Fear of Driving to the Mountains
I was hoping for any kind of tips for mountain driving. Basically I've read that driving a large motorhome on winding mountain roads is a challenge that can cause overheating, brake issues (overheatin...
Forum Discussion
If your brakes are in good condition that short a downgrade should not be a problem. It helps to stay at the speed that works for all the turns and not speed up on the straight sections and then have to brake and kill speed on the curves. If a curve is marked as a 25 MPH curve you want to be at 25 MPH before you enter the curve and not need to be braking while in the turn itself (common mistake made by the majority of drivers is to apply the brakes while in the turn).
Downgrades is where a diesel engine with an exhaust brake is well worth the extra cost. A day ago we were coming from over 9,000 feet down to 4,000 feet in 30 miles and with multiple 7% grades. With the diesel engine and the exhaust brake enabled I never had to touch the brakes the entire way.
I would be a lot more concerned with a gas engine but the trick is to be in a low enough gear that you can take advantage of the engine braking it does provide. Having disk brakes at all four wheels will also provide added braking ability and peace of mind.
No reason to start off at the deep end. Find a shorter steep grade to do a few practice runs. Anything that shows as a "grade" like Empire Grade instead of Empire Road is going to be in the 7% range and a good place to try out your RV.
Downgrades is where a diesel engine with an exhaust brake is well worth the extra cost. A day ago we were coming from over 9,000 feet down to 4,000 feet in 30 miles and with multiple 7% grades. With the diesel engine and the exhaust brake enabled I never had to touch the brakes the entire way.
I would be a lot more concerned with a gas engine but the trick is to be in a low enough gear that you can take advantage of the engine braking it does provide. Having disk brakes at all four wheels will also provide added braking ability and peace of mind.
No reason to start off at the deep end. Find a shorter steep grade to do a few practice runs. Anything that shows as a "grade" like Empire Grade instead of Empire Road is going to be in the 7% range and a good place to try out your RV.
