower gear.

Where have you towed that Jay Feather with your Suburban? Have you had any issues towing up hills anywhere? The closest I've come to hilly driving in AZ is Catalina, Tucson, Patagonia, Sierra Vista, Douglas and Portal; in NM, Rodeo, Deming, and, on I-25, b/w Salem and Socorro. I had no problems in those areas.

Thanks, guys, for the quick responses.
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Old 01-02-2017, 11:51 AM   #7
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We tow our '07 24BHS Jay Flight with an '05 GMC Denali. I believe we are close to maxed out with our load nearing 8000 lbs. However we have traveled from Montana to Santa Cruz, up and over Tioga pass. Sea Level to 10,000 feet. My cheap advice revolves around an experience we had traveling from sea level to the Sequoia NP entrance. We vapor locked at about 5000 feet. I didn't realize you could do that with a fuel injected vehicle. Tow truck came along and the driver took off my gas cap. Told me to feather it the rest of the way up and not to stomp my foot to floor to try and force a down shift. Just go slow and steady. He was right and it worked. We traveled to the top of the pass to the entrance and then pulled over and put the gas cap back on. Apparently on a hot day fumes can create in the tank and not feed properly. Aside from that one experience, we've never had an issue traveling up and over the steepest of passes in the West. We use the transmission as much as possible to avoid burning up the brakes on steep grades while descending. Have fun!
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Old 01-02-2017, 12:26 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John K. View Post
From Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Junction, CO is not really through the Rocky Mountains. Oops...the online map I viewed made it look to me like we'd go through mountains.

Let me ask this: What about driving I-70 from Grand Junction to Denver? That looks mountainous.

Do you have a brake controller? Yes, and I have plenty of experience using it; I typically apply the TT's brakes before the TV's brakes and assume the same would be true on mountain roads after putting the TV into a lower gear.

Where have you towed that Jay Feather with your Suburban? Have you had any issues towing up hills anywhere? The closest I've come to hilly driving in AZ is Catalina, Tucson, Patagonia, Sierra Vista, Douglas and Portal; in NM, Rodeo, Deming, and, on I-25, b/w Salem and Socorro. I had no problems in those areas.

Thanks, guys, for the quick responses.
From Grand Junction to Denver you will go over Vail Pass to drop into the valley at Summit County, then back up to 11,000 feet to cross under the Continental Divide at the Eisenhower Tunnel. After that it's a long stretch (50 miles or so) of mostly reasonable downhill grades, the steepest (and heaviest traffic) is just as you come down Mt. Vernon Canyon in the last 5 miles to Denver.

It is mountain driving, but it's all 4 lane with a few 6 lane sections, and 6% or less on most of the grades. As long as you take it easy and gear down on long hills you should be fine. Stay in the right lane and don't be in a big hurry.
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Old 01-02-2017, 01:09 PM   #9
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The bigger concern is going down hill and not over heating your brakes when mountain driving. Learn to slow down as you start down a grade and downshift to maintain a safe speed using the engine to slow you. Use your brakes as little as possible.

Going up hill, pull over to the slow lane and take your time going up the slopes. It will also give you a bit of time to look around and enjoy the views. There is no need to stay at the posted speed when towing going up a hill. Use your 4 way flashers if you get below 2/3 of the posted speed.

One last point, be courteous to the drivers behind you that are not towing and pull over if you have space in front of you and more than 3-4 vehicles behind you.
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Old 01-02-2017, 01:40 PM   #10
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[I]
Let me ask this: What about driving I-70 from Grand Junction to Denver? That looks mountainous.
It is.

Do what Rick suggested. And see if you can pick a day and time when traffic is light. Check the CDOT (Colorado Dept of Transportation)'s website for conditions and closures.

Weekends get busy on I-70.

Coming down, east bound, from the Eisenhower Tunnel, it's two lanes. But go slow, stay right.

And those signs that say "Truckers, Don't be fooled!" are accurate. Even when you can see the Denver skyline, there's still a bit more downgrade.

A kajillion people make this run - you'll be fine.
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Old 01-03-2017, 09:04 PM   #11
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Of course, I-70 can get interesting when weather steps in. A few days ago the road was closed for hours while some huge number of cars/trucks were untangled. Check the weather, even in April.
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