Going from Red River, NM to Durango, CO

babiker911 wrote:
...Going downhill I had the auto transmission set on Overdrive off, I shifted down to first gear, and still picked up speed and had to hit the brakes a few times. Is there no way to use the transmission and the air brake to avoid using the vehicle brakes, or am I expecting too much? I reached about 45 mph, and braked down to 30, then let is build up speed, then braked again, is this the right method, or am I missing something in my technique?...

I don't have a Dodge, but your technique sounds correct in theory. Are you sure you really got down to first gear? Or did you just put the indicator on first gear? Most automatic transmissions will only downshift to a lower gear that is in the range that will not over rev the engine. 45mph sounds pretty fast for first gear. My Allison transmission will not go above 25 in first without wanting to shift to prevent over reving.