Expectations

[Harley06]

New owner of a 33 foot toy hauler. Taking possession in april and planning our first trip in june. I've towed my bike in a 12 foot through the blue ridge and rocky mountains. Any advise or tips on navigating the mountains with a large rig would be appreciated.

[hamm2018]

Originally Posted by Harley06

New owner of a 33 foot toy hauler. Taking possession in april and planning our first trip in june. I've towed my bike in a 12 foot through the blue ridge and rocky mountains. Any advise or tips on navigating the mountains with a large rig would be appreciated.

Know what your height is when hooked up. Also measure your length, Natchez Trace Parkway has restrictions on length.
If you want look into a dedicated RV GPS system like a Garmin 770. You can input your RV information (length, height, weight) it will help route you around places you can not travel.

[Harley06]

Thanks, I'll checkout the Garmin. I have one for my bike and it works great if i have satellite which is 90% of the time.

[xrated]

You made no mention of what your truck is...gas or diesel, but you do have at least some experience towing in the mountains. The one thing I would offer up to you is that this trailer is obviously going to be much heavier than your previous trailer when towing. Then add in the "towing in the mountains" part of if and it will be a similar, yet different experience because of the added weight and length that you will be towing. Know exactly how to use your truck to be able to maintain a safe speed when going down the mountains. That could be a combination of proper lower gears and or engine braking via a diesel engine.

If you are strictly referring to the actual navigation part, the RV specific GPS is a valuable tool. Another "tool" that I just discovered that others have probably known about for years is the "Mountain Directory" Here is a link to their website....

https://www.mountaindirectory.com/

Look it over and it may be something you are interested in. They even have a "Try the demo" on that page so you can get a feel for it.

[dsrace]

i have that garmin and my wife loves it. i am not a huge fan myself. it does work but i pre ferred the ranmcnally rv gps we had before. it was stolen , when i went to replace it my wife commented that she didn't like it. it had more features to really dial in routes that the garmin does not have. just something to consider.... https://www.randmcnally.com/electronics/rv

[mwachel]

Just take your time and if you can practice with it before a big trip then you will be fine. Get comfortable before you head out.

[linnemj]

We have a 32’ Toy Hauler trailer, loaded weight of 9,000 lbs that I pull with a Dodge 2500 Diesel truck. Over the past 10 years we have done a lot of trips with 2 motorcycles in the back. If you have a Diesel, use the tow mode when traveling. My truck also has an engine brake that I engage when you do long or steeper downhills.

We use Condor chocks and tie downs on the bikes. I did find that mounting the chocks to the garage floor with the brackets made a big difference in keeping the bikes stable. They bounce a bit in the rear garage.

Best of luck and good riding!

[Harley06]

thanks, ive been looking at GPS. i have a Garmin for my bike, but those are pretty straight forwad. RV 's have alot more to choose from.

[mwachel]

Originally Posted by Harley06

thanks, ive been looking at GPS. i have a Garmin for my bike, but those are pretty straight forwad. RV 's have alot more to choose from.

Google Maps works great for us. Good luck with your new rig!