I-70 Mountain Passes vs I-80 or I-40
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4074
Printed Date: 09 May 2025 at 6:52am
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Topic: I-70 Mountain Passes vs I-80 or I-40
Posted By: waterflaws
Subject: I-70 Mountain Passes vs I-80 or I-40
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2013 at 5:59pm
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We're taking the trailer to Fresno, CA in a couple weeks. We were worried about taking I-70 because of all the mountain passes, so we took a test drive to Idaho Springs and back. It was GREAT! I didn't want to wrap the engine too much so I set the cruise at about 55mph (with the overdrive off, of course) and the trailer pulled just fine! The best part was, going downhill, I guess there was enough air-drag added to the engine-drag that I hardly had to use the brakes (even on Floyd Hill and coming back into Denver on that last, long, steep hill. So, now, unless there's bad weather, we'll be taking I-70 out into Utah and, hopefully, saving several hours of driving. Plus, the scenery is FAR more interesting! ------------- r-pod 2013 177 TV 2002 Sport Trac The Pod Couple |
Replies:
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2013 at 7:57pm
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I found the same thing, almost no brakes are needed on the downhills.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2013 at 8:10am
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We are just wrapping up our annual Colorado trip. We took I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction including Loveland Pass via Eisenhower tunnel and Vail Pass. No problem for the heroic Honda Pilot with its mighty 3.5L engine. Not fast, but steadily upward and downward. The real tests were Red Mountain (Hwy 550, 11075 ft) and Wolf Creek (Hwy 160, 10,856 ft) passes. Again, no problems. The transmission only hit 233 degrees once for a short bit, but then came right back down. I did have to drop to first gear a few times at 15-20 MPH, but the road geometry, and my wife, essentially forced that. Other passes conquered were Raton, Lizard Head, and Owl Creek. The latter was gravel, 10,114 ft, with snow and mud. Again the Pod and the Honda came through. Just go slow. I attribute part of the success to the Honda's 4.73 axel ratio. Other 3.5s may perform differently. This was a test trip for the Honda and it came through with flying colors. Climb mountains at 10,000+ feet? No problem. More info and pics to follow. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2013 at 9:38pm
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Wolf Creek Pass is a trip. In 1975 I drove back from California in early April and over that pass in a snow storm in my 1970 Pinto. It was thrilling! ------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |