I'm trailering a 20 ft bass boat with a half ton truck to lake granby area in a few hours (Berthoud: living, dangerous)

[boulderduder]

It's my buddies boat that I was borrowing, and he need it back today. So I have no choice but to take it back to him.

This is going to suck.

I've never trailered anything like this before. A few questions...

- my truck has awd in addition to 4wd. can I keep it in AWD going down the hills?

- I'm probably going to die right? Just doing some preliminary reading from this website, it sounds like it may be the dumbest thing I have ever attempted.

[Snikt]

Looks like Berthoud pass is still snowy/icy, I would at least wait until it dries out

and yeah, you can use 4WD downhill, would help to engine break even more

[jazzlover]

Trailering on icy/snowpacked roads can be very dangerous if one is inexperienced. I disagree with using 4WD/AWD when going downhill. The drag on the front wheels when 4WD can be enough to cause the front wheels to "break loose" and lose steering control.

Another issue is braking. If you do not have a separate controller for the trailer brakes on your vehicle, don't even think about trying to trailer on an icy road. Under very slick conditions, you may likely need to use the trailer brakes only and not the trucks service brakes--doing this the trailer will be "dragging" the slow the speed of the truck and trailer. If you are using only the truck's service brakes or even the truck's and trailer's brakes together, there may be less braking force applied by the trailer and it will try to "push" the truck down the road. That is a common cause of jackknifing on a slick road.

I've spent over four decades driving in the Colorado mountains, including towing trailers under the worst road conditions. It is not something to do if one is inexperienced in inclement weather or mountain driving when towing a vehicle, or if one has an ill-equipped vehicle. Driving in the mountains under bad road conditions can be hazardous anytime, but doing so while towing a trailer further reduces any margin for error.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by boulderduder

It's my buddies boat that I was borrowing, and he need it back today. So I have no choice but to take it back to him.

This is going to suck.

I've never trailered anything like this before. A few questions...

- my truck has awd in addition to 4wd. can I keep it in AWD going down the hills?

- I'm probably going to die right? Just doing some preliminary reading from this website, it sounds like it may be the dumbest thing I have ever attempted.

Why not throw some chains on the truck? Would make things a lot easier. The good news is a bass boat is not that heavy, so there's less chance for problems with jackknifing.

[Mike from back east]

Since the OP posted this at 2AM this morning, I'm guessing he has made his trip and will soon be back.

Hopefully he will tell us how it went.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Since the OP posted this at 2AM this morning, I'm guessing he has made his trip and will soon be back.

At least one would hope.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

The good news is a bass boat is not that heavy, so there's less chance for problems with jackknifing.

Not true. A light trailer can break loose just as easily, if not more easily than a heavy one. I've seen plenty of jackknifed semis with empty trailers. Take it from my experience--a heavy trailer with good trailer brakes is much easier to control on slick roads than is an empty one. It's all in knowing how to properly use the truck's gearing and brakes in concert with the trailer's brakes. I used to do it with heavy gooseneck trailers running in winter over US550 on the Million Dollar Highway--a very unforgiving piece of road. I'm still here to tell about it, and very glad that don't have to do it very often anymore.

[boulderduder]

Thanks all for your tips.

Well, I made it. And I'll never ever do it again unless I have to. That was utter hell.

I prefer Colorado mountain towns to the South of France, exclusive areas in Malibu and everywhere else on this Earth. But if I ever have to leave I will not miss winter mountain driving. IMO it's the worst part of living here.

I do it every day and I don't think I'll ever get used to it.

[jazzlover]

The only part of mountain driving that I loathe is having to deal with the foolish drivers who don't know how to do it properly. They are a hazard to both themselves and the other drivers on the road. Unfortunately, the most heavily traveled mountain highway in the state--I-70--seems to attract those inexperienced drivers like locusts. That is why I try to avoid it in winter, even if it means a detour over longer alternative routes. The"enemy" is not the hazardous road conditions, but the hazardous drivers unable to cope with such conditions safely.

[Snikt]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

The only part of mountain driving that I loathe is having to deal with the foolish drivers who don't know how to do it properly. They are a hazard to both themselves and the other drivers on the road. Unfortunately, the most heavily traveled mountain highway in the state--I-70--seems to attract those inexperienced drivers like locusts. That is why I try to avoid it in winter, even if it means a detour over longer alternative routes. The"enemy" is not the hazardous road conditions, but the hazardous drivers unable to cope with such conditions safely.

I wish I could avoid it, but there really isn't any choice for most destinations