8% grade descent
Newbie Here. F350 and 37' fifth wheel. Yesterday I went down an 8 degree slope and left it in Tow Haul while using the breaks on trailer and truck to slow me down. I was thinking I might have been ...
Forum Discussion
Dwight45 wrote:
This is how it was explained to me. Decide at the top of the pass what speed you want to descend at, say 30mph. Pick a gear that will allow that speed. When you are about 10mph over that speed brake hard enough to return to 30mph, but do not brake for more than 5 - 7 seconds. Braking hard for a short period of time and then not using the brakes until the need to brake again results in cooler brakes. As someone said constant braking does not allow the brakes to cool. Emercency option, I lost my trailer brakes at the top of Monarch Pass in CO heading west. Couldn't get them fixed so I engaged 4L (4 wheel drive truck) and went down about 20mph. Only touched the brakes a couple of times but this is not something you want to do on dry pavement. I didn't have much choice.
Dwight
Then you are saying 1st gear in two wheel drive would not have held your speed down. I found in my Jamboree that first gear would hold that motor home back on very steep grades.
