Pulling a trailered car thru the mountains

[garylmoore]

I am trailering an old Mercedes from Portland Or. to Rockford IL. the end of this week. I have hauled trailered cars before and made the same drive before but never with a trailered car behind me thru the mountains. The truck is a very nice 2001 Dodge 2500 4WD w/ 220k and electric brake. Unsure if the brake functions, I have never tried it. Unsure if the trailer has electric brakes and what ball size it takes. My ball attachment has two sizes and is rated I think at 10,000.
I have no doubt the truck can handle the load, but is there anything I especially need to be aware of when hauling thru the mountains or hauling a trailered vehicle in general? I have attached a picture of the hitch label and the connector.
Thanks.

 

[Wiredawg]

I am trailering an old Mercedes from Portland Or. to Rockford IL. the end of this week. I have hauled trailered cars before and made the same drive before but never with a trailered car behind me thru the mountains. The truck is a very nice 2001 Dodge 2500 4WD w/ 220k and electric brake. Unsure if the brake functions, I have never tried it. Unsure if the trailer has electric brakes and what ball size it takes. My ball attachment has two sizes and is rated I think at 10,000.
I have no doubt the truck can handle the load, but is there anything I especially need to be aware of when hauling thru the mountains or hauling a trailered vehicle in general? I have attached a picture of the hitch label and the connector.
Thanks.

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View attachment 128600

I would definitely make sure the truck and trailer brakes, brake controller, and tires on both are in great shape. You dont want a wreck going down a steep grade.

 

[AH64ID]

I would definitely make sure the truck and trailer brakes, brake controller, and tires on both are in great shape. You dont want a wreck going down a steep grade.

I'll 2nd this and add that verifying the condition of the trailer bearings would be important to me.

No real trick to towing in the mountains, just be watching the road ahead for major grade changes and curves.

Be sure to get the car positioned correctly to get 10-15% tongue weight, 13-15% is best if you can swing it.

 

[garylmoore]

I'll 2nd this and add that verifying the condition of the trailer bearings would be important to me.

No real trick to towing in the mountains, just be watching the road ahead for major grade changes and curves.

Be sure to get the car positioned correctly to get 10-15% tongue weight, 13-15% is best if you can swing it.

And how do I know I have tongue weight right?

 

[AH64ID]

And how do I know I have tongue weight right?

Without stopping at a scale the best way is to watch the rear suspension on the pickup. Note the height empty, then watch it as you load. The truck will come up as you load the car and then start to squat as you pull forward. Note where the suspension sits when the car weight is centered, as best as you can tell, over the axles of the trailer. Then move forward about a foot. As long as the truck doesn't heavily squat with that foot movement then its probably in the 13-15% range.

You will know if it's too light because the trailer will sway a little at speed. The remedy is to move the car forward. With proper tongue weight the trailer won't sway and will track very well.

 

[gsbrockman]

I'll 2nd this and add that verifying the condition of the trailer bearings would be important to me.

Additionally......further touching on what @Wiredawg said, make sure you have a spare for the trailer, as well as verifying the manufacturing date codes of the tires on the trailer. A short “shake down” run the day before would be advised. If the trailer doesn’t have any brakes or non-working brakes, consider a rental at Sunbelt or Nations Rent.

 

[endoscott]

Good advice, I rented a Uhaul car trailer to tow my 4runner down to the desert and it was just excellent.

 

[petersonj]

The truck is a very nice 2001 Dodge 2500 4WD

There is no mention of whether the transmission is an automatic or a manual. If it is a stock automatic, you have no hold back power going down steep grades. The converter will unlock, so you will be relying on brakes only for keeping your speed in check. The brakes can heat up quickly and you will be depleting your reserve braking capacity for an emergency stop as you continue down the grade.

- John

 

[Cummins12V98]

Push the overdrive button to off when descending a grade if it’s an auto.

 

[Tuesdak]

I would guess the trailer and car are over 5000 LBS. Per the hitch sticker you should have a weight distributing hitch (link).