Headed for Bella Coola

I learned an important thing on that hill. We were descending in a 3/4 ton van pulling a popup tent trailer on a hot day. Second gear, using the brakes only on switchbacks. Daughter in the back had her window open and she noticed a hot smell. I stopped immediately and found the smell was from the wheels, the rear drum brakes I think. Waited a few minutes for them to cool, then proceeded in first gear to the rest stop half way down where there was the remains of a melted vehicle. The thing is it is a LONG hill with many switchbacks and you can't be using the brakes very much at all on a hot day with poor cooling due to low speed.