First time driving mountains

[QueenD]

We are taking our first trip to mountains in motorhome. Looking on info taking Hwy 441 from Greensboro, GA to Cherokee, nc. Have a 1997 gas motorhome 36 foot. Are we going yo encounter any steep mountains?

[Lauren]

Most of what has been put here is good advice - with some good chuckles thrown in. 🙂

When we lived in Estes Park and were up in the Park (Rocky Mtn N P) we saw a guy in a car who used a lodgepole pine to stop after riding his brakes all the way down and they failed. Cost him much more than a brake job. Luckily, no one hurt.

Lower gear; don't ride the brakes.

One more thing. Remember, gas engines lose power at altitude. I am of the understanding - and heard it verified in the past - that a gasser loses 4% for each 1000 feet elevation gain. I think that is accurate.

First time, many years ago, I drove a rented gas rv and was west of Denver. It kept slowing down more and more. I pulled over as I thought I had a brake locked up and went to check them. Did not know the power loss thing then!

[nodine]

JimFromJersey wrote:
Here's what I've come up with, as a generalization, yet an accurate one. For the most part, grades west of the Mississippi, especially on interstates and good 4-lane federal or state highways, are LONG, but not especially STEEP. They have more room out there to build highways on. In the east, especially along the Appalachians in NC, Tenn, Georgia, and in the Adirondacks and such in New England, some of the grades are, interstates not included, STEEP, but short. There are some grades in West Virginia up near Morgantown that are 7% on an interstate, but they're only a half mile or so long.

So the west has long, shallower grades, and the east has short, steep ones. It's all about how much room there is to build roads. The east is all folded up and narrow, compared to the west. Steeper grades, tighter corners. Hell, there are some bridge off-ramps in the east that are steeper, shorter, and scarier than anything I ever drove out west.

Generally.

I find this to be a very accurate description. We have had our 32,000 lb motorhome in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado and found the big difference is the grades can be very long. One thing to remember is even through the mountains out west are higher, you usually start the assent at a higher elevation. You can be driving along in what looks like a flat desert and the elevation is over 6000 feet. On the other hand, our daughter rented a cabin up above Wears Valley near Pigeon Forge and the road was so steep our Honda CRV almost did not make it in low gear. Obviously the developer did not have to follow any state road requirements.

Bob

[Likes_to_tow]

You need to monitor engine and transmission temperature on the way up. Never Never pull over at crest of a long pull to "let it cool down." Keep it moving at the top to allow the high temperatures bleed off some. Stopping only shuts down air flow and you need to keep moving if possible. After a couple of miles you can pull over if you want. Transmissions build nearly all of their heat if the torque converter is unlocked. Read your owners manual and see what it says about pulling steep grades. On my Dodge Cummins it says to push the tow haul button when towing, and on steep grades put the selector in "2" AND try to maintain speeds above 28 mph. This keeps the torque converter locked and practically no heat build up. I have a quality guage in the output line of the transmission, I know immediately what the fluid is doing.

Going down hill, shifting to a lower gear helps but you must use brakes some. DO NOT RIDE THE BRAKES!! My proceedure is to keep the speed very manageable and when it creeps beyond a pre determined level I get on the brakes rather hard for a few seconds, bleeding off 10 mph or so, then letting off the brakes to allow them to cool. Then as speed creeps back up I get on them again to bleed of 10 mph. This goes on and on until I reach the bottom. If you ride the brakes all the way down they will fade out and you will have absolutely no brakes until they cool down again!!!!!! This proceedure works for all vehicles including cars not towing anything. Brakes will fade when hot.

[QueenD]

Ddndoug, we have a ford chassis and 460 engine.. We are going soon. Wanted to go to SMNP but have a lot of other things planned

[ddndoug]

QueenD wrote:
We are taking our first trip to mountains in motorhome. Looking on info taking Hwy 441 from Greensboro, GA to Cherokee, nc. Have a 1997 gas motorhome 36 foot. Are we going yo encounter any steep mountains?

Another question I just thought of...

When are you going? If it's sooner rather than later, you may want to make sure your route is available with the government shut-down. Great Smoky Mountain National Park is closed, not sure what constraints that will put on your travel plans.


Doug

[ddndoug]

QueenD wrote:
We are taking our first trip to mountains in motorhome. Looking on info taking Hwy 441 from Greensboro, GA to Cherokee, nc. Have a 1997 gas motorhome 36 foot. Are we going yo encounter any steep mountains?

Diane,

I'm not familiar with Hwy 441, but what I will tell you will work no matter where you are driving.

As you're climbing grades, keep an eye on your engine and transmission temps. If you don't have guages for each of them, I suggest adding them before your trip. If your temps climb too high it's much easier (and cheaper) to pull over and let them cool off than to fry a tranny on the way up a mountain pass. (don't ask how I know, lol)

And don't rush. The faster a MH travels, the engine and trans temps usually climb exponentially. (It gets harder and harder to push a big square box down the road fighting air displacement the faster you go.)

Doug

P.S. What chassis and drivetrain does your MH have?

[JimFromJersey]

Here's what I've come up with, as a generalization, yet an accurate one. For the most part, grades west of the Mississippi, especially on interstates and good 4-lane federal or state highways, are LONG, but not especially STEEP. They have more room out there to build highways on. In the east, especially along the Appalachians in NC, Tenn, Georgia, and in the Adirondacks and such in New England, some of the grades are, interstates not included, STEEP, but short. There are some grades in West Virginia up near Morgantown that are 7% on an interstate, but they're only a half mile or so long.

So the west has long, shallower grades, and the east has short, steep ones. It's all about how much room there is to build roads. The east is all folded up and narrow, compared to the west. Steeper grades, tighter corners. Hell, there are some bridge off-ramps in the east that are steeper, shorter, and scarier than anything I ever drove out west.

Generally.

[paulj]

Those mountains in N. & S. Dakota are horrible. There's one in ND called Turtle Mountain (or is that the name of reservation?). One in SD, called Mt Rushmore, is impossible to drive up.

[Luke_Porter]

nevadanick wrote:
A pretty good rule is to go down a hill a gear lower than it takes to get up the hill.

And this rule works only if brakes are used sparingly going down hill.

[QueenD]

We have done quite a bit of driving in mountains in N. & S. Dakota, across Wyoming, Colorado and that whole area but in a van. Don't think I would want to do it in the RV.

[Terryallan]

QueenD wrote:
Thanks for replies. Not quite as nervous but will definitely take it slow.

you have a gas engine. That gives you a downhill advantage, over "many" diesels. Gear down to a gear that will hold you at the speed you need to go, but do it at the top of the hill, Not part way down.
Let the engine do most of the work. Even use 1st, if you feel the need.

[Terryallan]

WyoTraveler wrote:

old guy wrote:
I have never seen a steep mountain or even a steep hill back east.

That is what I thought also when I kept seeing these posts. I searched the maps and sure enough they actually have a mountain back there. Doubt it is like we encounter on the continental divide or every day driving out here in the west. However, probably a understandable concern for RVers that have never driven on anything but flatlands.

We even have a Continental divide. And yes I've driven the hills out West. they are no worse than the hills back here. In fact they are easier, as they are not so twisty.

[Terryallan]

old guy wrote:
I have never seen a steep mountain or even a steep hill back east.

You might if you ever left home

[Horsedoc]

to the OP. Just outside of Franklin heading up toward Gold City it gets a little steep for a couple or three miles. It has passing lanes and is not hard, but will pull you down. Heading down the backside is a little hairy since there is a couple of long sweeping curves before you get to Dillsboro. You may see a truck or two cooling off on the top. Just take it easy as you start down the back side, the curves can sneak up on you just like the speed