Towing in the rocky mountains with a Ford F150

[surferbandit]

Hi all, I know there's a thousand threads talking about towing with a 1/2 ton truck but I have a few questions and wanted to see if anyone has any direct experience. I have towed trailers and boats but consider myself a novice with a travel trailer… we’ve only taken 2 trips since buying my camper. One was here in north Georgia and the other was to Florida which is flat.

We are planning a trip out west to go to Moab, grand canyon, Yosemite, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone, and a few other places. I've been reading horror stories about wind making it sway and even cause an accident. I've read that climbing the rocky mountains with a gas engine is a slow experience and that it’s possible to overheat while doing so. I'm also worried about braking down the mountain and having enough stopping power / not overhead my brakes. My trailer is pretty light but I think it’s the size that causes the issues?

Here are the details.
-I have a Jayflight 26BH (29 feet long and a dry weight of 4805). Fully loaded I was assuming 6k lbs with a tongue weight of 720.
-I have a 6 month old 2018 Ford F150 Supercrew with a V8 and 3.55 gears. Payload capacity is 2000 lbs and towing capacity is 9100
-I have an Equalizer 4 point hitch

I love my truck and will take a bath on it if I trade it now, but will if it looks like it’s the safer thing to do. Its my daily driver which is why I bought the ½ ton. Towing here is GA is relatively flat but out west is a whole different experience. Has anyone towed in the mountains with a truck similar to mine? How worried should I be about wind / sway? Braking down the mountain? Overheating?

Any advice or input is greatly appreciated!

[gladecreekwy]

No worries. Been towing in the Rockies for 25 years. You’ll have no trouble towing that camper. With a few exceptions the roads & highways don’t climb over the mountains. They cross passes and if you stay to the main routes you shouldn’t have any issues. Make sure your truck and camper breaks are in good order. A wise man once told me it’s not how much you can tow it’s how much you can stop.

[Riverman]

Every time I head from Atlanta to Dillsboro NC, I thank heaven for my 3/4 ton Dodge Diesel. A heavier truck, larger brakes and an engine brake let's me sleep better at night.

Franklin to Dillsboro is over a mountain with a 7% grade. There are a couple of 10% grades in that area too.

[Redwing]

We traveled to Glacier National Park last year with a 2018 f150 except I have the 3.5 eco boast. The pulled great I never felt I was pushing the truck up or Down hills. I have a 17 284 loaded just over 700 lbs. You should have no issues.

[Mustang65]

I can not give you specifics on your TV's ability to tow in the mountains, as I have a F150 EcoBoost all decked out for towing. A few questions for you:
- Do you have any of the F150 towing packages?
- Transmission cooler (highly recommended)

Before your trip to the rocky mountains take your fully loaded TV/TT to a weigh station and get the numbers. Then you know where you stand weight wise.

As for trying to rely on others at how their setups handled in the mountains, if they have one thing different (gear ratio, tow package, brakes...) the towing characteristics will be different. In my F150 research (2012) when I was going to buy our truck, I encountered a lot of comments regarding the towing with ratios other than the 4:11 or 3:73. They indicated that the transmission would upshift and down shift a lot more than the above ratios. Not that it is bad, but to them it was annoying.

One suggestion, hook up your TT and take a trip through the Blue Ridge mountains. Although not the same as the Rock Mountains, it will give you somewhat of an idea as to what you can expect, before heading out west. Hiawassee GA is a few hours north of you, that is where we have been spending most of our summer. I would not recommend the road between Helen and Hiawassee (75) on your first attempt. You could do this in one day or stay overnight and head back the next day. Just take it slow.

Good Luck,
Don
My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[ALJO]

In the 70's we had TT of 24 ft. almost as heavy as a 30 ft. now, pulling it with 225 HP truck or van. Who worries about the Jones going faster up the hill. In the trucking industry it is the same, some have less power than others and also depends on the load they haul.
Just have your TV well equipped for mountain towing conditions and let the Jones be the Jones, they drive everybody crazy anyway.

[surferbandit]

Thanks for the quick replies!

On the window sticker it says Trailer Tow package / Pro trailer backup assist ($995) but does not mention a transmission cooler.

And great advice on pulling it through the Blue Ridge Mountains... would be a fun weekend while trying it out!

[Johnny Lightning]

Actually the Appalachian mountains are steeper than the Rockies although not as high. If you're in North GA and doing OK I'm thinking that you shouldn't have much trouble with the rockies.


I second the tranny cooler, it keeps a lot of the transmission heat out of the radiator.



There are also friction sway bars (actually anti-sway bars) available to help reduce side to side swaying for less than $50. Don't know how well they work but I do know they exist. Other folks probably have experience with them.



As to downhills, use a lower gear and I wouldn't expect any issues, just don't ride your brakes, but you probably know that.

[Quantum]

I tow with a similar truck as yours (3.55 gears, 2016) but I have the ecoboost 3.5L. I have towed my trailer (8200lbs) through the Appalachian mountains a few times and there are no issues whatsoever with the capabilities of this truck. I use an equalizer 4 point sway control. My tongue is 1000lbs, payload is 1813lbs.

[bankr63]

It would make a lot more financial sense paying to upgrade your hitch to a high end model than it would to trade in your truck for your worry about trailer sway. If braking is a big concern, you can upgrade your trailer brakes too for a lot less. There are really nice hydraulic brakes available for trailers now; much cheaper than a new truck.

As @Aljo says, drive to the capabilities of your combination. Stay in the right hand lane on the mountain passes with the transports and let the Joneses fly up the left hand lane. Most interstate passes have extra lanes for slow vehicles.

Cars and trucks have been overheating on mountain passes for years. You pull over, let it cool, then start again. One thing I have always done is change my transmission fluid every couple of years regardless of schedule; towing does heat it up and it breaks down quicker. A little ounce of prevention (maintenance) is worth a pound of cure (replacement).

[mnaquaman]

It's always interesting to read the comments on a question like this. Pulling a trailer in the mountains is a lot like driving on snow and ice! Why? It depends on your experience level! I have driven on snow & ice my whole life - its about respecting the conditions and your vehicles capabilities. The mountains are no different - respect them don't fear them and with time you will gain experience and know what works for yourself and your tow vehicle! You are driving in the mountains - it's not race. Take your time and you will be fine!

I pulled a 5500lbs trailer with a 2005 Chevy Avalanche all over the Rockies! I was not the fastest guy up the mountain but I always made it to the top. Watch your engine temp. & trans temp if you can. My Avalanche never showed any engine temp increase, I could not see the transmission temp.

Everyone has a comfort level - don't let anyone tell you what yours should be. You have to figure out what your comfort level is with your tow vehicle!

Would I like a big Diesel - sure!! But I don't need it! This much I have proven to myself.

Relax as much as the conditions will allow and enjoy the ride!

There are always those pucker moments - its how you handle them that counts!

Happy Camping & towing

[Motoxxx43]

I live in Colorado and own a 1/2 ton. While I do not have the 5.0 I have the 3.5 ecoboost with 3.73s and 33" BFGs. We pull an Octane 222 that I estimate to be under 7,000lbs when underway. I have done Monarch Pass and Hoosier Pass and have not had any issues climbing. My truck has the 6 speed and I have not had any issues doing the speed limit. Highest transmission temp I have seen is right around 210 during a climb. On the decent of these passes I use manual mode and put it in second gear. Coming down Monarch I have to use the brakes around 10 times to remain within the speed limits. Yes the truck revs up around 4000 RPM but it does an OK job engine breaking. Your 5.0 will probably do better with its extra displacement/cylinders on the way down. I have not had any issues with sway but I do have the anti sway WDH. The package stops much better than I ever thought it would.



While it would be great if I had a 3/4 ton I dont feel its necessary for the 222 with the weight I have in it.

[Riverman]

I never worried about getting to the top of a mountain, but I sure want enough truck to get me safely down the other side.

[OdiN1701]

I haul around 3500 lbs with my 2017 Tacoma in the Rockies here. You should have no problem. Slower pulls up the passes, but nothing an F150 shouldn't handle with that load.

[miner999r]

I would expect no issues with a late model 5.0. I pulled in the BC rockies a similar wt. trailer in 2017 and in Yellowstone / Kalispell / BC last summer. My truck then was a 2016 5.0. You will experience high revs and a lot of running in lower gears. Mine was a 6 spd and it ran mostly in 4th at highway speed.

The 5.0 is designed to rev high and in fact keeping the revs high will keep the engine running cooler.

[cekkk]

Recently moved from our Colorado home for nearly 20 years Elevation at home was 8900'. When we were snowbirding my DW would follow with about a 5000# load behind one of our four Expeditions. The engines were 5.4s, not too different from yours. You'll give up about three percent horsepower per thousand feet elevation but no big deal. Your best transmission cooler IMO are RPMs. Downshift, go slow. On the down side, same advice. Let your engine and tow mode do the braking. Try 45 mph as target base speed. Brake back to it when necessary. I wouldn't go past 55 before braking slowly to 45. Those are just arbitrary speeds I've chosen. When you notice the blood rushing back to your knuckles, you'll know what speeds you want to work at. I think you've got plenty of truck for that load.

Just make sure your hitch is set up properly and you have correct weight on your steering axle. Don't get upset if an 18 wheeler sucks at your trailer as it passes you on an Interstate.

As for passes, I-70 gets lots of mention for the Eisenhower Tunnel area. But going down the north side of Hoosier can be interesting to a newbie due to the 20 mph switchbacks!

If you encounter high crosswinds don't challenge them. Go slow and don't hesitate to pull in to a rest stop or take a break if you are uncomfortable. I've even been on interstate 40 in New Mexico and Arizona many times when it was too dangerous to drive on, two or three times the police shut it down.

After a safe and successful trip you'll be much more confident. Enjoy the beauty of our country.

[Ry-guy]

I tow in the Canadian Rockies lots, 2013 F-150 5.0 3.55, Jayfeather 228 4600Lbs when loaded (all of my axles and capacities are within limits). You will be able to tow your trailer nothing to it! Mine tows great, just be prepared that it will have to rev to keep speed on the grades. As well going downhill the 5.0 is awesome with engine breaking, don’t be afraid to downshift and rev the engine to help maintain speed going downhill. I’ve towed 8% grades and yes you will have to slow to get up, (typically can keep the speed around 90 Kms/hr towing up grade) but it will be perfectly fine and safe! Also make sure you keep an eye on your transmission temperature while towing up the longer grades. Don’t use the analog trans temp gauge, use the digital gauge in the dash display. Have fun!

[Jagiven]

Lots of good comments. Your hitch is a good hitch with good sway control. The only time I have issues with my Equalizer hitch is with direct headwind, I loose sway control, and can feel other vehicles pass me. Make sure each morning to check your tire pressures, and top off as needed. Low tire pressures do compound and cause sway issues.

Engine temperatures; Do not plan to break any speed records going up any hills. Keep an eye on your engine temp especially going up long grades, slow down if you see the temps rise. You can even turn off your AC, which will help cool the engine. I would recommend taking the garden hose before you leave, and hose down the TV radiator, just to get the dirt and mud off of it. It will be more efficient, do NOT use a pressure washer, or you will bend all the fins.

Braking; make sure your brake controller is set correctly, your TT should slow you down. Even on flat land you should be able to feel the trailer slow you down. You may want to boost the settings a bit while in the mountains. I also downshift my automatic transmission, sometimes down as low as 1st gear, and let the engine slow me down. You can have very high revs doing this, maybe 4500.

Have fun, we did a hunk of this trip a few years ago and had a great time.

[RetiredLEO]

How it will do depends on several factors already mentioned
My Adds:
Use the tow/haul mode on the Trans. Start down the declines at a slow rate in a lower gear. Tap your brakes to slow if/when needed, don't ride them. If you want to drop some bucks but well worth it would be add disc brakes to the trailer.
Have a QUALIFIED Mechanic check your brakes no matter how new your truck/trailer is.

For you: Start out fresh and well rested. Frequent breaks to relax and check your tires. Look further down the road when going downhill than what you might normally do. Watch your side views in case you need to make a lane change for a slower vehicle in front. Relax, take your time and keep distractions to a minimum as possible.
Have fun!

[Dennis & Jody]

You won’t have much of a problem. We towed a 24 foot jay feather in the same area you are going last summer with a Silverado 1500 5.3 with TP and experienced 10% grades. Can’t always race to the top but you won’t be alone. We did a lot of engine breaking on the down hill side. If you are in Moab area, try to get a camp site at Dead Horse Point about an hour north west of Moab. Great views and great hiking.
Dennis & Jody