Living in CO, we get plenty of, "experience", towing in the mountains. Also, on the Dempster Highway in the Yukon and Northweswt Territories, (450 miles of unpaved road into the arctic), there are 12% grades that can be exciting when it is raining as they turn to mud.
I agree with pretty much everything that has been said but, would add a couple of things. The easiest place to control your speed going down hill is at the top of the hill. Start down going very slow, (you can always speed up). If you come off the top of a hill at 60mph, you can reach 70 very quickly. Start down at 30-35 and you have a nice margin of control. I have, descending on snow,shifted into 4WD low range to keep my speed at 20mph or less.
Much easier to start at a slow speed and maintain it than to get going to fast and try to bring it back down.
Lowsuv wrote: 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.
My 2500HD has the same disc brakes as the Duramax version, and the 8.1L does a very acceptable job at pulling my 9200 GVWR trailer both up and down the passes around here.
Jeff
2002 GMC Sierra 2500HD 8.1/Allison/4:10/Prodigy brake controler/Dual Cam HP
canoe on top wrote: Living in CO, we get plenty of, "experience", towing in the mountains. Also, on the Dempster Highway in the Yukon and Northweswt Territories, (450 miles of unpaved road into the arctic), there are 12% grades that can be exciting when it is raining as they turn to mud.
I agree with pretty much everything that has been said but, would add a couple of things. The easiest place to control your speed going down hill is at the top of the hill. Start down going very slow, (you can always speed up). If you come off the top of a hill at 60mph, you can reach 70 very quickly. Start down at 30-35 and you have a nice margin of control. I have, descending on snow,shifted into 4WD low range to keep my speed at 20mph or less.
Much easier to start at a slow speed and maintain it than to get going to fast and try to bring it back down.
Bingo, that's it right there! You hit the nail on the head!
Again, knowing your limitations for the conditions you have to work with. Raining on a 12% muddy hill, whoah!! I'm not sure I'd want to take just my TV alone down that! Just kidding..,
Some conditions may start you out slower and some may allow a bit faster. There are a lot of variables each will have to consider when towing their trailer and only you will know what is safe based on your load and those variables.
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know much, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.
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