Climbing steep grades...
I have a 30’ 2003 Four Winds class C with the 6L, 8cyl Vortec engine. I’m planning on pulling a 2003 Jeep TJ (4cyl, straight drive) and had a question or two. I’ve noticed that when I’m climbing st...
Forum Discussion
time2roll wrote:
Running a bit warmer when working hard is completely normal. Just like going for a jog vs walking.
Ultimately if it does approach "over temperature" you need to slow down and continue to downshift to keep the rpm up. If you have a tachometer the RPM should be 1000 to 2000 rpm above the peak torque when running hard up a hill. RPM of peak HP would be about max.
Of course this would be a good time to have the 17 year old cooling system checked and cleaned. Check for debris stuck to the front of the stack that may restrict airflow. Check or just replace the fan clutch (I recommend OEM only). Check or replace the thermostat... seen plenty stuck half open and work fine day to day easy driving.
Yeah, I know it is going to get hotter when working hard, it’s just that it gets soooo close to the red line. I don’t have a tach, but I was thinking of installing a computer to read this info (along with other stuff). At the moment I’m trying not to spend any more money on it than I have to due to wife aggro. I have had the whole system gone through by a Chevy dealer. Complete flush of the system, change all fluids, new brakes, tires, thermostat, etc, etc. I put about $2,500 into making sure everything is on point. I didn’t do the fan clutch but that would be my next move if it got too bad, though I think it’s working fine.
The more I read about it and ask questions, the more it seems like 25 or 30mph up longer slopes might be the solution. I’ll just have to let the folks stuck behind me think I’m an A-hole.
