Long grades in the Appalachian's

We take the downhill ride from Pluto Road at the top of Sandstone mountain at least twice a year visiting our daughter in Virginia. We have a 40' Phaeton and tow a Ford Sportrac. After the first trip down, we always stop at the truckers' mandatory brake check stop. We joke that we stop there to put on our "brown" pants for the trip down, then changing back into our white pants. LOL

It is good for us to make the stop because then we start our descent from a dead stop and can more easily control our speed. I downshift to a lower gear and use the exhaust brake with the occasional stab at the service brakes. We've made the trip dozens of times, but I still don't like it. In addition to the 7% grade for 5 miles, it has two 90 degree curves and two runaway truck ramps. And yes, I sometimes have trouble sleeping the night before tackling it.

Dale

I've done this highway many times pulling my 31' 5th wheel with an 05 Dodge Cummins with no exhaust brake. I just start at the top by reducing to about 50 to 55 mph and then as speed starts to go beyond that I brake rather hard to bleed off about 10 mph then get off the brakes until speed picks back up to about 50. By "braking hard" then "coasting to cool" I have traveled many roads without incident.

There have been many recorded incidents by 18 wheelers on this road but I personally believe it is because many commercial drivers today are not experienced or even trained properly and should not even have a CDL. Many trucking companies just want "meat in the seat" and allow incompetent people to drive. A couple of years ago we witnessed a trucker obviously from Mexico who stopped at a rest stop. He went around and opened the passenger door to help his very pregnut wife and 4 little ones out of the cab. A guy this young with his family in tow has no business with a CDL. But like too many things in today's world, laws are in the books but not enforced.

WyoTraveler wrote:
Didn't know they had any 7500 ft hills back east like in WY:B

My first thought too. Done 64 a few times & did not find anything too very trying. If you want to find some real grades you will have to visit the Rocky Mountain states & Provinces of Canada.

Yeah, sure there are a few steep sections but nothing like the many milers like out west. Drive to suit road conditions & all will be well. Going slow downhill in a low gear beats running off the highway at speed any day of the week.

Drbolasky wrote:

WVbassmistress wrote:
I am sure there are worse out there, but that grade has claimed many a trucker over the years.

The Appalachians may not be as high and awe-inspiring as the Rockies, but they are formidable mountains and challenging in their own right. The roads through them should not be taken lightly.

Agree with other replies about letting speed fall off as you crest the mountain, staying in the same gear you used to ascend, and short, intermittent, but firm application of brakes. Has worked well for us in 20+ years of towing.

Take your time & take in the scenery. Enjoy & safe travels.

Your advice is very good but the Appalachians are basically steep hills compared to the rockies.

haha, see where being "flip" about a switch can lead to? Nothing like a good chuckle, eh.

valhalla360 wrote:

ScottG wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

ScottG wrote:
Or flip a switch and smile all the way down the hill knowing your service brakes are cool and ready for any situation.

What switch is he supposed to flip, since he doesn't have an exhaust brake?

If it's a rare event to be going thru steep grades like this, it's an expensive upgrade for something that decent driving skills can handle without an issue.

I suggested an EB in an earlier post - that's the switch.
I go through steep grades like that on almost every trip, and EB is the best mod I have ever installed.
The most "decent" driver in the world cannot keep his brakes from getting hot with repeated brake activation's on a long grade. Is it an "issue"? depends on how you look at it. A heavy load will not be held back by a diesel engines compression alone so one must stab the brakes on occasion or at the very least, wind the eng up form more compression braking. This means a noisy trip down the hill and wear to the eng and brakes. Using the brakes at all makes them warm, keeping them from maximum performance in the event of an emergency stop.
An EB solves the problem and that's probably why every new HD diesel has one.
And it's not just great in the hills, they're useful for every stop.
So far I've not heard one compelling argument against it and that's probably why every new HD diesel has one. Anyone who has ever towed with one would not ever go back.

If you are towing the mountains regualary especially on narrow 2lane/2way roads, an exhaust brake can be justified. On a freeway with a relatively short grade that is only taken on rare occasions, it's tough to justify the expense when other techniques work fine.

So I assume you have retrofit your passenger cars have exhaust brakes also, since any cost for the slightest increase in safety is worth it?

Ah, I see, you want to go that direction... I'm sorry but I can't help you.
With such a question it's obvious you don't understand how gas and diesel engines work, their compression braking attributes or the difference of have many thousands of pounds behind you.
You wan't to argue something you know nothing about but clearly have a jealousy of and now that you can't come up with a compelling argument, you to get ridiculous.
I'm done getting involved with discussions like this on the forum when they get this silly.

ScottG wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

ScottG wrote:
Or flip a switch and smile all the way down the hill knowing your service brakes are cool and ready for any situation.

What switch is he supposed to flip, since he doesn't have an exhaust brake?

If it's a rare event to be going thru steep grades like this, it's an expensive upgrade for something that decent driving skills can handle without an issue.

I suggested an EB in an earlier post - that's the switch.
I go through steep grades like that on almost every trip, and EB is the best mod I have ever installed.
The most "decent" driver in the world cannot keep his brakes from getting hot with repeated brake activation's on a long grade. Is it an "issue"? depends on how you look at it. A heavy load will not be held back by a diesel engines compression alone so one must stab the brakes on occasion or at the very least, wind the eng up form more compression braking. This means a noisy trip down the hill and wear to the eng and brakes. Using the brakes at all makes them warm, keeping them from maximum performance in the event of an emergency stop.
An EB solves the problem and that's probably why every new HD diesel has one.
And it's not just great in the hills, they're useful for every stop.
So far I've not heard one compelling argument against it and that's probably why every new HD diesel has one. Anyone who has ever towed with one would not ever go back.

If you are towing the mountains regualary especially on narrow 2lane/2way roads, an exhaust brake can be justified. On a freeway with a relatively short grade that is only taken on rare occasions, it's tough to justify the expense when other techniques work fine.

So I assume you have retrofit your passenger cars have exhaust brakes also, since any cost for the slightest increase in safety is worth it?

While not an interstate, one of the more "interesting" I've found was here in the East - a 2 mile 18% grade between Red Rock & Ricketts Glen State Park on PA 487. They warn those with large trailers to enter the park from the north.

valhalla360 wrote:

ScottG wrote:
Or flip a switch and smile all the way down the hill knowing your service brakes are cool and ready for any situation.

What switch is he supposed to flip, since he doesn't have an exhaust brake?

If it's a rare event to be going thru steep grades like this, it's an expensive upgrade for something that decent driving skills can handle without an issue.

I suggested an EB in an earlier post - that's the switch.
I go through steep grades like that on almost every trip, and EB is the best mod I have ever installed.
The most "decent" driver in the world cannot keep his brakes from getting hot with repeated brake activation's on a long grade. Is it an "issue"? depends on how you look at it. A heavy load will not be held back by a diesel engines compression alone so one must stab the brakes on occasion or at the very least, wind the eng up form more compression braking. This means a noisy trip down the hill and wear to the eng and brakes. Using the brakes at all makes them warm, keeping them from maximum performance in the event of an emergency stop.
An EB solves the problem and that's probably why every new HD diesel has one.
And it's not just great in the hills, they're useful for every stop.
So far I've not heard one compelling argument against it and that's probably why every new HD diesel has one. Anyone who has ever towed with one would not ever go back.

WVbassmistress wrote:
I am sure there are worse out there, but that grade has claimed many a trucker over the years.

The Appalachians may not be as high and awe-inspiring as the Rockies, but they are formidable mountains and challenging in their own right. The roads through them should not be taken lightly.

Agree with other replies about letting speed fall off as you crest the mountain, staying in the same gear you used to ascend, and short, intermittent, but firm application of brakes. Has worked well for us in 20+ years of towing.

Take your time & take in the scenery. Enjoy & safe travels.