ocexpress wrote:
Been quite awhile since visiting here on the forum.
I am considering trading the 97 American tradition in for a 2014 35B' Itasca Sunland. Still has the heavier wheel base as opposed to the smaller coach. The smaller coaches seem too light to me.
My question is whether or not the Itasca will pull the grade up the California grapevine. It has the Ford v10.
I have never had much success getting over that grapevine any faster than 35mph in my diesel towing my small 12' trailer. That coupled with the coach carrying too many memories in the loss of my husband dieseldave. Time has came to move on.
I value your input and have not taken delivery of the 2014 Itasca yet. It is a beautiful coach but want to make sure it has the power needed to pull those 6% grades?
Input appreciated.
Gonna go up, just fine. Thing is you're going to hear a lot of complaints from it, in the way of hollering, really loud and to the point of where you're sure it's in pain, although it's really not.
This might be something you're not used to, with having the DP and one of my DW's main complaints about our old one, with climbing all over the lower 48. Actually she didn't complain then, just more aware now, that it's non-existent.
I'm still in awe, looking at a 1400 tach reading in silence and passing trucks on a long 6% grade. I was fine with the old one too, but now, there's no going back and not many, would even consider it.
That said, you do what you gotta do, but might want to consider going smaller and staying in the DP class.
