Mountains and Brakes

[JRKERMIT]

It may be awhile before I encounter the m out grades you all are talking about out west there are a few grades I might have to travel closer to home and I was already wondering how to get down a couple of them I may not be pulling a trailer but I got some pointers for sure onthat will help me control Windy when descent. Thanks for that. Again I am glad I joined this forum I am learning a lot of tips.

[OregonLuvr]

I live at the bottom of the Siskiyou's I-5 on the CA/OR border. I live on the Oregon side. For me to go anywhere except west I have mountain passes to go over. I don't mind the I-5 trip south to Redding at all. I use my tow haul mode and it automatically shifts down if I apply my brakes for several seconds. I would rather use my engine than my brakes. I don't want to be in the "runaway truck" gravel LOL. I go slow and steady uphill as I have a "gasser" but I have passed a diesel pusher or two LOL Some of them are just not used to the mountain passes. When I go north I have to go thru 4 passes on I-5 to get to Roseburg, same situation. Sometimes I pass the trucks sometimes they pass me LOL

I have driven the Grapevine many times but never in my Motorhome as I HATE southern California and all their traffic. Plus they want an arm and a leg and your firstborn to stay in their RV parks. I practice avoidance plus I have no real reason to go down there. I go as far as Sacramento and that is it.

karen

[chalet05]

We drove from Washington State to Disneyland many times in a car or van, so I was well acquainted with I-5. I know we went south once with the MH when we first started full-timing. Maybe living around mountains, I never worried, and I knew Steven had it under control. We would see cars overheated and pulled over.

When I started out on my own with the 30 foot 5er, I drove I-5 and figured the Grapevine was my first big test. I think I was more worried about overheating going up than I was about going down! Maybe I am fearless or just know I learned well when it comes to mountains as they really don't bother me. That said, I'll be driving north on the Grapevine next month so 'knock on wood'!!

[Acadianmom]

When I drove from Louisiana to Seattle it seemed like I went through a lot of passes. I went North to Cheyenne and then across Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. I disliked that route so much I decided to go South on I-5 coming home. I don't remember that route bothering me at all. I stayed on I-5 and cut across to Bakersfield and I-40.

My first trip West was in a motorhome that didn't have a big enough engine. That was a trial. The motorhome I have now is only 23' on an E450. That engine makes all the difference. I could pass trucks going up hill if I had to with no problem.

Martha

[Carolinagal]

Appreciated the Video, Melissa. Found my instincts many years ago were good. Always learning new things though and the part of not changing gears when already descending was new. So far I've always set my speed and gear before, But now I know if I goofed and didn't , not to then. Thanks for the tips you pass on from time to time, they're sure appreciated !!!

Route 50, going west to east suits me better in Colorado. Beautiful ride and I can't pass it by, have shown that route to many, it's soooo pretty. Done both ways but going west it's a long ways down

CArol

[pymmint]

I am sorry, but I think I'm dense ! lol I have read all the posts, I think, on this subject, watched the videos and although mostly I understand it and how to do the snub braking, there are some things I don't understand; I have looked them up on google, but can't find exactly what I need to understand.

on the 14+ min video, the gentleman mentioned "control ? controlled ? SPeed" and governor ? govern ? I can't really find anything about them; I know that my class A would make terrible noises, rmps went way up, when going up hill, don't remember having to many issues on coming down, except once in NY. But I will be heading to UT in about 6 weeks and wanted to get a head start on going over the mountains. I accumulated lots of info on going up and down from the internet and got rid of the duplicated info, then posted it on a full time rv page on facebook, someone there mentioned snub braking, so I started looking . And how do you determine which lower gear to start in going downhill without having my engine blow up or we go sailing off the mountain. All I can vision is The Long Long Trailer ! ! !

thanks,

[pymmint]

I use my tow haul mode and it automatically shifts down if I apply my brakes for several seconds. I would rather use my engine than my brakes. I don't want to be in the "runaway truck" gravel LOL.
karen

Sorry I didn't add the whole quote, but the thing that caught my attention was the tow haul mode ? I never really knew what it was for, I just assumed it was some kind of gas saving thingie, I don't remember the person who ran me through the stuff on my rv mentioning it. So what exactly does it do ?

[Acadianmom]

Pat, sorry I can't help you with the breaking, I have a Class C so don't know what you would do in a Class A. I was just wondering if you are still in Eunice. I was through there on Sunday. That's the way I go to my sister's or to the lake.

Martha

[pymmint]

Hi Martha,

Yes, I'm here working in the office of the L'Acadie ain't & RV Park until early May, then heading to UT

[pymmint]

Sorry, I should have double checked the auto correct, it's

L'Acadie Inn & RV Park

[Acadianmom]

I had never heard of this campground. It looks like a nice place. I camped at the Lakeview campground North on Hwy 13 last year with a group. I go up Hwy 13 to Hwy 190 and go West so haven't passed that way.

Martha

[pymmint]

Actually L'Acadie INN & RV Park and Lakeview are related, they are owned by the same family group, I think the two sisters live and run Lakeview and their brother and his family lives and runs L'Acadie INN & RV Park, it's much quieter. Right on LA 190 about 1/2 mile east of the Savoy Music Center.

I'll be working in the office on Sunday, but will probably take CLEMMIE and her friend CICI to the dog park in Lake Charles when I get off at 2pm, so if you are near stop by !

[Acadianmom]

I probably won't be up that way until about the 18 or 19th. I will be headed to Texas and have to go pick up my sister. My travel plans are pretty loose. If I pick up my sister in DeRidder and head across country I can miss Houston. Takes longer but suits my travel style. I'll let you know when I know what I'm going to do to see if you will be there.

Martha

[pymmint]

if you're around / coming through, I'll be here through the first week of May, partly because I'm waiting for my passport, In case I'm heading out of the country early next year !