Easiest Route To Rocky Mountain National Park

[Campaholics]

We will be camping at Stillwater near Grand Lake, CO.  Our two choices to get there are:

• Enter Rocky Mountain National Park at Estes Park and exit at the west end of the park near Grand Lake.
• Take I 70 south of Denver, exit at Empire and take US 40 to Grand Lake.

Both routes look like they will have a lot of switch backs.  Which route will be the easiest to pull a PU?  Any advice on pulling a PU in the mountains vs the flat lands of Illinois?
 
Thanks,
Bob

[kwatson51]

Hi,
Having done both routes several times, I would take I-70, then to US40 up to GL.
Then, if you want to visit the park, take your TV and enter from the west side.
We'll be in that area in August, and is the route we'll be taking.

Yes, you'd be driving the park twice...but it's worth it! That way you get to see it in the morning and the afternoon, and you're sure to see something you missed the first time.

Option: Take Fall River Road on the way back...it is awesome!

Re: Pulling a pop-up here -- use your gears, especially from west of Denver on up to Grand Lake -- it can get exciting :yikes: Be sure to use tow/haul mode if you have it ( you do that anyway, right?)

Happy camping...and have a safe trip!

[SpeakEasy]

The first time I towed a popup in the Rockies the most important lesson I learned was not to ride the brakes on the downslopes. Use a lower gear to check your speed. Even with properly adjusted trailer brakes you can easily burn up your tow vehicle's brakes if you do the downslopes in your regular drive gear.

Have a great trip! That's where we went last year. It's a beautiful spot.

-Speak

[mklawz]

The route THRU the park is long, great drive though, but slow and long.  I agree with the posts to take Route 40.  

To the poster re: Old Fall River Road..... isn't it a one-way drive in the other direction?  You said take it 'back' but I think you can only take it 'there'.  No?

[kwatson51]

The route THRU the park is long, great drive though, but slow and long.  I agree with the posts to take Route 40.  

To the poster re: Old Fall River Road..... isn't it a one-way drive in the other direction?  You said take it 'back' but I think you can only take it 'there'.  No?

Yes, Fall River Road is one way going basically west. So, I figure if one enters the park from the west (from Grand Lake area), and proceed toward Estes Park, then they can take Fall River Road back (heading west) and do the whole drivable park in one trip.

Our first time driving through the park with a pop-up was an adventure I wouldn't want to repeat! No trailer brakes, ignorant about towing, sleet and snow at the top...thank God we made it through without incident!

[AustinBoston]

To the poster re: Old Fall River Road..... isn't it a one-way drive in the other direction?  You said take it 'back' but I think you can only take it 'there'.  No?

Unless we're both thinking of the same wrong road (a distinct possibility with me), that's what I thought too.  Also definitely not a place for a pop-up.

-----

In addition to the climbing and braking advice already given, STOP at the top for at least 10 minutes.  (Stop for 10 minutes if you leave the engine idling, at least 20 minutes if you shut the engine off).  Double those numbers if you do not have a tranny cooler.  The reason is to allow the transmission to cool.  Going up is a major load on the engine, going down a major load on the brakes, but the tranny gets a major workout in both direction.

RMNP is one place I personally would not take our heavy pop-up without trailer brakes.

Just to reiterate, do not ride the brakes going down.  Downshift enough to feel the engine "hold you back."  This usually means using one gear lower going down than you used going up, so if you went up in 2nd gear, come down in 1st gear.  Allow the vehicles to coast up to the speed limit (or less if you are uncomfortable with the constant curves), then brake firmly to slow by about 10 MPH.  Then let it coast again.  

If you feel a change in the feel of the brakes, stop completely and let them cool.  In this case, it is a good idea to move the tow vehicle by about a foot every few minutes to reduce the chance of the rotors warping.  When you resume, GO SLOWER.

There is an old saying "You can go down the mountain a thousand times too slowly, but only once too fast."  Believe it.

Austin

[mklawz]

Yes, Fall River Road is one way going basically west. So, I figure if one enters the park from the west (from Grand Lake area), and proceed toward Estes Park, then they can take Fall River Road back (heading west) and do the whole drivable park in one trip.

I see what you're saying now.  You are referring to the trip starting west of the park...    Yeah, it's one-way West.   Definitely worth doing once, very cool.  But very uncool with a pop-up!!

[Campaholics]

Thanks for the advice.  US 40 it is.
 
What is Tow/Haul mode?  Normally I tow with overdrive engaged.  Do we want it disengaged for the mountains?  Should I tighten the sway bar more than usual?
 
DW said she would like to take the Fall River Road.  It's now definitely on the list of things to do.  
 
Thanks,
Bob

[SpeakEasy]

Normally I tow with overdrive engaged.  Do we want it disengaged for the mountains?  

If your Sienna is like my Highlander and like my previous Toyota tow vehicle, they tell you to keep overdrive off the whole time you're towing. I had a hard time with that at first, because when you're doing a trip of several thousand miles, having overdrive off the whole time really causes a lot of gas consumption. But, I ended up reasoning that it would take a whole lot of gasoline to equal the cost of a transmission replacement. So, ever since then I've followed manufacturer's directions and kept overdrive off the whole time.

-Speak

[kwatson51]

Thanks for the advice.  US 40 it is.
 
What is Tow/Haul mode?  Normally I tow with overdrive engaged.  Do we want it disengaged for the mountains?  Should I tighten the sway bar more than usual?
 
DW said she would like to take the Fall River Road.  It's now definitely on the list of things to do.  
 
Thanks,
Bob

My Chevy has a "Tow/Haul" mode, as well as my Jeep. I was told by the dealer that it changes the shift points of the transmission.

I always use that mode when towing the PUP....puts less strain on the drive train. However, I am no expert in these things. Others can tell you more.

I agree with the previous post that you should not tow in overdrive. That should be in your owners manual (if you have one). Once you get to the west of Denver, you won't need overdrive anyway!. You will start by going up a rather steep incline, and then down and equally steep and long decline. This is where you will at least use 3rd gear to keep your speed under control (assuming a 4-speed tranny). You may even use 2nd gear there.

Turning north on US 40 will take you up several miles of rather steep incline and switch-backs. You will not be going fast here -- use your lower gears and handle things manually. After reaching the top -- downhill you go for several miles. Again, watch your speed, use 2nd gear, don't ride the brakes.

Then things flatten out to Lake Granby and Grand Lake. Set up camp, relax for a bit and then tackle the Park the next day WITHOUT the PUP. Eat lunch in Estes Park.  There's a lot of good eateries there. One of my favorites is Sweet Basilico (Italian). They server pizza, great sandwiches and traditional Italian dishes. I think they have moved to the south side of town by now (near the water park).

Probably more than you wanted to know, but there you have it.
Oh...bring a camera and share your pics when you get back!

[AustinBoston]

My Chevy has a "Tow/Haul" mode, as well as my Jeep. I was told by the dealer that it changes the shift points of the transmission.

I always use that mode when towing the PUP....puts less strain on the drain.

What it does is improve acceleration by changing the shift points (at the expense of mileage).  It doesn't really reduce strain on anything.  I've only seen it on GM products and some larger Fords (E-450 and larger).  That doesn't mean other vehicles don't have it.

I agree with the previous post that you should not tow in overdrive.

You should handle towing in overdrive in the way the owners manual says to.  All transmissions circulate less fluid through the tranny cooler in overdrive (getting rid of less heat), but they also all generate less heat.  The manufacturer knows which is more important on your particular model.

Austin

[Campaholics]

I"ll dig out the owner's manual as soon as I get off line.  
 
 
 
Keith,  I'll post some photos when we get back.  
 
Thanks again for the advice,
Bob

[dlbrt5]

Big choice here.  Living in Fort Collins I've done both routes.  I kind of like the scenery of going thru RMNP.  If you are coming from IL and going along I-80 to WY then down I-25 give the RMNP route a thought. If you don't have to rush and can enjoy the ride go thru Lovenland to Estes Park, then along Trail Ridge Road to Stillwater.  Pretty drive once you leave Loveland toward EP.  Sorry if I made you think more.  Enjoy your trip and drive safe!