Hi Y'all and a couple of questions

[Mark.Smith]

Hello, this is my first post on a great site!! I just bought a 2005 CTD with the 6 speed. Haven't even seen the rig yet as I am in Iraq and will pick it up shortly from Ron Tonkin Dodge in Oregon. I have been lurking on the site for sometime now and have learned much about the CTD from reading the posts. I will return home soon and when I do, I will borrow a friend's 24' enclosed car trailer and go to the east coast and pick up my chevelle and some other stuff. The route takes me through the mountains of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. My questions are does anyone have any tips on towing in the winter, and has anyone taken route 84 to 80 across the country in the winter? I was raised driving in ice and snow but never pulling a trailer with electric brakes through winter mountain passes. I don't want my new rig, friends trailer, and my SS winding up at the bottom of the mountain a twisted pile of junk. Any info or tips would be greatly appriciated!!



Mark

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Howdy Mark,



Thanks for your service to the good ol' USofA and for the opportunity you are giving the Iraqi people!

a great site!!

We will soon disabuse you of that notion.



Although WY is noted for it's wind, wide open spaces, wild horses, women who actually like to hunt, and other charming ametities that happen to escape me at the moment towing, or driving for that matter, across I80 in mid winter is not one of them. I80 is approx 56% tractor trailer traffic and can be challenging, if not life threatening, in the winter. Those big boys go by in a blizzard of dry snow. The wind, especially around Elk Mountain-Armington, can also make for closed roads and ground blizzards. If you choose not to take an alternate route, I'd suggest keeping in tune with the weather forecasts, make sure your equipment is in good condition, carry emergency gear, and above all take your time and enjoy. You can always pull over and enjoy the wonderful opportunities provided by awesome Laramie, Rawlins, Rock Springs/Green River, and gee I thought there were more places then that? Remember to fill up. :-laf

 

[Gene Arnold]

Hi, Mark!



Ditto what Trail Dog said! Around Elk Mountain can be some really weird and rough stuff. However, the road across Wyoming is not particularly mountainous- just high elevations 7,000 to 8,000 feet. There are some really beautiful mountains between Evanston, Wyoming and Ogden, Utah, but the road isn’t bad. 84 north into Idaho can be a real bear if it is snowing because the wind is always howling down through that valley.



From Burley, Idaho, on west to north of Ontario, Oregon is a pretty good road. We never have much snow on the road. From Baker City through the Blues to Pendleton is another story. Watch the weathercasts real carefully! Then the Columbia River Gorge can have some bad ice that time of year (I don’t have much experience up there).



I got into one of the biggest traffic jams I’ve ever been in (of course, I’ve always lived in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho so that’s not saying much) at Rawlins. This was late April four years ago, I was east bound and had to put in at Rock Springs because of a blizzard in the Cheyenne/Laramie area. Wyoming Hi-way patrol closed the road at RS because all the hotels were full down the road. When I finally got out of town at 9:00 a. m. the next day all was well to Rawlins (bear in mind the skies had been clear and the temperatures really mild both days where we were). I was in the fast lane feeling good when at about milepost 210 I had to make a quick stop and join the worlds longest parking lot. Finally got back on the road and stayed in the fast lane with the eighteen-wheelers and made the trip to Cheyenne faster than I’ve ever done. Just east of Laramie on the west bound I saw what our parking lot must have been like earlier. I measured 21 miles of total inactive vehicles in both lanes - truck drivers playing cards on the fenders, etc. I never did find out why it happened because the skies were blue, temperature warm, no snow on the road, no accidents.



If I was towing and unsure of myself I’d be sure to have an unhurried schedule, enough money for hotels, and if I hit bad conditions I’d pull off and wait it out.



One more thing, be sure to visit beautiful downtown Wamsutter, Wyoming. Just ask Ol' Trail Dog. :-laf



By the way, THANKS FOR BEING WILLING TO GO WHERE YOU ARE AND DO WHAT YOU DO! YOU GUYS AND GALS ARE AWESOME!! Oo.



Gene

 

[jelag]

We travel I-5, from Portland to San Diego, I-15 from Las Vegas to Butte, and I-90 and I-84 through ID, OR, WA, MT..... all year... . Our 04 3500 dually just turned 140K miles pulling a trailer 95% of the time... . and we have an 00 F550 with 350K miles on it... . plus some others...



As winter gets nearer our speeds and time to make destinations gets longer... . we're much more careful in the early morning and late evening watching the outside temp...



About 8 years ago we came around a corner early one moring on I-5 in the Columbia River Gorge and had a simple jack knife on black ice that didn't do any damage except put the truck and trailer into the sholder... . a very wide sholder...



We carry a set of chains for the truck and drag chains for the trailer... . but in the winter when the chain sign is out... . we wait for the road to clear... . and just park it..... and we usually don't loose more than 5 or 6 days a year to this... .



Getting there today... just isn't worth the chance of an accident... I can't tell you how many times I've stopped to see drivers running Semi's that say... "" this is my first time out west, and I'm not sure how to put on these cable chains""" so we just wait it out.....



These are my thoughts...

 

[GFrance]

Thanks for your service Mark & welcome to the site. Where in Oregon do you reside? When you get home look up the www.nwbombers.com the local group of diesel heads in oregon ,Washington, Idaho, afew in Montana, & N. calif.

As long as you don't get caught in a major storm (whiteout) you'll be fine just take your time. The states are pretty good at keeping the passes clear. Might want to pack some tire chains for the truck & a set for the trailer to be used as drag chains(chained up trailer tires to aid in stopping straight) Better to be prepared than not. There have been storms that even 4x4's had to chain up. Les Schwab sells tire chains & if you don't use them they will take them back for a full refund.

 

[Mark.Smith]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I have enough chains for all 4 wheels of the truck but would not have thought of the drag chains, will have to get a set. I'm at FT Lewis WA and I will check out nwbombers when I get back. Again, thanks for the help.



Mark

 

[GFrance]

When you check out nw bombers if you decide to register on our site you might want to choose a different handle. We have a Mark Smith who posts & lives 30 miles from me here in Oregon.

 

[RustyJC]

My questions are does anyone have any tips on towing in the winter... .

Not besides don't (and I lived in central Ohio for 22 years).



By the way, thank you for your service to our country. My family respects, honors and greatly appreciates it.



Rusty

 

[GWBourne]

Hello, this is my first post on a great site!! I just bought a 2005 CTD with the 6 speed. Haven't even seen the rig yet as I am in Iraq and will pick it up shortly from Ron Tonkin Dodge in Oregon. I have been lurking on the site for sometime now and have learned much about the CTD from reading the posts. I will return home soon and when I do, I will borrow a friend's 24' enclosed car trailer and go to the east coast and pick up my chevelle and some other stuff. The route takes me through the mountains of Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. My questions are does anyone have any tips on towing in the winter, and has anyone taken route 84 to 80 across the country in the winter? I was raised driving in ice and snow but never pulling a trailer with electric brakes through winter mountain passes. I don't want my new rig, friends trailer, and my SS winding up at the bottom of the mountain a twisted pile of junk. Any info or tips would be greatly appriciated!!



Mark

Mark... Ron Tonkin... Been there...

Iraq... Been there...

Cummins... Got one...



get an exhaust brake... BUT DONT USE IT IN SNOW or limited traction. get some chains RATED for a dually and some for the trailer as well... go sow when needed and make plenty of scheduled time for the trip. when ya get back we want ya around a bit longer...



thanks for serving with me and for the rest on the board.

grant

 

[jwduke]

Mark, welcome to the board, and !!THANK YOU!! for your GREAT service to OUR country!