Mountain Towing Advice

NJ at Sea level is a completely different animal that 5K+ feet altitude in Denver let alone the 10K+ feet at Fairplay. The power drop on everything not Turbo/ Supercharged is real.

 

IMHO.....you will be fine for a trip or two.

Although, I do suggest you stop at a scale to weigh the truck & camper in their LOADED condition. Most times weights are UNDER estimated. Meaning you could be towing over limits.

When climbing, drop the tranny a gear or 2, crawl up the slope in the climbing lanes the semi-trucks use. Watch your temps, stop if things are getting hot. Don't be in a hurry during the climb.

 

My unsolicited advice would be to consider an EcoBoost F150. They tow really well up the passes here.

 

Thank you, everyone, for your advice. Have a great day!

 

First of all, thanks so much for your generous offer and insight. Lots of good points made for strategies to make the trip easier.

Thanks again!

 

Taking I-25 down to Colorado Springs and then US-24/CO-9 to Fairplay might be a better route to avoid the steeper passes and narrower/winding roads.

 

Damn! I will leave all my boulders at home!! We take 285 to 9 to get to our property. Thanks again for the offer. If I run into trouble, Ill keep your post on speed dial. Thanks again for all your help and info!!

 

I used to live in Georgetown, work near Berthod Pass and drove a lot between there and Summit County. Whatever you decide to do, be life and death careful. Things can go bad real quick in the mountains. Make sure you can stop.
I'd drive to Denver, rent a bigger truck and enjoy the drive.

 

Putting that truck to work

https://media.giphy.com/media/D7z8JfNANqahW/giphy.gif

 

It'll be fine as long as you watch your trans temps and drive at an appropriate speed. I've towed plenty with much less power. My old ass land cruiser makes 212hp at the crank and roughly 120hp at the wheels, had no problem towing 7klbs from AZ to WA over a few mtn passes.

 

I have descended eastern mountains without issue. Between the truck and trailer there’s 6 drum brakes and two disc brakes. It can be quite jarring if turned up past 5.
Would a beefier disc setup make a difference?

 

Eastern mountains would barely count as a hill here though. The route I suggested will add a little time and distance but greatly reduce the workload on you and the truck.

 

If you have stock 16" wheels, there's no room to fit bigger rotors than stock. Anyway on descents you should downshift and rely on engine braking as much as possible. Apply brakes only if the truck + trailer doesn't slow down enough with your engine at redline.

 

A few things. The hills in the east are just as steep, and often just as long. But the difference is that altitude robs power. You will hit some passes in Colorado 10,000-12,000'. Your engine loses about 3% power for every 1000' above sea level. At 5000' in the east that is only 15% and you may never notice it. At 10,000' you have 30% less power and should reduce tow weight by about 30%. Your truck is optimistically rated at 6500 lbs. In Colorado that should be reduced to about 4500 lbs.

Then there is payload. Chances are you're around 1000-1200 lbs. A 5500 lb trailer will eat up 715 lbs. That barely leaves any room for more than a driver.

When you get to higher altitudes gas stations sell 85 octane, 87, and 89 whereas in lower altitudes it is usually 87, 89, and 93/94. Don't even think about 85 octane. When pulling a trailer at altitude spring for 89. On level stretches at lower altitude going to and returning from Colorado you can probably do OK with 87, but I'd still run at least 89 and maybe 93/94 when towing.

Just be aware you're pushing this right to the limits of what the truck is designed for at lower elevations. A little over that at high altitude. I ain't saying not to do it. Just be aware. This is something I might try to do once. But this sort of thing is what wears out trucks causing an early death. You need a bigger truck, or smaller trailer if this is something you're going to do on a regular basis.

And if fuel mileage is your concern the Ford 2.7 EB, (if properly equipped) will easily handle the weight of your trailer, at altitude, and still get better fuel mileage than your Tacoma. Probably cost less too. The key is PROPERLY EQUIPPED. Not all are and you need to really check the specs carefully before buying one.

 

I don't tow, but I live in Colorado Springs and drive US-24 pretty regularly. I think it's a much nicer, less-stressful drive than I-70 or US-285. You'll be on 4-lane to Divide and then 2-lane the rest of the way to Fairplay. There are still steep/windy sections (especially between Manitou Springs and Cascade and again around Wilkerson Pass), but they're relatively short and with less traffic.

Traffic does vary a lot depending on when you drive. Things can get congested with weekenders coming up and down from the mountains. I think weekdays and early mornings are the lightest.

If you come this way, I can recommend some good food just off the highway.

Don't underestimate the drive across the plains, either. Those winds can be fierce.

 

Follow up:
We finally got out here after cancelling our trip last summer due to financial difficulties. I got the SC and a 87mm pulley/tune. Would a full size truck have been more comfortable? Probably. We only took the truck and camper with us. No second vehicle. So everything had to fit in the truck. it was tight. But would an F150 eco boost have towed it better? Maybe. IDK. The tacoma did an amazing job. We took 285 out. Traffic was slow for a bit of it. That was the hardest part.
descending was no problem. I put it into S3/2, depending on speed, and barely had to brake. And when I did, the camper's trailer brakes were more than adequate.
We will be heading to Jackson, WY on 8/1. Very excited to be here for an extended stay.
Thanks again for everyones input