Towing 4500 lb camper up 8% grade

[BReeves61]

i have about 10 miles of an 8% grade to go up(and down) with our camper.Any recommendations. I have a 2022 Crew cab. Thanks!!

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[Saucy]

I recommend you use tow mode + stay in lower gears and use a weight distribution hitch. If you're worried about power, don't be- turbocharged vehicles shine at elevation. Stock tune is fine, but the ford performance tune is even better. I'm told the aftermarket maps are also quite nice.

 

[Grumpaw]

Curious...where in NC are you towing ? Used to live in Hendersonville and pulled up and down the Saluda grade many many times with a class c motor home towing a toad, and never had a problem. Also towed the length of the Blue Ridge and Skyline Drive.
As to your Ranger...hook tour trailer up, use tow mode, lock it in 5-6 gear and go...you should not have any problems.

 

[9zero1790]

truck will pull up the hill fine in tow mode. id be thinking on the brakes on the down hill lol.

 

[Grumpaw]

truck will pull up the hill fine in tow mode. id be thinking on the brakes on the down hill lol.

I should have added in my post, running down a grade, to leave it in tow mode, and drop it into 4-5 gear or lower if necessary. Tow mode, in lower gear acts like an engine brake....not a true brake, but it will help with the lower speed, and you won't be "riding" your brakes.
I'm towing considerably more than you are, and have been thru NY, NH, VT mountains without any problems....take it nice and easy, your Ranger will do just fine.

 

[BReeves61]

Curious...where in NC are you towing ? Used to live in Hendersonville and pulled up and down the Saluda grade many many times with a class c motor home towing a toad, and never had a problem. Also towed the length of the Blue Ridge and Skyline Drive.
As to your Ranger...hook tour trailer up, use tow mode, lock it in 5-6 gear and go...you should not have any problems.

We're towing the hill up 421 between Wilksboro and Deep Gap.

 

[BReeves61]

I should have added in my post, running down a grade, to leave it in tow mode, and drop it into 4-5 gear or lower if necessary. Tow mode, in lower gear acts like an engine brake....not a true brake, but it will help with the lower speed, and you won't be "riding" your brakes.
I'm towing considerably more than you are, and have been thru NY, NH, VT mountains without any problems....take it nice and easy, your Ranger will do just fine.

how high will the rpms get using the engine brake in low gear?

 

[Grumpaw]

We're towing the hill up 421 between Wilksboro and Deep Gap.

Never did that run. Have been on I-77 towing up the grade out of NC into VA which is around 6-7 miles, and easily 8%, and did the same run down the ridge, without any problems....en-route to Mt Airy and back home.
Towed up, and down the stretch of I-26 out of Ashville to Tenn, some of the grades were easily 7-8%, and our rig is around 7000 lbs.
You should be fine.
I know the rpm's never got anywhere near redline, and as for gears, I just shifted up or down as I felt necessary. Towing up an 8% grade in 5-6th gear you'll probably be around 3500-4000 rpm's, but that depends on what speed your going to maintain. I will tell you that even going up an 8% grade, if you hit the "go" pedal, your gonna "go"...that turbo 4 will scoot without any problem....plenty of power.

 

[BReeves61]

Never did that run. Have been on I-77 towing up the grade out of NC into VA which is around 6-7 miles, and easily 8%, and did the same run down the ridge, without any problems....en-route to Mt Airy and back home.
Towed up, and down the stretch of I-26 out of Ashville to Tenn, some of the grades were easily 7-8%, and our rig is around 7000 lbs.
You should be fine.
I know the rpm's never got anywhere near redline, and as for gears, I just shifted up or down as I felt necessary. Towing up an 8% grade in 5-6th gear you'll probably be around 3500-4000 rpm's, but that depends on what speed your going to maintain. I will tell you that even going up an 8% grade, if you hit the "go" pedal, your gonna "go"...that turbo 4 will scoot without any problem....plenty of power.

thanks! The I40 w hill going to Asheville is about that too. I feel confident now.

 

[Frenchy]

Make sure you are in tow mode and simply drive safely. You will be fine

 

[Grumpaw]

thanks! The I40 w hill going to Asheville is about that too. I feel confident now.

Made that run many times going to and from Hickory, Black Mtn, Lake Lure, west out of Ashville into Tenn, Blue Ridge Pkway. Spent 10 years in the area motorcycling, riding, camping in the region.
Not towing at the time, but familiar with the area, and there's nowhere I wouldn't tow a camper with the Ranger....exception being The Dragon.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

A couple things on towing. If you are in a gear where you cannot accelerate, you are in too high a gear...down shift and slow down a bit.

Go down a grade at the same speed you maintained going up, eg. 40 mph up, then 40 mph down...

And as others have said...use tow mode...

Best,
Phil

 

[LaBalbe]

We're towing the hill up 421 between Wilksboro and Deep Gap.

I haven't taken a trailer up that stretch, but I've run that road hundreds of times, including just last week. The Ranger handles going up (granted, on its own) much steeper grades than that with no problem at all; it's got more than enough in reserve to handle the load that you propose.

As Steve & Phil have noted, going up is the easy part; coming back down is the hard part. Ease up on the brakes, and definitely don't "ride them" (i.e. keep braking all the way down a grade); use tow mode, down shift and "brake on the engine", otherwise Mark's meme will become your reality.

I've caught wiff of overheated brakes thousands of times while running through the mountains, and you definitely don't want to be one of those guys; also don't think to yourself "I can't smell anything, so I must be ok" - you can never smell your own overheated brakes, because you're basically outrunning the stench. The worst I've ever witnessed, I could actually see the guy's brakes dripping away behind him, he'd ridden them so hard; fortunately, he wasn't running heavy, and no one was in front of him, and he somehow made it down the mountain ok.

 

[ControlNode]

thanks! The I40 w hill going to Asheville is about that too. I feel confident now.

Recently with my truck loaded for a trip to PA, went through WV and some nice roads. Some of the grades had be engine braking at almost 5k on the way down in 3rd or 4th, and still occasional braking before corners to shed the speed gained still. 2.3 does not have the engine braking a larger engine would, but it is still a very good idea to save the brakes. Last thing you want to do is to ride the brakes and then get brake fade and not be able to control the speed even with engine braking at that point.

Fun game is to have the cat temp on the tuner and see how cold it can get going down.

 

[brroberts]

I’ve done grades like that with more weight than that. I have no problem seeing 4500 RPM down. If it goes over that, I start braking.

Just do as others have mentioned on speed, brake, gears, and tow mode. It’s been covered. If you have a trans temp guage that can be useful, but generally it runs cool enough.

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