Need Uphill Advice, Please

[NTchamp]

I just got back from Moab I towed my Jeep (4500 lbs) and a 20ft flatbed(2000lbs). I live in littleton CO, and had to go through Vail Pass, tow up to Eisenhower tunnel, and tow up another huge hill and back. My weight towing is approx 7000lbs with the jeep loaded and everything else on the trailer. it towed great and I would use the shifter from 4th to 3rd keeping it high RPM's. I would slow to about 60mph up all those hills in 3rd 2wd. it would flux a few MPH up and down but dont be afraid the Titan stays cooler in High RPMs and runs great.

Josh

[Delta15]

Originally Posted by HorsesInTow

Yes, it climbed the hill with a gross tow wt of about 3700 lbs in 2WD - at just under 2000 rpm. Came up just fine, and I think (now) that I can take all that good advice and drive up in 2WD when the road is dry, but the road will be wet and covered with redwood needles about 5 months out of the year, so 4WD has to be an option.
I'm going to check my transmission fluid level and, if it isn't at max, I'll add enough to get it there. What Beach TJ discussed makes a lot of sense to me - although I'd never had thought of it.
Thank you everyone for your time and ideas. I'll report back as soon as I make some progress.

Glad to hear it worked out for ya!!

be sure not to overfill the trans and follow the procedure for checking your fluid

Transmission Dip Stick

http://www.titantalk.com/forums/atta...g?d=1176306292

[harland98]

The Titan has a ton of torque and HP. I don't think you need 4WD. I'd try it in 2WD and see how that works out for you. I regualrly tow my 26 foot TT with a weight of 7000 lbs with NO problem. Of matter of fact I have to concentrate to keep the truck at a reasonable speed.

[HorsesInTow]

Originally Posted by mtofell

Have you tried it in 2wd? If the wheels aren't slipping there is no reason for 4wd... that could be causing things to bind up. This truck has a lot of torque and should be able to handle the situation you describe.

Took your (and similar) advice to climb the hill in 2WD. It was good to find out how much power is there, but problem not fully solved. Came up in 2WD with one horse with no problem (about 4,000 lbs. in tow). Came up today with both horses (about 5000 lbs.) and the wheels did slip. Event though wheels were slipping, we were moving forward, so I continued on carefully to see if slipping would stop (VDC was on), but it continued to slip. Then I put it into 4Hi, which made a difference, but it still slipped a bit. Next time, I'll engage 4Hi at the bottom of the hill.

[HorsesInTow]

Originally Posted by NTchamp

I just got back from Moab I towed my Jeep (4500 lbs) and a 20ft flatbed(2000lbs). I live in littleton CO, and had to go through Vail Pass, tow up to Eisenhower tunnel, and tow up another huge hill and back. My weight towing is approx 7000lbs with the jeep loaded and everything else on the trailer. it towed great and I would use the shifter from 4th to 3rd keeping it high RPM's. I would slow to about 60mph up all those hills in 3rd 2wd. it would flux a few MPH up and down but dont be afraid the Titan stays cooler in High RPMs and runs great.
Josh

Thanks for your uphill advice. Visited Littleton last year (had a great time), so I know the mountains you're referring to. I am definitely convinced this truck has towing power for the steep grades. I've accelerated on some very steep ones around here (Santa Cruz Mountains-not the huge grades of the San Juans). I have to admit that driving a much less powerful V6 for so long, it's quite a (nice) transition to find this extra power now. My real challenge is having to climb my hill slowly - starting at about 3 mph and reaching a max speed of 10 mph (steep curves and horses in tow). This is where I am bogging down, towing my full 2-horse trailer (5,000 lbs.) slowly on this steep grade. It's a tough combination to beat at the moment!

[HorsesInTow]

Originally Posted by Beach-TJ

This happens from time to time with the guys that run auto transmissions in rock crawling riggs. With an auto on an incline the transmission basically gets starved for fluid and will slip. Specifically, I think it's the tq converter that is getting starved. A solution to this problem is to replace the stock pan with a high capacity pan that allows you to hold extra fluid. The deeper pan and its extended fluid pickup allows the vehicle to operate at steeper angles without starving the transmission of ATF.
But I do not know if anyone makes a high capacity pan for the Tittan though. I know some of the crawling guys over fill there auto transmissions, but those are generally trail only rigs, I don't think that's a good idea for a street driven truck.
I agree that the 4 lo is a good idea for both extra power and extra control, and is much kinder to your transmission.
It could be a combination of ATF fluid starvation and the extra weight of the horse trailer that are causing you to stop moving on the incline, as every extra pound will make fluid starvation more obvious.
Maybe this will give you some insight into your issue.
I hope you can find a solution.

I'm pretty sure you have solved the mystery of why the Titan won't climb my steep hill in 4-Lo without problems. 2WD isn't getting the job done with a full load, but 4-Hi is handling it okay - at least for now. Once the roads get really wet during our extended wet season, I may be looking for the deep pan to solve the issue. Thanks for your input. I will say that with all the experimentation and helpful advice from everyone, I've a got a pretty good feel about what this truck can do. Thanks.