OT: Diesel pickup truck recommendation

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by merlinmurph

That's scary stuff. Tow haul mode should downshift automatically, assuming the truck has a tow haul mode (and it was on).

Several of the grades on 14A are double-digit, so even with automatic downshifting, there can be a lot of braking. I shift to manual before a descent. With the ten-speed transmission (Chevy and Ford now use the same Allison Transmission), the manual puts me in 7th gear to start, which takes me out of overdrive. I then toggle the gears using the switch on the shifter with the goal of remaining less than 3,000 RPM while controlling speed. I will usually quickly brake to reduce speed before downshifting, no more than a few seconds.

I avoid certain routes because of steep descents. I won't pull a trailer up and over Highway 14 between Shell and Sheridan, Wyoming, and definitely not on 14A between Burgess Junction and Lovell. Highway 16 between Ten Sleep and Buffalo can be sketchy, but I've driven it enough to know where I need extra caution. Pulling a heavy trailer means always playing the "what if" game.