Your experience of towing steep and long grades with 1/2 ton??

[OregonPerson]

I have a 2016 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 3.5 Eccoboost with max tow package, weighing about 6000lbs loaded towing a Jayco175RD that weighs at the scales 3100 lbs loaded for travel. I've checked weights on axles, tires, tongue, etc and am not overloaded.

I have towed over the oregon coastal range with no problem but now am thinking about tackling Cabbage Hill on I84 next to Pendleton Oregon tomorrow.

This is supposed to be one of the most difficult climbs and descents in the country. About 12 miles climbing with about 6 miles at 6% east bound and 6 miles of 6% decline west bound.

Have any of you tackled a climb and descent like this in a 1/2 ton towing a trailer of similar weight??

[SkyBound]

Yes. And it puts a smile on my face every time! 3rd gear, held 90km/h the whole way up, pulling 7000lbs swinging big tires and a small lift. You will be impressed. Just watch your transmission temps, but with the MaxTow's larger trans cooler it should be fine. The transmissions on the new Fords run naturally hotter by design so don't sweat it even if you see 100*C/212*F. 220F is where it's time to cool down, but I highly doubt you'll see that.

On the descent, be forewarned that the engine braking abilities of the V6 aren't great, because there are 2 less cylinders than a V8 and lower compression than a diesel. The trick is to keep your speed low going into the descent and maintain it. It's much easier for the engine to maintain/limit increase than it is to actually slow you down, downhill. When you apply brakes, do it in deliberate applications and do not ride them. Apply with good pressure, bring your speed down 10-20km/h at a time, then release and let them cool.

I would recommend running premium high octane fuel for that trip so the engine can develop maximum power.

Look up EcoBoost Ike Gauntlet on YouTube for a demonstration of the EcoBoost's uphill towing performance.

[medic_adrian]

I have tackled Cabbage several times. Don't hurry, either way. Use your Tow/Haul, take your time and make sure your brake controller is set correctly. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2018 Jay Feather 25BH

[ALJO]

Gear up is usually the gear down. Let the engine do the braking not your foot.
And by the way 6% is a mild grade what about 16% or more in your country?
Use common sense.

[Scott_Trailer_Newbe]

I did Az to Dorango CO with my Tundra Crewmax. I tow a WH 24RKS, loaded is 6,400. There were plenty of long climbs and decents. My only advice is take your time, stay in the right lane and set you brake controller a little higher than you think you need to.

[goducks]

Seriously? 3100 lbs is nothing for that truck. I doubt you'll even feel that Cabbage Patch hill with that TT.

[ttavasc]

We cross this pass several times a season with our 195RB Baja. Loaded trailer weight is about 3700. I can't comment on the performance of your EcoBoost but I'm sure as pointed out it will handle things just fine.

As others have stated, take your time and drive defensively. Almost every trip we make across this pass we see some sort of incident including a small SUV/R-Pod combo that was flipped and point the wrong direction on the eastbound downhill slope last season. There was nothing left of the R-Pod - it was flattened to the frame. Another time we had a 3/4 ton diesel with good sized trailer fly by us on the uphill climb. As they passed the trailer blew a tire and they had to cut across in front of us quickly to get to the shoulder. There are always very slow trucks in the far right lane so we try and run in the middle lane as much as possible to avoid having to continually change lanes to get around the really slow semi's. We have no problem holding a reasonable speed on the uphill climb - around 55-60 - so I'm not uncomfortable doing that.

Let the engine do the braking as much as possible on the downward side. The key there is don't build up excessive speed as you crest or approach the downhill side which will force you to use the brakes to bring your speed back down where the engine can maintain it at a reasonable speed. At least with my combo, I've found that using the same gear I climbed the pass with, or one gear higher, will generate a downhill speed approximately the same as the uphill climb with little, if any, need for the brakes. The westbound downhill has some very sharp curves with a reduced speed limit. If there isn't too much traffic we are able to use the engine to hold 50-55 all the way down.

As a side note, we just came across this westbound last week on our way home from a southwestern Montana trip. We finally stayed at the campground at the top of the pass - Emigrant Springs State Heritage area. Lovely campground, but unfortunately it is right up against the freeway so quite noisy which was a little disappointing.....

[NCMFFD]

We towed the I-84 eastbound earlier this summer from Vancouver, Wa to Colorado Springs with a 2007 Nissan Titan (factory tow pkg 9,400#) towing a JayFeather 23BHM (6000#).

From our experience. It's best not to be in a hurry and don't push the TV to excess. On descents like has been said earlier is to let the engine help with the braking.

I'm sure your setup will do just fine.

[Cranetech]

I have a 2010 f150 with 3 valve 4.6lt no tow package and am pushing the limits as far as my capacity goes. We are on the west coast of bc and have very mountainous terrain. Only on 2 occasions have I had any issues with my truck and they were on very long steep climbs on the coquihallia Hwy and the hope Princeton. Both times the transmission temp started to climb out of my comfort range so I pulled over and let it cool. I have since added another transmission cooler and have had no more issues on the same hills in hotter ambient temperatures. As far as power climbing the hills go several times I had to slow myself down because I was getting over 120km or 65mph ish. Tows Awesome!!

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by ttavasc

Let the engine do the braking as much as possible on the downward side. The key there is don't build up excessive speed as you crest or approach the downhill side which will force you to use the brakes to bring your speed back down where the engine can maintain it at a reasonable speed. ..

Very good advice here. All too often, people try and slow once they are on the downward side instead of slowing and gearing down before they start down the grade. You will have a much better experience if you are geared down and under control before you start down.

We have a very steep grade not too far from our home that I've pulled a trailer down hundreds of times. At the top, there is a pull off area with a stop for trucks and trailers. I stop every time and come down in 3rd gear with my manual trans Cummins. Never have to touch the brakes more than a couple of times and it maintains a comfortable 30 MPH on the way down. On my wife's Ram 1500, I come down in 1st or 2nd depending on the trailer. 1st is slow, but with anything over 5000# or so, it will run away from you in second.

Most of all, don't be in any hurry. The traffic behind you will wait for you to make it down safe.

[Kim Gass]

Never thought much about grades with our Ridgeline and 195 RB
We just go slow to keep the revs below 3k to go uphill and shift to 2 before starting downhill. But that's on 9 and more grades. 6 is nothing. We have 10 just to get out of home
Speed too fast is your enemy. Like driving on ice shift down early when going downhill. Trying to shift middle of hill when you are going too fast is a disaster in the making

[Marcm157]

My 2016 F150 3.5 EcoBoost pulled my camper better than my F250 does on hills. The torque curve, and Turbos on the Eco are second to none in my opinion. The 250 definitely handles the weight much better but as far as sheer pulling power goes I miss my F150...

[OregonPerson]

Thanks everybody!!

My wife and I successfully, and with minimal stress, made it from Pendleton to Boise today on wet interstate and in the rain.

As some thought, the F150 had no problems getting up and down the stretch towing the 3100 lb 175RD under control using your great suggestions.

The only thing I was nervous about was the tractor trailers barreling down on me while I was in a controlled, slow descent. 😀

[Rustysocket]

Originally Posted by OregonPerson

Thanks everybody!!

My wife and I successfully, and with minimal stress, made it from Pendleton to Boise today on wet interstate and in the rain.

As some thought, the F150 had no problems getting up and down the stretch towing the 3100 lb 175RD under control using your great suggestions.

The only thing I was nervous about was the tractor trailers barreling down on me while I was in a controlled, slow descent. 😀

The nice thing about getting way out east on 84 is the ******* factor drops considerably compared to the westside.

[schrederman]

I didn't like 4,400 rpms for that long of a climb, so I bought a diesel, knowing I was going to a bigger trailer... Not for everyone, of course, but it works for me.

[cekkk]

Uphill and downhill it's more about the transmission. Use the gears. Slower and lower.

[NVGun40]

Originally Posted by OregonPerson

Thanks everybody!!

My wife and I successfully, and with minimal stress, made it from Pendleton to Boise today on wet interstate and in the rain.

As some thought, the F150 had no problems getting up and down the stretch towing the 3100 lb 175RD under control using your great suggestions.

The only thing I was nervous about was the tractor trailers barreling down on me while I was in a controlled, slow descent. 😀

Awesome deal. Congrats. The advice here is very helpful. Along with the many suggestions about gearing, and keeping things slow, a small measure to maintain is 'mindset'.
Relax, you are not in a race. Not to take away from your experience, but to share about mindset. As you can see from my signature line, we tow with a 2500, gasser with a manual transmission. Needless to say, with our combination, weight is not a problem. Yet, with a manual transmission there are some things to take away. In the end they help with setting the thought process though.
When we are dealing steep grades the downside to a manual transmission versus an automatic is the speed fall off in the higher gears (4th and 5th) versus the torque and acceleration of the lower gears (3rd and below). With an automatic transmission, the shifting up and down is "automatic" (some people get perturbed about the constant shifting). I get 'pushed' or passed often by automatics. The key is sitting back and letting the gears do the work and not worrying about topping the grade at the fastest speed possible. I sit back and get comfortable, let my speed fall off and I often end up in 3rd gear travelling at 50 MPH. For those behind me, I am sorry, but it is what it is. I know, for them, it sucks, I have had my share of being in a car and getting stuck on a grade behind a slow moving semi or RV. There are many times I can push my rig in third gear to 4000 RPMs or higher and maintain 60 on a grade or constantly upshift and then inevitably downshift; but why? whats so important about topping a hill at 60+ versus topping the hill at 45 or 50?
The upside to a manual transmission on hills is the going down. Engine compression and braking are natural and easier to maintain. As someone said, the gear going up is the gear to come down in (in most cases). When I am getting the proverbial 'push' or hold up people... again, mindset. I will not let them push me, I will use the turn outs or other means to pull over and let them pass as soon as I can.
Remember, it's not a race, and life is not about the destination, it's about the journey.