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?

[johnwalkerpa1]

You generally have the right ideas. The actual gears you use will vary based on the road but if in doubt go slow, then go slower. A lot of times, the curves will slow you down as much as the grade.

If you do feel the brakes getting soft, pull over and stop.

As far as what to do if you loose them entirely, well, there are not any great options there in most cases. The only real choice is to ditch it as soon as possible, as slowly as possible, and as level as possible...But.....if you have a well-maintained rig and take it easy, that is very, very unlikely to happen.

If in doubt, have the complete brake system checked out by a reliable shop...

[Go_Dawgs1]

Good advise on gearing. As for braking let the tranny do most the slowing and when you need to apply the brake do it to slow at least 10mph and then let off the brake. When traveling in the Rockies or Cascades I will go down in the gear I went up in and I apply brake firmly as needed to slow 10mph as smooth as possible, then release and repeat as necessary. Never had an over heating of tranny or brakes. Go as slow as you need.

[RoyF]

If you need 1st gear going up, then you probably also need 1st gear going down. Downhill, it may be IMPOSSIBLE to shift down from 2nd into 1st: you may be going too fast already. It is possibe to shift up while downhill. Better to start in a low gear and see how the car is holding.

Another thing: where is the steepest part of the descent? If it gets steeper on the way down, then you ought not to upshift too soon.

As far as hard/short vs. slight pressure, I have heard it both ways. i'm not sure whether it really makes much difference. But I like to be in a low enough gear so that a tap on the brakes once in a while is all that is required.