Towing in the Mountains with GMC1500

[John R]

I just came back from a trip through utah and Colorado. I went through Vail pass. I have a Gmcc 1500 and pulling a couger x-lite. My truck didn't like it any tricks I should know for the next time. My truck has a 5.3 with 3.73 rear end. 4x4 z-71 package. The Cougar is a 20011 X-Lite weighing about 6900lb. I was trailing with about 1/3 tank of water everything else was empty and we were travelly light as we were headed home.

[volvosweetie]

to the forum, make yourself at home. The people here are helpful I am sure there are several people on here that have done that type of travel and can give you some tips. Happy camping and safe travels.

[smiller]

Originally Posted by John R

I just came back from a trip through utah and Colorado. I went through Vail pass. I have a Gmcc 1500 and pulling a couger x-lite. My truck didn't like it any tricks I should know for the next time

Towing at max weight with a gas engine at high altitude... I think 'truck didn't like it' sums it up pretty well .

Beyond trying to anticipate the hills and maybe helping the truck select the right gear there's not a whole lot you can do. There may be a few measures to try to bump up power a bit but I doubt they will go far enough. If you will be in those conditions rarely the best (or at least most cost-effective) option may simply be to go slow and grin and bear it. It you will be in those conditions frequently, well... any of the turbo diesels would make short work of it.

[Festus2]

Since you didn't provide us with too many details about your truck and TT, it's hard to give you any "tips or tricks" to make towing in the mountains any easier.
Other than telling us that your truck is a 1/2 T and you have a Cougar X-Lite, we don't really know much. If you can give us some information for both truck and TT, it would help ---- GVWR, GAWR, Payload, Tow Rating, etc.
It may be that your 1500 just isn't sufficient for your X-Lite - in or out of the mountains. If that is the case, then there aren't really any "tricks" other than upgrading to a bigger truck that will "like" towing in the mountains.
Maybe your truck is something like the Little Engine That Could" - except in your case..... it can't.

[JeffS]

My DW & I have towed light a weight 5er for the last 12 years with a ½ Ton, current rig is a Cougar 26SAB X-Lite (a touch under 7,000#). In our travels we have done Vail Pass and many more in CO, WY, PA &VA. Prior to our current truck (2003 F150 7700 5.4 SuperCab) we had a 2000 F150 5.4 SuperCab which did not perform as well on big pulls as the 7700 for a number of reasons. In 2000 to meet CAFÉ you could not get this model with anything lower than a 3.55 rear end plus it had 17” wheels. Aside from the heavier frame, axles, and transmission the 7700 has the 3.73 rear end and 16” wheels. In comparison we have a better power curve and gained an additional mile per gallon of fuel. So if you intend on sticking with a ½ Ton you want to take a close look at wheel diameter and axle ratio.

I don’t know if you would call the following tricks but they are things that may make life with your ½ Ton easier.

• Don’t keep more than 5 gallons of water in the fresh water tank while on the road.
• Keep the Black & Gray tanks as empty as possible.
• Remember the reason for buying an X-Lite is NOT to be able to take all kinds of extra stuff.

I realize these 3 may not account for much but remember it was just a “straw” that broke the camels back.

• Attitude and time.

When we plan a trip that includes big pulls we make sure to allow extra time and expect to run at about 35 mph up the pull so we don’t feel pressured to hurry. In fact on some of the passes we have found great pullouts that provide a nice scenic spot for a break and/or lunch. In addition we avoid big pulls on 2 lane roads, if possible, again this means we are not feeling pressured by holding up traffic.

[KanTC]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but ~~ I seem to recall that an engine will lose about 4% of its
performance for every 1,000 feet above sea level that you travel.

I haven't heard that in recent years, so maybe it no longer applies to the newer engines??...
hmm... and, maybe I'm giving a hint of my age here?

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot

[Festus2]

KanTC -
It would appear that your memory is still quite good! Gas engines (not sure about diesels) will probably lose between 3%-4% of their power for every 1000 ft of elevation. If, for example you were going up a pass of say 5000 ft., by the time you reach the summit you could have lost 15%-20% of your power - a significant amount!

In this case, I would ensure that I was as lightly-loaded as possible - as JeffS pointed out in his post and not expect a gasser to perform as usual.

[JRTJH]

Vail Pass is 10,600 feet "up there". In simple math, that's 2 miles high. When we lived in Denver, we routinely pulled Loveland, Berthoud and Vail Passes. At that time we had a Dodge 3/4 ton 360CuIn 4bbl Loadflight 3 speed transmission. We'd pull hard going up any of those passes, usuallly in second gear at 30MPH. That was towing a 20' Jayco travel trailer. I might add that when we just ran up to the cabin without the trailer, we'd manage to go up I 70 about 55 or so. That solo travel included a number of downshifts to second gear to maintain speed.

Doing some quick calculations, 4% per 1000 ft means about 40-44% power loss just from altitude. In comparison, that would be "sort of like" towing your fifth wheel on level ground with a Ranger or S10.... If you follow JeffS's experience and recommendations, and if you plan to continue to tow that rig with a non-turbo gas engine, just accept that you're going to slow down and learn to enjoy the trip to the top.....

In 1993 I bought a F250 7.3L diesel supercab to tow our Holiday Rambler. In 1998 we towed it to Las Vegas over the southern passes which go through Alberqueque (never can spell that)... It was not a turbo and we huffed and puffed black smoke all the way up that mountain. When we stopped for the night, my wife unlocked the trailer and everything inside was covered in black soot. Once we got the turbodiesel in 1999, that problem essentially went away, but to answer Festus' remark about diesels losing power at altitude. Yeah, the non turbo diesels lose power too