DraginRat
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Mricemaker;
Have you ever taken US-285/US-50 down to Ridgeway? Making our first trip to Ridgeway SP in July, and thinking of the 285/50 route.
We with be towing a 30' TT (about 9,000lbs.) with a K-3500 Duramax/Alison, so we can pretty much handle the grades I think, but not familar with the road conditions.
Ken Gasbarri
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photobug17
Charlotte
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Thanks for the great input. We definitely will go the I 70 route and take into account all the great information you have given to me.
I can't say enough how much I appreciate you guys and this forum for giving us a place to get great input like this.
1999 F350 DRW 7.3 Diesel, Edge Evolution ,Air Bags, BD Brk Exst, MBRP 4" Exhaust, US Gear gauges, prodigy, K&N Air Intake
2005 Prarie Schooner 36 FSK, Zaxis remote control, Generac 40G Generator
Wife (Janet), Bess and Cordy (rescued pound Dogs)
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sirdrakejr
Las Vegas, Nevada
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Here are some web cams that you can use to check out the road conditions in Colorado:http://www.dickgilbert.com/colosprngscams.htm
Moved from 5th wheels to Roads & Routes.
Frank
RV.net blog
For those of you looking for expert advice, here ya go!
Frank
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Senor Fuego
Sparks NV
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I did I70 through Colorado this week in a Duramax 3500 towing a Montana 3400. No problem. Go slow on the down grades. Use your gears and enjoy the view. Much prettier than I80 throu Wyoming.
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Washboy
Denver, CO
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Just one more thing...
Pay no attention to the first 175 miles of Colorado's I-70...just pretend you're still in Kansas. 
"If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."
2003 GMC Sierra SLT ExtCab 3500 D/A 4X4
2003 Carriage Cameo LXI F34CK3
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MrIcemaker
Westminster, CO
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DraginRat wrote:Mricemaker;
Have you ever taken US-285/US-50 down to Ridgeway? Making our first trip to Ridgeway SP in July, and thinking of the 285/50 route.
We with be towing a 30' TT (about 9,000lbs.) with a K-3500 Duramax/Alison, so we can pretty much handle the grades I think, but not familar with the road conditions.
Ken Gasbarri
Ken,
Yes I have (although not recently, and not with the boat.) 285 (I am assuming you are coming out of the Denver area) will have you on 4 lane divided highway for about the first 20 miles or so, and then it goes to some pretty narrow 2 lane - but not too bad. You will go over Kenosha Pass (won't notice it probably) and then thru South Park (yes - THAT South Park.) Although the highway is pretty straight, watch the wind - it can come out of nowhere and really let you have it. The weather in South Park is just wierd - I drove thru there yesterday (towing just the boat coming back from Memorial Day weekend at Navajo State Park and it's 15,000 acre lake)and watched a woman do a 720 degree flip in her minivan due to the 2 inches of HAIL on the road. Delayed an hour due to the EMS activities and the fact I was the only one close enough to see it happen...she left in an ambulance....but I digress.....
At Hwy 50, you will head west - this will put you over Monarch Pass, which is (in my humble opinion) not as bad as some of the other passes in the state, but due some respect. With your truck, you shouldn't have any issues. The road (in summer) is a pretty easy drive. Ridgeway has a great lake, and you are only about 10 miles from Ouray, and 35 from Silverton - which is my favorite place to visit in the entire state. Make sure you drive (truck only) from Ouray to Silverton - narrow road and 1000 foot drop-offs. I have driven with the fifth wheel over this pass, but I wouldn't do it just for the experience....narrow with no guardrail, and a sheer cliff 6" off the side of the pavement. Beautiful though, and OTR drivers take 53' trailers over it all the time....and may cross into your lane on the switchbacks....
If you go to Ouray or Silverton, make sure you go thru a mine tour - Silverton also has a GREAT mining museum. Ouray has a neat hot springs pool, and you can rent jeeps from either location to explore ghost towns (or take a guided jeep tour if you don't feel like driving.)
Ridgeway is one of my favorite parks in the state because there is so much you can do in the surrounding area - or just stay at the park and enjoy the lake and scenery!
Mark
Mark
04 Ameri-Camp F321QBS (Sold - currently RV-less)
08 F-350 CC 4x4 LB PS 6.4 (Sold)
09 F-150 CC 4x4 XLT (Pretty much just for the boat!)
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DraginRat
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Mark;
Thanks for the insight. Yes, we will be leaving our kid's place in Commerce City for 10 days at Ridgeway SP. It will be our first trip there, and looking forward to the experience.
Thanks again
Ken Gasbarri
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rsherrie
Littleton,CO
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Ken,
Just to add to Mark's great comments, we travel to Ridgeway every fall from the Denver area, pulling our 5'er and boat. We traveled on I70 for a number of years but then tried 285/50 and will not go back! Yes, it is only 2 lanes much of the way but it is 50-60 miles shorter and we have cut our time down to 6 hours w/ a meal and fuel break. And I fell more relaxed and not as tired as before. Maybe it's that Interstate traffic and two high passes (Vail & Eisenhower) that stressed me out.
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scopeman
Austin, TX
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All of the posts in this thread have me worried. Not because I doubt you, but because you are all describing how easy it was in your *F250/350/Equivalent* and I'm about to try I-70 in a Tacoma Pre-Runner V6 towing very near my weight limit (5000lbs).
Normally I avoid any road with a Mountain Directory advisory, but this time my wife really wants to raft in the Buena Vista area and I have a choice for getting there from Denver of using either I-70 & HW 24 or going down HW 285.
All the posts above have done nothing for my already fried nerves, sadly - I'm still having visions of brakes on fire, run away campers, etc.
So here's the question: If I'm towing within 5% of my listed limit, and already suffering from horsepower loss from the altitude, are *either* of these routes a good idea?
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Thunder Mountain
Estes Park, Colorado
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I'm going to step in here and do something a bit different than previous posters. I've driven I-70 for 40 years in better than 20 different vehicles. So, I KNOW the road.
I've looked at the rig in your signature and can offer my opinion based on that and my 40 years. Looks like you are not a novice since you have the goodies.If my pea brain serves me right your PS is a HEAVY fiver.
Before we had the NH in our signature we had a 3500 Dodge Cummins with an Edge chip, EX brake, gauges, etc. pulling a heavy fiver many times over I-70. I could always tell the guys with similar setups either Dodge, GM or Ford. We would scream up I-70 leaving the gassers and unchipped diesels in a cloud of smoke.
I would drive like one of those lizards with swivel eyes. One on the road and one on the EGT gauge. Always had more throtle than EGT. Just have to dance with the devil between the two and not cook the Cummins.
Enjoy the drive. You'll really appreciate the west side of the Tunnel with the exhaust brake. Seen plenty of smoke from big rigs and RVs trying to slow down.
2007 HR Endeavor 40'PDQ
HMS Indebtedness + 2001 Wrangler
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