Towing at altitude

[Chris C]

Okay, I'm sure someone will say "search" it. Well, I have, and can't find a reference to this.

I'm going to be towing a 2,500/3,000 lb trailer to Western Colorado in a couple of months. I already know about waiting until I have X-number of miles on my new Ridge. I also know to change to Premium fuel. But I'm assuming these are just guidelines for flatland towing. I'm talking about high altitude towing and some serious climbs to get there. (11,000 ft +) Are there any of you with experience pulling with the Ridge at altitude who can tell me if an octane booster additive would be worthwhile or not?

[5S Dude]

Originally Posted by Chris C

Okay, I'm sure someone will say "search" it. Well, I have, and can't find a reference to this.

I'm going to be towing a 2,500/3,000 lb trailer to Western Colorado in a couple of months. I already know about waiting until I have X-number of miles on my new Ridge. I also know to change to Premium fuel. But I'm assuming these are just guidelines for flatland towing. I'm talking about high altitude towing and some serious climbs to get there. Are there any of you with experience pulling with the Ridge at altitude who can tell me if an octane booster additive would be worthwhile or not?

Hi Chris, We towed our 3750-lbs Trail Cruiser C-191 up through Flagstaff (7000ft.) last weekend and pulled the shortcut grade from Kingman to Laughlin (straight up) and our Ridgeline did fine. She shifted into 3rd a few times but overall I’m really happy with her performance using high test fuel without any kind of octane booster. We then headed west from Barstow CA to the OC into 45 to 50-mph head winds and that sucked up large quantities of gas. But my friend’s motorhome and another buddies “Big Chevy HD2500” towing his toy box trailer from the desert burned more than twice that. You won’t set any land speed records towing but it is a comfortable and much less bumpy ride.

[TeamRidgeline]

4500 lb enclosed car hauler plus truck loaded down to GVWR, 51k miles, regularly pull over the Sierra Nevadas (8000 ft), have been through both east-west I-80 and I-70 Rockies interstate routes as well (9500+ ft)

premium helps, on the steepest grades it will pull down regardless, just leave your foot in it and let it go through the downshift at 60 mph and upshift at 67 mph cycle

the main thing is maintenance, towing is hard on the drivetrain fluids, religiously adhere to the severe duty fluid maintenance schedule

I've never run a booster, in theory your octane rating drops with altitude, at some point you aren't going to see any gain and as a racer IMO many of those products qualify as snake oil, locally we have up to 100 octane unleaded at the pump but I don't see the point WRT cost or performance

[Chris C]

"Snake oil", huh? I've never used it, but that's kind of been my opinion also.

Any more experienced high altitude haulers care to pitch in opinions?