shifting on downhills

dodge guy wrote:

obgraham wrote:
I think what Gritty is saying is, learn to drive the rig instead of having the rig’s computers drive you.

Don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve been driving since 85. I know how to drive manual transmissions and automatics. My Class A with the Tow Haul is the first I’ve had. It makes a huge difference when towing. Before this I always manually shifted my autos for down hill braking. After 38 years it’s nice to have a vehicle that will do this for me. I’m still watchful of the speed and rpm, but now I can concentrate on other aspects of driving.

I was saying what both of you are saying.
On one hand, anyone who’s been driving for 20-40 years AND thinks they’re even remotely qualified to pilot a motor home should look in the mirror and have an honest conversation with the person looking back at them. (no big deal for some, maybe should be a non starter if you never graduated from Ford Escorts and Priuses…I don’t think I should have my captains license and would never attempt to pilot a Deadliest Catch boat just because I’ve had a ski boat for 20 years…)

Yes one should know the basics like what gear to be in (and a host of other overtly basic knowledge that gets asked about on here from time to time). But by the same token, middle school reading skills and an owners manual is about all that’s needed to pass stage 1 of becoming a competent driver.
If you’re not smart or motivated enough to figure these things out on your own, stay in your Prius and call ahead for a hotel or pack a tent.
Sounds angry I know. But just in the last year, the plethora of unqualified bad drivers and meth bowl we all know as the Seattle area has cost me time and money and endangered my family. Multiple times.
From a trailer losing its tarp on the freeway and covering my kids windshield at 60 mph and damaging the car, to a tweaker causing the same son to crash my truck and almost injure his mom, the passenger, to my older son dealing with traffic on the freeway under construction and the dangers that a RV plowing through traffic barrels (and other vehicles as well), to the most recent, some old fart driving into my truck with his class A at the gas station. At least he just hit my trailer hitch and punched a hole in his bumper cover.

Basically, if you have to ask a stupid question about how to handle your transmission (especially one that handles it for you anyways) driving downhill in a big heavy ill handling “box”, you should exercise better judgement and stay off the roads that the rest of us drive on. Find a different hobby…

Rant over