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Can she do it??


markwilliam1

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Sitting @ home on a cold winter afternoon fantasizing about a trip out West in Grannie next year. Specifically, Mount Evans & Pikes Peak in Colorado. She's the 4 banger with Auto transmission. Traveling from Ohio. Can she climb these Mountains do ya know? She's road worthy! Been Blessed to have been all over Colorado 2x the past 5 years & would Love to take Grannie there. I've heard of many folks saying their 4 cylinders climbed the Rockies but I'm looking for these specific areas. Extreme hills! When we came down Pikes Peak in a new Chevy Equinox we were made to pull over due to hot brakes and we used lower gear!  Since I'm fantasizing, I would Love to see the sunrise there but don't think Grannie could climb those steep hills or come down even with new brakes. She's well maintained with only 36k miles. If you've climbed these areas with the 22RE please let me know!  Am I being unrealistic? It's a long way from Ohio to plan such a trip! If not these particular places do you Experience Climbers think she could make the Trail Ridge Highway?? Appreciate any input!

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I've been over a 12,000 ft pass, but not Pikes Peak. Just don't stop on the way up.

I think your worries about coming down are well founded and that it is going to be a bigger problem than going up.

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I have an '88 Escaper with a 22Re and automatic trans.  I was all over the Rockies and the west coast last summer.  I had no problem with the climbs that I took the Toyhouse up.  That being said, I passed on Mt. Evans and Pikes Peak because I didn't want to push my luck early in my trip.  I think that I made the correct choice in not going up the two 14,000 ft climbs.  

Going up the west side of the Bighorn Mountains on US 14A I did have to stop once because the engine was starting to get warm.  I let it idle for a minute or so and finished the climb without incident.  I think that if I had a larger radiator I would not have had any issues.  

We never had any problems with descending even the steepest hills on our trip.  I was taught to drive by my truck driver father.  He taught me to drive while pulling trailers and driving heavy trucks.  He constantly pounded that you go down every hill in the gear that you used going up or one lower.  It worked well for me going down hills that were toasting the brakes on light weight cars.

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Thanks so much WME & Bob C! Food for thought. Seems like 2 areas to pass on. Think I would be terrified driving down those steep roads even if I could make it to the top!

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Yeah, that's what I thought Dan! Would love to drive up Mount Evans and spend the night but......guess ya got to know your limitations Man. Do you think she could do the Trail Ridge Road Dan?

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trail ridge as in Rocky Mtn NP?   Yes.,,,,,  Long grades, none particularly steep.  Some good boon docking west of the park too.

I have found that keeping the RPM up enough to stay in the "sweet spot"  - making a lot of power, but not screaming.   I have an auto tranny - the guidance says to let it select gears up hill - I do not do that as it will either lug lug lug -or- have the engine screaming. 

 

Downhill, use the appropriate gear (and engine compression) to keep from burning up your brakes. If too steep for compression only you will need to use brakes.  I will use the pedal for a bit, then none, then the hand brake (rear wheels only) for a bit.  Also start down hill slow, so as to delay have to use the brakes.  

In a 4 banger, I would want a temp gauge for the auto tranny.  Overheating the tranny is easier then overheating the engine.   Hydraulic fluid breaks down in a very bad way when overheated.

 

I visited RMNP  in August - the campgrounds on the east were full, but I could get into the one to the west if I got there early.  

 

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I have gone over Trail Ridge Road.  I did not have any problems at all.  Next time I go through there I will be going up Old Fall River Road.  

I agree with DanAatTheCape about shifting the Toy yourself and not relying on the tranny do the driving.  I keep my RPM's in the 3000 to 4000 range and have never run out of power.  I also us compression braking when descending hills even here in Wisconsin.  If needed use your brakes only for short sections to bring your speed down and then let them off.  

The steepest road I have every gone down is the west side of the Bighorn Mtns.  Engine braking in first gear got me down without incident and I only used the brakes a couple of times.

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Thanks again Dan & Bob!

Edited by markwilliam1
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