Towing Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park

PIC · 06-16-2019, 05:04 PM

Hey All, has anyone towed through Rocky Mountain National Park? Leaving CA in early August. Stops in WINNIEmucca, Salt Lake City, Steamboat Springs. From Steamboat I could drop down th Breckenridge and continue on 70E. From Steamboat if we continued to the Grand Lake Entrance we could overnight in Estes Park and then continue East. I have driven RMNP before East to West, without a trailer. I remember long grades and winding turns. I'm in a 2014 Tundra 5.7 and a Micro Minnie 2106FBS all told about 38'. Just wanted to seek some experiences from others. Thanks for the advice. PAT

al1florida · 06-16-2019, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIC

Hey All, has anyone towed through Rocky Mountain National Park? Leaving CA in early August. Stops in WINNIEmucca, Salt Lake City, Steamboat Springs. From Steamboat I could drop down th Breckenridge and continue on 70E. From Steamboat if we continued to the Grand Lake Entrance we could overnight in Estes Park and then continue East. I have driven RMNP before East to West, without a trailer. I remember long grades and winding turns. I'm in a 2014 Tundra 5.7 and a Micro Minnie 2106FBS all told about 38'. Just wanted to seek some experiences from others. Thanks for the advice. PAT

Are you well experienced in mountain driving with the steep grades?

Have you weighed your rig to be sure your trailer is not overweight, your GCVWR on the truck is not exceeded, including any passengers and cargo in your truck.

If yes to all of the above, then you should be OK. As you noted there are some very steep grade and pretty sharp turns going down hill. If you can't slow down for the turns you have a real problem.

PIC · 06-17-2019, 07:19 PM

Very comfortable with being within the limits. Guess my general concern is more the turns than the grades. Just want to be sure there is room for westbound'ers who may or may not be towing and our eastbound package when we probably meet up somewhere.

DicknPat · 06-18-2019, 04:22 AM

Have driven it in our pickup, leaving TT in Estes Park. It can be done, but it's not for me

al1florida · 06-18-2019, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIC

Very comfortable with being within the limits. Guess my general concern is more the turns than the grades. Just want to be sure there is room for westbound'ers who may or may not be towing and our eastbound package when we probably meet up somewhere.

Go to Google Maps and/or Bing Maps and select the satellite view and take a look at the highway and the curves.

The highway is normal width and with your short rig you won't have a problem. Even a 40' motorhome or 5th wheel should not have a problem on the road.

The big problem is keeping your speed way down and slowing to 10 mph or so for the curves w/o overheating your brakes and the brakes fading so you CAN'T slow down. Or the other side is going up without overheating the engine/transmission.

**creativepart** · 06-18-2019, 10:44 AM

We did this West to East route when we towed a TT and it wasn't bad at all. It was slow and you have to watch your braking downhill but it wasn't as bad as some other Rocky Mtn passes we've driven over.

Last Summer driving our 37' motorhome, towing our Lincoln MKX, we drove over Wolf Creek Pass (East to West) in Southern Colorado. Imagine our surprise (and my wife's reaction) when a State Hwy Patrol man waved us over at the top of the pass to give us a flyer about the drive were were undertaking and going over braking techniques with me.

We made it down without any incident, of course, but you have to take it very seriously.

becken63 · 06-23-2019, 05:53 PM

How are you getting to Steamboat Springs? Hwy 40 E from Salt Lake or I80 east to Wyoming Hwy 789? If taking I80E, Go around Salt Lake on 89 to 84 back to I80 E. only 8 miles longer but you miss nasty grade on I80 east out of Salt Lake.We have never towed thru RMNP so i can't help you there.

PJTroyer · 06-23-2019, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIC

Hey All, has anyone towed through Rocky Mountain National Park? Leaving CA in early August. Stops in WINNIEmucca, Salt Lake City, Steamboat Springs. From Steamboat I could drop down th Breckenridge and continue on 70E. From Steamboat if we continued to the Grand Lake Entrance we could overnight in Estes Park and then continue East. I have driven RMNP before East to West, without a trailer. I remember long grades and winding turns. I'm in a 2014 Tundra 5.7 and a Micro Minnie 2106FBS all told about 38'. Just wanted to seek some experiences from others. Thanks for the advice. PAT

Sunday 6/23/19

Pat

I have no personal knowledgable answer regarding towing in RMNP. Others have advised against it with a rig like yours. They also discouraged me taking my 26'Winnebago View flat towing a Fiat.

However we are in Winding River RV resort in Grand Lake now. 21-27. and Trail Ridge Road was closed since Friday. Abnormal snow yesterday AM and today from 4 AM to 1 PM

Friends also are avoiding 40 through Winter Park. Instead they are taking 40 from Steamboat to Kremmling then taking 9 to Silverthornthen I70 I 70 to avoid Berthod Pass icy/snowy .

Phil

bunny2448 · 06-24-2019, 08:08 AM

Several years ago I towed my Honda CR-V behind my 2012 Itasca Cambria 30C up the mountain to RMNP. I stayed are the KOA in Estes Park. Motoring up the mountain was slow going but we had no probs making the trek. I pulled over whenever it was safe to do so to let others pass me.