Trip through mountains

[RickHredf250]

Planning a trip in the next few weeks from Omaha Nebraska to Yellowstone and Tetons and back.
While the truck has been through the mountains and it does very well (4.10 gears) I have never pulled a trailer up and down true Mountains.
Experienced at towing, like I said just not in the mountains.

Here are the specs...
Tow Rig
97 F250 HD (8,800 gvw) 4x4 Crew Cab short bed auto with fiberglass topper.
110 gallon in bed tank + 50 gallons in cans + 30 gallons in drum. (Cheap Homemade Biodiesel!)
I know the truck with the stock tanks and the aux tank almost full is around 9,400#.

Travel Trailer is a 22.5' KZ Sportsman Ultra Lite.
Hitch is a leveler with anti sway arm.

Right now I am computing a gross of..
Truck 10,500
Trailer 8,000
Thats 18,500# Gross

Truck has new brakes all the way around, prodigy controller, 4.10 gears, new warn lock outs on the front, fresh oil and filter, fresh tranny fluid and filter, fresh valve body from Ricther69 (man it shifts great!). Truck dyno'd last summer in Colorado at 263 hp can not recall the TQ, but it pulls the trailer fine.
Trailer brakes were inspected, cleaned and are good condition, bearings and spindles completely cleaned and repacked all new seals (spare bearing, race and seal on board).
Our route is from Spearfish over to Buffalo WY then over/up to Red Lodge so Beartooth pass is on the way!
Wish I had time to make/buy and install an exhaust brake (No EBPV).

Ok now that thats all out of the way...
What say you about up and DOWN the Mountain?
Rick H...

[rws444psd]

check your pm

[Dieselgem]

My advice would be to check the lugs on both the truck and the trailer. I check mine within the first 500 miles then at the start of each day on a long trip. Be sure you have the right tire pressure in both units. Take your time both going up the mountain and especially going down. I am not sure if your truck has a tow haul mode but if it does use it. Don't worry about climbing fast take your time so the engine and the tranny does not overheat. On the way down do not ride the brakes. Use a lower gear and when you apply the brakes do it in a stabbing motion. I am not sure of the route you are going to take but do not use Rt 14 over the Big Horn. If you want PM me with the route you are thinking about.

[RickHredf250]

I will post my route and I seen where to avoid 14A with trailer but nothing about 14, thanks for the heads up.
Here is our route as it stands now.

I will start from Yankton SD as the trip from Omaha to Yankton is pretty simple and flat.
Out of Yankton North on 81 to I90 then the long trek West to Spearfish.
Out of Spearfish on I90 West again to Buffalo.
Out of Buffalo on I90 through Billings and then South on 310/212 to Red Lodge.
Then into Yellowstone.
It just seems so boring all that I90 traveling, but i have never been that way so I do not know if I90 presents any steep grades or not, I would suspect not.
We do want to cross over Beartooth pass. Anyone ever been that way towing a TT?
Rick H...

[artkelly]

I go up and down over the Smokies 2-3 times a year. The average grade southbound to Newfound Gap is about 8 percent over about 7 miles. (Beartooth is reported to be 10 percent.) Last time I did the Smokies, I had 2 passengers and gear plus myself, so I was over 18,000 GCVW. (17780 <font color="blue"> See This </font> with one PAC.)

My brakes have 77000 and will need overhauled before I do it again. It's starting to hop around a little when braking at highway speeds.

The only issue I have is when I get behind some "daisy picker" and can't keep my TC locked. The tranny output temp will get to 220, but NBD, really. Locked, it runs about 160 degrees.

I would do Beartooth with my rig, but I'd try to pick a time when traffic was light so I could do my own thing. The altitude will be an issue going up.

Except for the Flex-A-Lite cooler, my power train is stock to the block. No performance mods, no exhaust brake, no TC-lockup circuits.

The trip up the Smokies a piece of cake, but it's a slow road--35-45 MPH is about it for a tow rig. (Fifty-eighty for a crotch rocket. Until they get behind me.) You just CAN'T LET IT SPEED UP going down. The rule is, use the same gear going down that you use going up. I saw a pickup go up a runaway truck ramp on the Grapevine. It was UGLY.

[fulltimer50]

Taking rt16 out of Buffalo to yellowstone is very doable. I went over the Big horns on the way to Thermopolis on Sunday. When I worked at the Buffalo KOA everyone said rt16 is the way to go. Shorter and lower grades.

[FloridaEd]

First, I assume you plan to camp at Fishing Bridge campground on the south end of Yellowstone Lake.. the only full-hookup campground in the park.. you need reservations NOW to get in.. or you may not be able to get them even now. I make mine about 360 days ahead of time.. they allow them on year ahead of time.

IF this is where you plan to camp, you can travel the whole way and only have one semi-bad pass: Sylvan Pass at 8500 feet on the east entrance road to Yellowstone. It's not a bad pass. I normally follow the snowplow into Yellowstone in May when we go visit Yellowstone and I have had no problems with an F-250 and a much heavier overall load on this pass.

You have several ways without mountain passes to get to Cody, WY, which will lead you into Yellowstone.

1. From Billings, Montana.
2. From Casper via Thermopolis, WY (through Wind River Canyon south of Themopolis, which is gorgeous, but an easy drive)

Getting to Wyoming is relatively easy, just pick an interstate route (or two-lane road, your choice). I don't like I-90 in South Dakota because it's a concrete road with lots of heaving and it is really rough with a truck or trailer suspension.

A word of caution:

1. Stay off US16 west of Buffalo, Wyoming, with a trailer. Powder River Pass is not the problem on this road, it's Bighorn Canyon coming down on the west side of the canyon and this section of the road is scary. Very steep two-lane road with truck runaway ramps and 15MPH hairpin turns. Lots of crosses on this road where folks have died.

2. Really stay off US14/14A west of Sheridan, WY. If you are tempted to take US14/14A, do something not quite as dumb and take US16 across the mountains. If you just determined to take either of these roads, at least drive across the mountains first with just your truck so you know what to expect.

I've driven every main road in Wyoming and those two above are the ones I will not go over with a trailer. (Bear Tooth pass is near Yellowstone in Montana... I don't think I would go over it again in a car, much less tow a trailer.)

Sounds like a nice trip. Ill be out there next year. Good luck.

Florida Ed

[RickHredf250]

Perfect ED!
Thanks for the insite.
I think we will stick to the routes you suggested. Since I am carrying my own fuel I am trying to do the straight line thing but I see in the West that does not work. Looks good on a map but when I turn on the sat images, whooooo, I see all the mountains. Looking forward to it.
What about 310 to 72 south to 308 west to 212 north into Red Lodge?
Rick H...

[Dieselgem]

The route you selected has the least grades. I do not tow the bear tooth with the trailer. Its a great motorcycle road, one of the best in the country. There are folks who do tow it.

Out of Red Lodge you could go back 21 to 72, to 120 to 14 into Cody, this will avoid the beartooth.

Another route which I have done in a 37' toyhauler does have mountains. Its Route 16 At Buffalo,to Route 120 in Thermopolis, then 120 north to Cody. 14 to the East entrance of the park. It is quicker to take 20 north at Worland to Greybull then take 14 to Cody. Don't know if you have reservation or not but the Spearfish City Campground is a hidden gem. 33 West of Cody is the Yellowstone Valley Inn Campground, this is about 52 miles from the park. If you take the 16 Route there is a campground in Riverton and also the Wind River State Park campground, after you come down the mountain. Water and dump but no electric at Wind River. Aslo rember the Sturgis rally is in August. Hope this helps.

[Dieselgem]

Damn Ed, I have traveled over RT. 16 towing for six years and two years with a toy hauler fully loaded. I never had a problem, but after reading your post you scared me.
Wind River

[RickHredf250]

More good first hand info, thanks!
I did see the Spearfish City camp ground but they take no reservations.
We should be out of there before Sturgis although I suspect it could start ramping up the week before. Should be heading home,WAIT! is Sturgis dates like 7/28 to 8/something?!?! I better go check that close..... ahhh 8/6 through 8/12 so we should be ok through the brunt of it. Like I said, I suspect the week before we will be seeing a lot of 2 wheelers. If I were by myself I would not mind checking it out, but with kids might not be the best place for them! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]
Thanks again for the first hand info, it really helps!
More so than the AAA office in Nebraska maned by someone who has never been there let alone tow through there!
Rick H...

[Dieselgem]

Maybe something new but I always reserved at the campground. Rafter J's is a nice park. A lot of folks with kids hit the Rushmore KOA, they have a stable. The bike's will start rolling in about two weeks before the rally. Have a great time and if you get a chance the Badlands are worth doing, you can stop at the tourist trap with the kids (Wall Drug). Here is the Spearfish link.

Spearfish City Campground

[RickHredf250]

Did the Badlands and Wall a few years ago, remember vividly the temp was over 100 deg! No thanks!!!
Sounds like we may encounter some bikes, thats fine they have full road rights just like the rest of us.
As for the KOA's, we have not had the best experience with them. Rapid City got a rash from the hot tub, Eastern CO swimming pool would shock you and the owner just wanted to argue with me and West Saint Louis KOA, best one of all, got bite by Bed Bugs in a cabin! That was the worse.
So I tend to stay away from the KOAs, good marketing terrible quality control.
This week I am going to load the truck with fuel (250 gallons) and supplies then go weight it and see what it comes out at. My guess is &lt;10,500.
Rick H...

[Dan C]

Your rig is not overloaded and appears to be well maintained. I tow over beartooth pass and thru the bighorns all the time. You will be just fine. Take it slow going down hill. In Montana and Wyoming heed the speed limits in the curves in the mountains. You will be in first gear on the steep downhill hairpin turns. If you are used to narrow two lane roads these are not bad routes. On beartooth pass make sure your passengers are ok with heights. There are places where they will be able to see several thousand feet down.

[radeon1314]

i agree with keeping away from koa. just got back from a trip to Wisconsin for my great grandmas 100 bday and they wanted 75 bucks for one night. this was at the one in the Wisconsin dells. i think that is just a bit ridiculous for one night.

kevin