[Padgett]

Just an observation but in my yout I took a single port VW Westphalia through the Rockies and the Cascades (easier). Being an easterner, have been over Monteagle a number of times, often pulling a car on a trailer. My TM is about 2/3 the weight of a Judge on a tandem axle car trailer.

Just need patience and gears more than a big engine (I really like sixes). Even the steepest grades are just a small part of a 500 mile day.

Just went down and back to South Florida on a long weekend. Put the cruise on at 65ish and sits on 2,000 rpm & trans running at 165F. Did downshift to fourth on the Thomas B. Manuel bridge but didn't even need 3rd & 65 MPH is at the torque peak in 2nd.

Modern engines are quite different than an iron engine of the 20th century & we are just beginning to see a few direct injection turbo engines but 125hp/liter on 87 PON is already a reality. What is funny is that at the same time we are seeing incredibly broad torque bands (e.g.90% of torque peak from 1800-6400) the number of gears is increasing to 7-8-9 speeds.

Know this is getting way off topic but you just do not need a big V8 any more (and I never have).