New Tow Rig and Camper setup

Yes 20MPH on the uphills.. but it will run 65-70 on the flats and most small uphills :)

so for an old worn out GAS 460 and not a BRAND NEW Diesel Truck I would say in my Opinion I am still better off since I have no Monthly payment on mine :)

Yes I have been looking at new tow rigs and all but then I look and say damn, truck, camper, trailer, and jeep are all paid for so do I realy want another payment?? Not right now atleast :)
 
Hey Ken!

20MPH is crazy! There has got to be something going on with your engine, trans, or gearing. What are your rear axle gears? Maybe the secondaries aren't opening on your 4-barrel? Or is it a 2-barrel?

My rollback with stock 454, SM465, and 4.10 gears pulled the load shown below from Ocracoke to Burlington, and as long as I hit a hill going 60-70mph (good RPM range), it wouldn't drop below that. Granted, I wasn't in the mountains, but I know I could have maintained 45mph in 3rd with no problem on whatever I hit. I know I had to weigh A LOT - estimating low at 6000 for the rollback, 4000 for the Ford, 2500 for the trailer (I know that one for sure), and 6000 for the Dodge = 18,500 total. Granted, I probably got 6 mpg, or a little less. :)

awww.triadfoundry.com_richards_pictures_vehicles_tow2.jpg
 
richard exactly what hills did you hit coming back from the coast ? :)

I think they're refering to Black mountain, or I74/77 type hills...
 
That's what I was saying - I didn't hit any mountain-type hills, but I didn't hit ANY hill that I had to downshift for. There are a few hills, as you approach Raliegh from the east, and then as you go through Hillsboro. I agree that it's not the same as going through the mountains.

Maybe I'm way off? But I've never had to slow down to 20mph for any hill.

I towed 7500 pounds or more (1-ton 4WD Chevy truck, 2 extra trans, one extra axle, all on my 2500 lb trailer) back from Illinois to NC through the WV mountains (I think that is I-77?) using my parents 2000 Yukon (probably 6000 pounds itself loaded). Yukon is stock with 3.73, 4L60? 4-speed auto, and 5.3L. Never dropped below 65mph in the mountains that I remember, maybe we dropped to 55mph once or twice.
 
thecarman said:
Maybe I'm way off? But I've never had to slow down to 20mph for any hill.
Click to expand...

I'm with Yager.... gas motor truck, big load.... 20-30mph isn't out of the question. BTDT.... hell, in an oil-burner or two, even.
 
I'm sure its possible, but im not sure why... im kinda with richard.. (just commenting on the lack of hills from the coast :D)

Dont get me wrong either i know that camper is the big killer with that setup not so much his weight..

Ken i think you need to drop another gear and find some RPMs, that big motor probbaly sounds like its gonna blow at 2500rpm when in fact it will happily run at 3500rpm all day long...

If it bogs it down its probbaly why its falling off, your below your HP curve and can't recover... Could be a timing issue if your not advancing enough under load that will kill performance also... If its an auto try manually down shifting it and watching the rpms...

Course maybe its really that tired...

Ken, got a nice PSD that will let ya keep up with the lead pack... If not no worries ill probbably only be a few steps ahead of ya on the hill with my new truck :)
 
coming from the coast is like what 1~2% grades giving you the benefit of the doubt a 3%. Try going up black mtn in a tired gasser with 18K behind it, youll be doing 5 mph. They are 8~9% grades. Im not dogging you or your setup, but there is no comparison between black mtns 2300ft elevation and raleighs 434ft elevation. It takes its toll even on mod'd trucks like mine.
 
I agree with you - the hills and elevation are not the same at all. But it's the only reference I have with my rollback - never had it in the mountains. You are right - big difference in the grade, and the altitude does kill power, especially on a non-turbo rig.

But I did have my dad's Yukon in the mountains as stated above, and it did not have a problem - probably 14k combined weight. I am not saying the 5.3 has all the power in the world. But I never was worried about it, never slowed down to 20mph.

But it doesn't have the air drag of that camper setup, but at 20-45mph, does the air drag matter that much?

I could speculate forever! :)

Ken's 460 has to be able to pull as good as the stock 5.3L in that Yukon. I talked to him today - he was at 20mph in first gear. I'm interested to see what his rear axle ratio is. If it was 4.10 to get that 460 spinning good, I just don't see it dropping to 20mph. But his truck was originally diesel, so maybe it is like 3.50 or something? Ken said he plans to check this weekend.
 
I'm thinking Ken has an issue.

I've taken my F250 Crew Cab to Crackers Neck twice. The hill up to Boone slowed me to about 45. I was pulling my old trailer (~3000#) with my YJ (3700#) on it. It dropped to second gear (3 speed C6) and kept on truckin'. It got hot, but turning on the heater helped. I didn't have my camper on either time, but did have about 300#'s of firewood once and camping gear that nearly filled my bed.
 
lomodyj said:
I'm thinking Ken has an issue.

I've taken my F250 Crew Cab to Crackers Neck twice. The hill up to Boone slowed me to about 45. I was pulling my old trailer (~3000#) with my YJ (3700#) on it. It dropped to second gear (3 speed C6) and kept on truckin'. It got hot, but turning on the heater helped. I didn't have my camper on either time, but did have about 300#'s of firewood once and camping gear that nearly filled my bed.
Click to expand...

Yup that is the hill that got me...

I also have a 3 speed C6 tranny, truck never got hot and I have a tranny cooler on it also so that was fine.. just lost power.. so I am hoping that when I check my rear gears they are just to high for pulling.. and I can just change them out.. we will see.

No also to note when I pulled to uwharrie with everything the same minus CAMPER I could run 70-75 the entire time with no problem at all :)
 
Back
Top