Mountain trip

viennafire21 · 01-24-2021, 02:30 PM

I am coming up on my first mountain trip with my tt. I have a 18 silverado with a added brake controller. I fill ok about going up the mountain, just a little worried about the down hill trip. Any changes i need to make on my brake controller and or need to down shift in a low gear?

CAG · 01-24-2021, 03:34 PM

Duramax or gasser?

viennafire21 · 01-24-2021, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAG

Duramax or gasser?

Gas

craigav · 01-24-2021, 03:50 PM

Be sure to stay in tow\haul mode and your Silverado will provide for automatic downshifting when needed (as when descending a mountain grade). I would suggest to read up on this in your owner's manual, not much to it though, just that you have to stay in tow\haul mode. I would also add that I know this is true for those with Allison transmissions, so again read your owner's manual in case yours if different. ~CA

CAG · 01-24-2021, 03:51 PM

Generally I use the same settings with either but with the diesel the turbo braking helps more.

If you set your controller up as it recommends you should be fine and even a little heavier braking action on the trailer will keep it from pushing you when you hit the brakes otherwise gear down before you think it is going to be necessary and take it slow.

craigav · 01-24-2021, 04:02 PM

BTW, when you say you are coming up on a mountain trip, are you talking about taking a trip in the next few days or weeks? If so, I would highly recommend checking the weather and road conditions carefully and if any ice\snow is expected I would simply not go just yet. I encountered blizzard conditions once in Colorado between Estes Park and Granby (hwy 34) in the middle of July. So the weather forecast would certainly be something you want to keep up with especially this time of year. CA

CAG · 01-24-2021, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigav

Be sure to stay in tow\haul mode and your Silverado will provide for automatic downshifting when needed (as when descending a mountain grade). I would suggest to read up on this in your owner's manual, not much to it though, just that you have to stay in tow\haul mode. I would also add that I know this is true for those with Allison transmissions, so again read your owner's manual in case yours if different. ~CA

He does not have a Duramax so no Allison and probably no tow/haul that is why I asked in the earlier post.

craigav · 01-24-2021, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAG

He does not have a Duramax so no Allison and probably no tow/haul that is why I asked in the earlier post.

Good point CAG, I think my brothers 2012 Chevrolet 2500 gas still has the tow\haul button, but I never asked or checked to see if it worked like the Allison with the auto-downshift and braking.

viennafire21: Be sure to check your owner's manual as if yours doesn't have the ability to auto-downshift and to automatically use the engine\transmission for downhill braking, then you will want to use the shift lever and keep in a low gear when going downhill, most people will tell you to use the same gear you used to go up the hill, likely around 3rd gear but that is just a guess as it all depends on your speed and the % grade of the decline you are going down. What you don't want to do, is to ride your brakes for any extended period of time, if you find yourself doing that say for more than 15~30 seconds then you should consider downshifting to the next lower gear. ~CA

gpd2111 · 01-24-2021, 04:39 PM

As a semi driver I can tell you to never go down the same grade you came up in a higher gear. Remember you can always upshift, but you can't always downshift.

Jagiven · 01-24-2021, 05:12 PM

I see your TT is about 4K pounds fully loaded, and is a single axle. You should not issues as long as your aware. At this point you sound like your concerned, so you will be aware.

You mention you your TV is a gasser. Do you have the Tow/Haul feature? If so, use it. It will help more with going up hill than down hill. Which engine do you have in that Silverado? I have to go back and look, but the big bore V8 gas engine will hold its own going down hill nicely, without having to touch the brakes much.

Before leaving home, hose down your TV radiator. Do not use a pressure washer, and be careful of any high pressure nozzles. Purposely hosing it off will get a lot of dirt and bugs off it it. This will allow your cooling system to work more efficiently.

Downhills, watch your speed, down shift early enough. I commonly switch from D down to 3, and then walk my way down gears as I need to. I never go from D to L, unless I am going slow already. Study your gear shifter now, what options do you have? I have L, 2, 3, & D, you may have other options. Allow the transmission and TT brakes stop you. You do not want to over heat your TV brakes and boil the fluid. If you smell hot plastic, and you are on a good down hill slope, been using your brakes a lot, you are probably overheating them. Pull over, and let them cool off (lunch break time). Consider adjusting your TT brakes to help more.

There is a ton of miss information on the web on how to setup your brake controller. Do a little research and make sure you understand how TT brakes work and how to setup the controller. Don't just trust someone who is a back yard expert. Their TV, TT, driving conditions will be different then yours. Also note, the "feel" of TT brakes change as the pads wear down, and if the self adjustment, has or has not tighten up yet. Sometimes I tweak my brake settings. In the mountains, I tend to adjust them to be a little more aggressive, so my TV does less of the braking.

Once you get through your first serious pass, you will have it figured out.

deepsea5 · 01-27-2021, 08:48 AM

^^^^^^Excellent advice by Jagiven^^^^^^

I'll add this: be cautious when using compression braking (down shifting your vehicle to control descent speed while traveling down an incline) when road conditions are slippery. The added drag on the wheels created by the drivetrain/engine compression can cause them to start skidding on the slick surface; similar to overly aggressive accelration/braking on a slick surface.
I learned this valuable lesson the hard way when I was a teenager, towing a snowmobile trailer with my pickup truck.
No damage, except to my undershorts...

RogerR · 01-27-2021, 09:29 AM

Many long downhill routes have pull outs along the way. Keep your speed down and try this. Stop at a downhill and either using the touch method or a laser temperature gun check your hub temps. If they are hot compared to normal driving then just wait and let them cool. If one side is a lot hotter (more than 20 degrees) than the other side your brakes may need adjustment. A really hot hub, over 150 degrees or to hot to hold in your hand is a sign of bearing failure or brake overheating. I don't have a scientific or tested number as even downhill I have always kept them safely cool.

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