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03-10-2024, 06:23 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Aurora
Posts: 4
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New to the camping world!
I bought my first 5th wheel camper, been wanting a camper for many years! Bought a boat last year, now need to have the camper! I bought a Keystone Cougar lite 28 SGS. I have a 1997 F350 to pull it with. I do have the 7.3L diesel engine. I live in Aurora, CO and have been looking to see where we want to cart camping. Most places so far are going to be on the flat land VS going through the Rocky Mountains. I know my old girl would have a tough time with the mountains. Any advice on issues you’ve had in the past? Or words of wisdom? Would be appreciated!
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03-10-2024, 06:37 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Lacey, WA
Posts: 503
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Hi,
I know others will chime in but, my only comments are: Take it easy on the ole gal and she will pull your RV just fine. Be sure and keep up on all the maintenance, oil/filter/ fuel filter/ tranny flush/brakes/etc.
I pull my TT over the cascade mountains regularly, .... and she is 54yrs ole!!!!!
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Lee & Christie
1970 F250 Highboy 4x4
2013 Cougar 21RBSWE
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03-10-2024, 07:15 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,358
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Welcome to the forum
Your old truck will do just fine, Mine is a '94 IDI and it does it
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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03-10-2024, 07:51 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Posts: 1,399
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Welcome aboard! Your set up will work just fine.
I had a 2000 F250 with the 7.3 for many years. It was a great truck and took good care of us pulling our 5er that was probably about the same weight as yours.
Are you using a tuner? That 4 speed tranny will tend to want to up-shift at inconvenient times when pulling up hills. I found that using a SuperChips tuner and setting to tow mode solved that. It was a beast on the hills and would easily accelerate. So that's my one piece of advice for using your rig. It'll do the job very well.
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Jeff & Sandi (and Teddy - 7lb Schnorkie)
2018 Montana High Country 305RL
2015 RAM 3500 Crew Cab 4x4 DRW
Demco Recon Hitch on RAM Puck Ball
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03-10-2024, 08:44 AM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 27,000
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Welcome to the forum. I had a 93 F250 7.3L NA (no turbo) and pulled a 93 Holiday Rambler 34' travel trailer (9600 pounds) through the mountains a number of times. It was "sort of slow" (40-50MPH) on the long uphills, but never had any problem getting to the top (except black exhaust).
One time, on I-70, going up to the tunnel from Denver, the black exhaust was really visible. When we got to the top, the front side of the trailer was "sooty" so we stopped to check things out. Back then, I always left the roof vents open to pull fresh air into the trailer and keep it cooler.... Well, when we opened the trailer door to go inside for lunch, the ENTIRE inside was "a black sooty mess"... DW was not a "happy camper" that day.....
So, learn from my "past mistakes"... Don't tow in the mountains with the roof vents open. It sets up a vacuum inside the trailer and will "suck that soot through every crack and crevice, through the trailer and out the roof vents"....
Again, welcome to the forum and enjoy your time here.
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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03-10-2024, 12:26 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Georgia, USA
Posts: 543
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Welcome to the forum from south Georgia. Congrats on your first fifth wheel and safe travels to ya.
__________________
Dan (USAF Retired)
2021 Cougar 290RLS w the Andersen Ultimate
2022 Ram 3500 SRW Big Horn Mega Cab
6.7L I6 CTD with Air Suspension
6 Speed Automatic 68RFE Transmission
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03-11-2024, 03:22 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Saginaw Mn
Posts: 1,732
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Welcome from northern MN.
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2012 Keystone Retreat 39 FDEN
99 Dodge One Ton Diesel Dually
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03-11-2024, 04:03 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: jackson
Posts: 1,122
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Welcome from NH!
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JXNBBL (Jay)
Jackson, NH
2021 Keystone 330BHS
2023 Ram 3500 6.7L diesel, 3.73 ratio
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03-11-2024, 06:26 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2022
Location: Hartsville
Posts: 269
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Welcome from middle TN. I have owned 3 trucks with the 7.3 diesel and pulled heavy trailers thru the mountains in Montana with no problems. My trucks had 411 rears and were automatic transmissions.
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2023 Cougar 23MLE
2022 Ford F-250 with 6.2 L
Hartsville, Tenn.
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03-11-2024, 06:30 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Posts: 1,399
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH
Welcome to the forum. I had a 93 F250 7.3L NA (no turbo) and pulled a 93 Holiday Rambler 34' travel trailer (9600 pounds) through the mountains a number of times. It was "sort of slow" (40-50MPH) on the long uphills, but never had any problem getting to the top (except black exhaust)...
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Interesting. Our 7.3 had a turbo and I hadn't really considered that they made them without it. Ours didn't have that problem with smoke...even pulling long hills. Sure, some occasional smoke if I really romped on it, but not sustained black smoke.
Still...a good idea to close windows and vents while on the road.
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Jeff & Sandi (and Teddy - 7lb Schnorkie)
2018 Montana High Country 305RL
2015 RAM 3500 Crew Cab 4x4 DRW
Demco Recon Hitch on RAM Puck Ball
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03-11-2024, 07:57 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,480
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Hopefully the 97 F350 has four wheel disk brakes; our 96 F250 460 CID had drums on the back. It pulled a similar size RV fine in the hills and canyons; some very steep. Brakes didn't like it though.
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wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
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03-11-2024, 10:19 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Indiana
Posts: 2,720
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Welcome to the forums and congrats on getting your new camper. About the truck!.... well ... in my opinion .... you'll be just fine!
Just take it slow and easy until you are fully comfortable towing your new camper. Never do Jack-Rabbit starts when towing a trailer. Your truck may be able to take it, but your engine will "take" your gas tank! Slow, steady starts, and pick up speed smooth and evenly. You'll do just fine!
Stopping: Well, you really need to experiment a bit there, no matter what the tow vehicle is. Every camper responds a bit different with different tow vehicles.
Test braking at a very slow speed (less than 5 mph), smooth steady braking and then a hard panic stop brake. Feel the difference. No do the same thing at 10 mph. You'll feel a big difference in the panic stop at 10 mph that you didn't feel at 5 mph. Now, you have a base line what your camper and truck is capable of doing. You may want to tweek the gain (plus or minus) on your brake controller for the camper, then try stopping smoothly and evenly at 50 or 55 mph until you get the right feel.
If you do this, I think your truck will serve you just fine! Just remember, when towing, you are dragging thousands and thousands of pounds behind you. With all that weight, no vehicle operates the same as when you "dead head" (drive not towing).
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2019 Montana High Country 375FL
2014 Chevy Duramax HD 6.6 - 3500 Diesel Dully Long bed Crew Cab
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03-11-2024, 10:37 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Posts: 1,399
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchmensport
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Stopping: Well, you really need to experiment a bit there, no matter what the tow vehicle is. Every camper responds a bit different with different tow vehicles...
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Good thought. You'll need a good brake controller. I've found that the Tenkonsha P2 or P3 to be my favorites. I've used the P2 for years and like its control. There are both timed and progressive styles of controllers. The P2 and P3 are progressive which, IMHO, provide a smoother stopping experience when properly set up for your trailer.
My 2000 Ford had the connector under the dash so after getting the right adapter it was easy to connect.
__________________
Jeff & Sandi (and Teddy - 7lb Schnorkie)
2018 Montana High Country 305RL
2015 RAM 3500 Crew Cab 4x4 DRW
Demco Recon Hitch on RAM Puck Ball
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03-14-2024, 07:19 AM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Yankton
Posts: 3
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We have a 2001 F-350 with the 7.3 Powerstroke and pull our 41 foot 5th wheel which is a lot heavier than yours. We have the 6 speed manual transmission and pull in the mountains just fine. We pulled up over Wolf Creek Pass last May. The turbo gets hot so make sure you let her idle a while when you stop so it can cool off.
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03-14-2024, 08:08 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Fort Collins
Posts: 125
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Welcome from Fort Collins! Plenty of great camping locations in CO. Have fun!
__________________
2012 Cougar 21RBSWE
2018 GMC 1500 5.3L, 4x4, crew cab, max tow pkg
Andersen Hitch
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03-14-2024, 11:51 AM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Breckenridge
Posts: 45
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Welcome from another neighbor in Breckinridge. Agree with others that you have enough truck. Have hauled various fifth wheels over almost every major pass in Colorado except Independence. No issues with my 2500.
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2022 Cougar Half Ton 29RLI
2021 Grand Design Reflection 31MB
2023 RAM Laramie 2500 CTD 4X4
Demco Slider Hitch
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03-24-2024, 07:40 AM
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#17
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Aurora
Posts: 4
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I bought a rear caliper kit to get rid of the rear drum brakes, been doing some research of them and found Lugnut 4x4 to have the best put together kit. I'm waiting for it to come in the mail, But with the tandem axle trailer brakes, it stops pretty good. Thanks for your input.
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04-07-2024, 06:33 AM
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#18
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Aurora
Posts: 4
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Where did you find the super chips tuner? Any certain model?
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04-07-2024, 09:30 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Posts: 1,399
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle whitey
Where did you find the super chips tuner? Any certain model?
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The tuner I used seems harder to find now than it did 15-20 years ago. It was a simple hand-held tuner that you would plug into the OBD port, tune as desired, then disconnect and store until next time. I set my truck to Heavy Tow and just left it there.
Something like this might accomplish the same thing but it requires an installation. I have no experience with this and I would be careful to NOT overtune. A 50-60 hp bump sounds about right.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/31513187124...Bk9SR8LHzZnXYw
FWIW, although mine was red, this is the type I had
https://www.autoaccessoriesgarage.co...AX-MicroTuners
__________________
Jeff & Sandi (and Teddy - 7lb Schnorkie)
2018 Montana High Country 305RL
2015 RAM 3500 Crew Cab 4x4 DRW
Demco Recon Hitch on RAM Puck Ball
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