Fear of Driving to the Mountains

[liquidspaceman]

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 (overheating/not working). I was planning a trip up to San Gorgonio Wilderness (which is near Los Angeles/Big Bear area). It's a 22 mile road up to this wilderness area.

I keep picturing myself going up fine and then on the return trip, I'm going down the mountain and suddenly my brakes are gone.

Can anyone give me any pointers/tips so that I can aleve my worries? What I've learned so far from reading online:

1. Use 1st gear going up the mountain.

2. Use 2nd gear going down but if I start to go really fast, shift back down to 1st and go about 20 mph.

3. Use hard/short bursts occasionally when needed to slow decline rather than riding the brake.

Are their any other tips you can give me? What should I do if I lose my brakes completely? Crash into the mountain or careen into the trees?

[Veebyes]

JLTN_James wrote:

Bighorns wrote:
Everyone has given you very good advice on this issue. One more thing to add is to not let vehicles behind you intimidate you and make yourself think you are going to slow. Better to be safe than sorry. There is always enough time for everyone to get where they are going no matter what. Have fun!

Put a bumper sticker on the back that says "Don't rush me, I'm on vacation."

I had a sticker custom made for the back of the 5er. It says "No, I'm not in a hurry".

Those behind will have to wait. I get into passing lanes ASAP. I refuse to be 'pushed' down a hill. Better be stuck behind me going slow than stuck in a traffic jam because I have crashed becaue I went too fast somewhere in front of you.

[aerbus32]

First thing you need to do is get some experience on much shorter drives that aren't so challenging. Driving a car up or down a steep grade uses the same basic principles. Use the correct gear and brake correctly. I've towed good sized boats up to Big Bear a bunch and I've never had to drop into first gear. Lots of RV'ers go up there. Consider taking the route you're planning to take in your car first. Wait for an RV and (safely) follow them. But you really should start with something shorter and not so steep.

[JLTN_James]

Bighorns wrote:
Everyone has given you very good advice on this issue. One more thing to add is to not let vehicles behind you intimidate you and make yourself think you are going to slow. Better to be safe than sorry. There is always enough time for everyone to get where they are going no matter what. Have fun!

Put a bumper sticker on the back that says "Don't rush me, I'm on vacation."

[Gale_Hawkins]

wintersun wrote:


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.

Actually gas engines come with great engine braking ability unlike diesels. We did from Yellowstone to Pacific Coast by way of Lake Tahoe then back east by way of Grand Canyon, Utah, NM and never required brakes for speed control. Now 14% grades will require a touch from time to time for speed control. I think we were on some 10% grades in some of the parks. The key for us was to get into the required gear before building much speed.

[wny_pat1]

Dakzuki wrote:

liquidspaceman wrote:
Thanks everyone. I am driving a 2004 Thor Motor Coach, Class C. I believe it weighs about 11000 pounds or so.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to have your brake fluid changed. It is now 10 years old.

So true!!! Brake fluid starts to deteriorate and absorb moisture the minute a can is open. 10 years old - you need new. One of the best out there is Valvoline® DOT 3 & 4 Brake Fluid. Has a high dry boiling point up to 480°F.

[wintersun]

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.

[Wishbone51]

I meant more along the lines that I'm a half-ton with a low axle ratio towing my limit. Gotta watch the tranny temp.. I'm very slow up long hills.

[Dakzuki]

Wishbone51 wrote:
I have more issues going up the mountain.

That's the easy part. You can gear down, go slow and appreciate the view. To slow down you just lift.

Downhill is a different issue when you are heavy.

[Tom_Diane]

mdamerell wrote:
In the semi we have a couple basic rules
1- you go down a hill 1 gear lower than you went up.
2- save your brakes for an emergency, use the engine/trans to slow you down.
3- if you have to brake, use stab braking as described above.

As one ole boy told me as I creped down the Rockies for the 1st time. "You can go down a hill too slow many times, you'll only go down it too fast, once."

Take your time and enjoy the view.

I've made the same comment about going down the hill only one time too fast but I also got that piece of advice from a fellow trucker I was in contact with on my first trip over the mountains with an over size load, Wide and 90 plus thousand pounds. Words to live by for sure. Keep those words in mind and you will do every thing you can to get over the mountain safely. Most of all common sense and attention to the road prevails

[Canadian_Rainbi]

This comment isn't about nervousness in the mountains, its about nervousness with something new. I've driven a lot of mountains.

About 12 years ago we set off to Mexico following friends in their rig. From the border at Nagales to San Carlos as a day of white knuckle driving: Narrow roads and no shoulders with usually steep drop offs at the edged.

From San Carlos on to Mazatlan was two more days of the same, but I was beginning to get a little less uncomfortable.

Then we drove on our own to Puerto Vallarta and back by which time I no longer flinched when a semi blasted by, our mirrors no more that 6" apart.

Now I am quite comfortable (even though we lost a mirror to a tree once).

Just saying, new driving experiences are often nerve wracking. With a little practice and experience you will soon gain confidence.

However, even the most experience of us can get overconfident:

In our former motorhome, a 30" gasser with 16" wheels (read small brakes!) towing a Chevy Tracker, we did the Espinoza del Diablo from Durango to Mazatlan about 6 years ago and over heated the brakes near the bottom. We had made the mistake of stopping for a couple of minutes in 90+ temps when the brakes were already hot and with out the "cooling" airflow some of the brake fluid (or moisture in the fluid) vapourised. When we pulled back on the road and went to brake for a curve the pedal went to the floor! Fortunately we were still going slow enough that I could shift into 1st gear. Pumping of the brake pedal got a some slowing. Also fortunately we were right behind a big bus so I knew that at worst I would be able to run into his back end! I followed the bus (at maybe 20 mph) for about 20 miles by which time we were out of the worst part of the hills and curves and had our brakes back. In Mazatlan I had the system flushed and refilled with fresh brake fluid.

Here is a clip that I found on you tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au9tdT_iU1A


And another one, doing it by motorcycle!

Note that any speed signs you see are in Kilometers per hour, not miles. A factor of 5/8

[Gale_Hawkins]

With our 1992 P30 chassis 32' MH the only time I had to use the brakes was on a 14% grade coming out Kingdom Come State park in KY for speed control when it first gear. Never ran into this out west. I think Yosemite was the worse of any place we went on that 8000 mile trip so we never had to use brakes for speed control but used the transmission for speed control but keep in mind the engine braking ability is very high in a big block GAS engine so know your engine braking ability by testing in on a steep grade. Transmissions will up shift to protect the engine if the grade is step enough in gas engine so use the brakes to keep the RPM's below that number. It is some where around 4500 for an older 454 engine. V-10 may be more like 5500 because they red line around 5200 the best I remember. To be safe use brakes to keep RPM's down to the WOT up shift points of your transmission.

Again nothing we faced out west equaled what we found in KY but they are there.

[Wishbone51]

I have more issues going up the mountain.

[Veebyes]

Suddenly losing brakes gives a very sick feeling in the stomach. Had it happen recently. A minor road east of Mt St Helens, WA. Right at the bottom of a long steep decent. Applying brakes at the bottom for an intersection & effectiveness stopped. Barely stopped in time for stop sign. Smoke coming from one rear wheel. Lucky for me the next 5 miles or so were on a flat valley floor so things had a chance to cool off.

Even with low gear, keeping speed down, braking in short bursts to bring speed very low & then releasing to cool for awhile, will not guarantee that brakes will not overheat.

There are some tough mountain roads out there. Be very very careful.

[Dakzuki]

liquidspaceman wrote:
Thanks everyone. I am driving a 2004 Thor Motor Coach, Class C. I believe it weighs about 11000 pounds or so.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to have your brake fluid changed. It is now 10 years old.

Also if you can smell your brakes, they are getting too hot. They smell the same as fried clutch if you've ever smelled that. Similar to grinding steel smell but with a foul tinge to it.

I recently did the Torrey to Escalante run (pulling my toad) on Utah 12 which includes a 14% descent. I lived to tell the tale. Got down to 2nd gear (of 5) going down. Needless to say it got my undivided attention.