Steep grades

So, why do you need a book. The signs tell you as does looking out the window. If it is a main road or interstate and can handle a truck, it can handle a coach. It is the driver and sadly, many are not up to regular driving at times, much less mountains. Heck, I was talking to one motorhome driver who thought I 40 in NC was too steep and she was scared. I have driven my coaches in rain, snow, heat and cold and up and down just about every major highway in America. Gear down going up and down. Watch your temps, don't ride the brake and use your aux braking. And the big thing is to start out slow at the top in a lower gear and stay there. Took 14 out of Yellowstone and I 70 thru Denver and I68 in western Md and do it in 2 or 3rd gear with my retarder and never have yo touch the brake almost all the way down.

No problems with Alaska. Millions of RVers have gone there, including us. :)

In fact, all of your mentioned routes are drivable with a towed although I wouldn't take it through San Francisco. Instead, stay outside the city - Napa Valley Expo is nice and take your towed into the city or take a city tour.

Definitely purchase the 'Mountain Directory for Truckers and RVers - Western Edition'. It will help you a lot.

I agree with pconroy328, I-80 is much easier than I-70 and so I plan my trips to
use I-80. Also on a couple of trips I had to use I-80 because the higher elevations on I-70 had snowy weather conditions and freezing temperatures.

We just took I-80 from Denver to San Fran last week. The grades on I-80, I'd call hills not mountains. Much easier than I-70.

Of course, once we got to San Fran, we parked the motorhome and rented a car. :)

If you take close look - semi tractors have top-efficiency diesels with huge radiators mounted on front.
Per my observation all motorhomes are build the cheapest way possible and only bus conversions have engineered systems.
That said my vintage Prevost did overheat few times before I recore the radiator.
So yes, cooling rig engine is the issue and I tell you that when my front engine, front radiator Bounder died on 7% grade, that was not fun becouse I got vapor lock not only on carburetor, but on master cylinder as well.

40 ton semi's have been at it for years, now whats the problem?

We've navigated many steep 6+% grades in our gas rig, you shouldn't have any problem with your diesel rig.

Have fun and travel safe...:)

That reminds me times before GPS, when in Colorado I was considering one of the mountain highways with my then 40'.
I went to Ranger Station and ask about recommendations and female Ranger said
"you should be fine as gravel trucks drive there all the time.
There are no railings on side of the road, but that is good thing, becouse you might hit them with your motorhome on sharp turns"
SHE WAS RIGHT.

Trackrig wrote:
Mountain Directories

^^this

Your profile isn't complete so we don't know exactly what you're driving, but I'm going to make the assumption that a 40' Tiffin has air brakes and a supplemental braking system (and you know how to use it). So as long as you use some common sense, you won't have any problem. I've been over those roads and you'll see hundreds of other MHs on them.

You should buy the Mountain Directory which goes state by state, highway by highway listing any road grades or sharp corners (for speed considerations) that you should be aware of. It's divided into two books for either eastern or western states.

Mountain Directories

Bill