Is this about what you can expect...

[hammersley]

I was reading one of the new Trailer Mag's and they were testing a new Freightliner business class, 7. 3(?) Cat, Auto and a 5th wheel almost 16,000 lbs. The cat had 300hp + with 860 ft lbs. They were saying that on the Grapevine they could make 45ish. I don't drive a real big trailer - is that the same sort of perfromance you can expect from a (trailable bombed) Cummins????

 

[QRTRHRS]

I would say that the difference is in overall stability. What I mean is that with a Dodge/Cummins, that power may be there but you need to "feather" your throttle, lest you tear up the transmission or whatever. The mass of a heavier rig will make for a more stable platform. Don't get me wrong, any vehicle has it's point where the power must be fed to the rear wheels properly.

 

[Stranger]

45 ish?

That's SLOW!!! If traffic allows us, i. e. NO IDIOTS that slow us down, we run about 52-54 up that hill.



Can go over the Altamont at 70+ .

 

[jimnance]

If no one gets in our way the Gravevine Southbound or Castaic grade is an easy 65 MPH pull. If we get stuck I can get it back up to about 60.

 

[hammersley]

That was my point - it looks like the setup they were running wasn't doing the job from a "pulling" standpoint... .

 

[Tcolesanti]

Sounds like they need to put a 7 speed behind that Cat motor and get rid of that auto.