korbe
Northern California
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Joined: 11/20/2009
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I will easily pull up a local 10% grade, but I could not hold compression on the way down. Needed to use my brakes more than I wanted.
2004 F250 SD PSD
2004 Crossroads Cruiser CF25RS
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dahkota
Washington, DC
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Joined: 01/20/2011
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We've done the road into Ricketts Glen State Park in PA - 18% grade. The one into Ohiopyle in PA is around 12%. We did that last weekend. It is worse coming down than going up if only because of the banked curve right up against a mountain.
those are the two most notable we recently traveled. But there are quite a few in the MD/PA/WV area of the Appalachians.
2008 Ford F250 diesel
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Searching_Ut
Utah
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Joined: 05/09/2011
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Routine for freeways very rarely exceeds 6 percent for any significant distance, but there are a few exceptions of course. Steep pulls on highways out west often run 8 percent, with some of the shorter sections getting up to 12 percent on occasion. The steepest grade signs I recall seeing were 25 percent on a few off the beaten path roads, and they were for short little distances where the road traversed ravines or canyons.
If you're wondering about the affects on the vehicle, my experience with an underpowered vehicle is that around 8 percent or so you might drop down into first gear, by 12 percent you'll be possibly running out of rpm and may have to use 4 low to turn around. With my diesel towing 7 or 8 thousand pounds I generally can maintain posted speed limits at up to 8 percent then start slowing down fairly fast after that.
Max you can drive in a vehicle on slickroack in a place like moab, in excess of 100 percent. I used to have a little tilt gauge on the dash of my polaris RZR, and you could exceed 45 degrees (100 percent for grade) if the traction was right. You might want to use straps though as thats right around the tip over angle sideways and within 10 degrees or so front or back. With a little popup modified for off roading and a modified truck I've probably exceeded 50 percent but I never had the means to measure.
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djgarcia
Northern, Ca. , USA
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Joined: 07/26/2002
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What are the steepest grades that you routinely have to climb towing your TT in mountainous areas?(and come down)
Thanks,
cliff
If you have a diesel engine, be sure you have an exhaust brake installed!!! Saves your brakes and white knuckles
Dick
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atreis
IN
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Routinely: 6 and 6.5% (I-68 through Maryland - never below 45mph). I've gone as steep as 9%, but not far enough to know how the setup would do on a long pull at that grade.
I imagine there's a point where having front wheel drive would start to cause problems with the backward lean, but I've not hit it yet (and would naturally avoid the roads that are known to be especially difficult).
2009 Trail-Sport TS21RBH
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old guy
Oregon (pronounced Or e gun)
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Joined: 03/15/2006
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Ask any OTR truck driver about Cabbage Hill in eastern Oregon. It is one of the notorious hills in the nation. It is even worse than the grapevine in Cailf. Most recently they made it three lanes up and three down. Makes it a lot easier to get up the hill, since many truckers like to pass on up hill grades. Most be a quantification to being a true OTR driver. always pass on a hill only. never pass on the level
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anaro
Mebane, NC
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Have come across a couple of 7% grades in NC/VA. Follow The Bear II's advice on how to handle the hill... or are you worried about your TV/TT combo on the steeper grades? If that is the case, don't even try it. I have been pushed down a 7% grade by a poorly matched combo. That was way to scary and risky. Never again will that happen to me.
2009 Ford F250 Lariat Crew Cab 6.4L diesel 4WD
2011 Crossroads Zinger ZT26BL
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21 nights camped in 2012!
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Desert Captain
Tucson
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Joined: 02/19/2011
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Just returned from another trip up to the White Mountains. The 180 mile trip (one way), includes multiple 6, 7 and 8 percent grades. Several are 8 to 12 miles long. Coming south from Globe on Highway 77 there is a 12 mile grade that starts out as 7 percent, five miles down the grade there is a run away truck ramp. The grade increases to 8 percent and one mile from the first is a second run away ramp.  Taking 177 out of Winkelman you will encounter three ten percent grades, one of which is several miles long. Not sure i can remember what flat road looks like. 
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Bull Rider
Washington, The State
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Joined: 09/20/2006
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McNeil Canyon, just outside of Chelan WA
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Lowsuv
Oregon
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Best argument for diesel over gas is right here.
Braking.
2500HD Duramax has huge disk brakes all around.
Go to your tire store and check out the wimpy brakes on the half ton pickups.
Obviously, diesel compression works great to save your brakes for when you are surprised and actually need them because the drum brakes on your trailer have overheated and lost 50 % of their capacity.
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