Toughest Tows In The Nation, Anyone?......

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97rattlebox

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For those of you out there that tow heavy: What are the toughest grades on U.S. highways to tow on (preferably uphill experiences) in your opinion?

I’ve got a few ideas and opinions from some OTR guys, but I’d like to hear from guys out there towing substantial weight with their pickups, like at least 10,000 pounds.

Anyone experienced crazy EGTs, overheating, side-by-side with tractor trailers in the slow lane……. etc….


Some tough highways I’ve heard of so far:

-Monteagle Mountain in Tennessee along I-24
-Blue Ridge Parkway in N.C.
-Loveland Pass in Colorado
-Siskiyou Summit in Oregon along I-5
-Dalton Highway in northern Alaska
 
im not sure about south of the border, but there are a few in the crowsnest pass that Im sure have to rate with the best of them. Also some in the Rogers pass by Prince George... wicked stuff,
 
97rattlebox said:
For those of you out there that tow heavy: What are the toughest grades on U.S. highways to tow on (preferably uphill experiences) in your opinion?

I’ve got a few ideas and opinions from some OTR guys, but I’d like to hear from guys out there towing substantial weight with their pickups, like at least 10,000 pounds.

Anyone experienced crazy EGTs, overheating, side-by-side with tractor trailers in the slow lane……. etc….


Some tough highways I’ve heard of so far:

-Monteagle Mountain in Tennessee along I-24
-Blue Ridge Parkway in N.C.
-Loveland Pass in Colorado
-Siskiyou Summit in Oregon along I-5
-Dalton Highway in northern Alaska
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grapevine in 100* + weather.
sherwin grade from bishop,ca to mammoth ..10 miles long, starts at 3k ends at 8k
 
I hear of bad grades in the rockies. Like a 625hp Cat 18 speed, gross at 75k pulls in 4th.....low range
 
I-26 leaving out of NC has a 3.5 mile 6% grade I just went through. The truck was completely stock ( 07 QC ) pulling my mega cab ( 12K with the trailer ) The water temp went up a bit telling me it was getting warm but, it didn't miss a beat. 50mph on cruise control the whole way up.

What I don't care for it holding that weight back on the way down !
 
There is black mountian on I-40 in NC. I know that bastard is steep, very steep.
 
Yep over here in western NC, there's a lot of places I'd rather not be pulling something.

one thing I thought sucked, I watched the overhead mileage and it went from 22mpg at grade to 3.8mpg going up that hill. I know it's not accurate but, that definitely is showing something !
 
Some of the ones going up to Numidia on the south side were pretty heavy grades, but I towed very far from the Maryland home ground. It's pretty flat here.
 
The ones in around me.....

Yall have any idea how freakin hot a turbo has to be that it becomes translucent?!
 
i saw 10 and 12% runnning in AZ and NM on I40
and around albuquerque headed east
grades on I40 between barstow and needles CA

hit all that plus rolling hits in the plains was enough to eat ~5/32s of rubber off the rear tires.
 
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I've heard a lot of truckers complain about I-80 in PA. Not a whole lot of elevation, but some lonnngggg grades.
 
Sledpuller said:
I've heard a lot of truckers complain about I-80 in PA. Not a whole lot of elevation, but some lonnngggg grades.
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iirc mains one bellefonte to stroudsburg dropping down into the river valley on the state line
 
malibu795 said:
i saw 10 and 12% runnning in AZ and NM on I40
and around albuquerque headed east
grades on I40 between barstow and needles CA

hit all that plus rolling hits in the plains was enough to eat ~5/32s of rubber off the rear tires.
Click to expand...

Pretty certain there are no grades more than 6% in the lower 48. Not on a maintained road anyway, laws against it, only 12% I have heard of is on the haul road from Fairbanks to Prudhoe bay,(will be on it next month may update lol) But That has already been metioned, Dalton Hwy. Vail in Col. Wolf crk in southern col. Several good pulls between Durango and Ouray Col. A 6% grade can be pulled but when they are long they get you in trouble..... When it is 118* here in the valley in the summer the six mile grade going n I17 out of Black Canyon city can overheat Trucks and it is only 6% for a short distance
 
Fancy Gap on I-81 in VA or NC (Never paying enough attention) slows me up and I do try to avoid it when possible. Monteagle is a good one going up either side.
 
I-68, Sibling hill. Pulled TJ's truck on GN Trailer, around 14k loaded. 70 MPH the whole way, 5th gear at 3k, not a problem pulling it.

On the way to Numidia there were a few that were long, several miles. Same scenario, TJ's truck on the GN but add a grizzly, so around 15k.

Highest EGT I saw for both was 1350 on 5&6, 1-4 were around 1300. The charger sure was singing.
 
Lane said:
Pretty certain there are no grades more than 6% in the lower 48. Not on a maintained road anyway, laws against it, only 12% I have heard of is on the haul road from Fairbanks to Prudhoe bay,(will be on it next month may update lol) But That has already been metioned, Dalton Hwy. Vail in Col. Wolf crk in southern col. Several good pulls between Durango and Ouray Col. A 6% grade can be pulled but when they are long they get you in trouble..... When it is 118* here in the valley in the summer the six mile grade going n I17 out of Black Canyon city can overheat Trucks and it is only 6% for a short distance
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there are places rated 8% on the grape vine..
going S to N into garmon ca there it is consideably steeper then the south bound lane that is climbing... 26,000GCVW+ is require to stay below 35mph. while desending into the centeral valley.

there is a 10-12% or more..going into king city AZ on I40 on the west side of king city. it started out as a 5-6% last 2 miles went straight up.
that was the only grade i have to downshift 5-4 when i moved from CA to OH rolling wieght was 17,000lb running 70-75
the ones between bartstow and needles were 6% but are long..
 
Sledpuller said:
I've heard a lot of truckers complain about I-80 in PA. Not a whole lot of elevation, but some lonnngggg grades.
Click to expand...

Yep, I80, 81 and 84 through PA all have some decent grades. There are some long ones on I80 for sure. Pulled them several times at 28k+ GCW in 1 ton pickups.

Monteagle is a fun one as long as you have the brakes to hold you back on the other side....

I always thought the I80 hills, (and the eastern grades in general) were serious climbs (hey im from the midwest, give me a break) but I was simply blown away when I got out to Colorado, Utah and California. Now those are some nasty hills....
 
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