Welcome to Motorhomefacts, we are a thriving motorhome community (Largest in Europe). Why Not JOIN NOW and get instant access to more of the website. It costs nothing to join and only takes a few minutes. We have 200,000 different people visiting our site monthly and this amount of motorhomers in one place guarantees a fast response to any questions you may have. We also have unique facilities not found elsewhere such as our Online Logbook, stopover tracker, Motorhome directory with Ebay type feedback and the largest repository of motorhome campsites reviews found anywhere
Fairly close to where you live are the Pordoi and Sella passes. Best thing I can advise there is go up and down in the same gear - if that needs to be first so be it.
Russell
For roads like that, I wish that motorhomes were fitted with a Telma retarder.
______________________________________________________________ Our long trip around Europe - blog now online at www.swift-kontiki.co.uk
have done more mountain driving with my MH than with any other vehicle. Including Sognefjell and Orneveien in Norway.
If brakes start smelling, then this is by itself not dangerous. However it is the final warning before brake fade occurs. And brake fade is something you really do not want to encounter while driving down a mountain pass.
When mountain driving, you have to keep in mind that not only the bakes can slow down your vehicle. The engine, if correctly applied, can do that, too. However, with modern diesel engines having very high torque already at rather low revvs, I would tend to modify the old "same gear downhill as uphill" rule slightly: "When going downhill, always take one gear lower than when going up the same hill."
@ Wizzo:
Don't worry, no shooting!
In fact, you are (almost) right. No matter whether you brake continuously or not, the amount of energy that needs to be transformed into heat is the same. However, by applying the right driving technique you can make the engine take a bigger share, and you can stretch the whole process over a longer period of time. The former can be achieved by selecting a lower gear, and the latter by simply doing it slower!
So: The longer you need to get down, the less stress for the brakes. (Maybe not the same for your nerves, though, but that's not physics, I'm afraid... )
So, my recommendations for downhill driving a MH:
Select an appropriate, low gear. And select it already when on top of the mountain, before you enter the slope. The gear should be such that the vehicle accelerates only very slightly when unbraked.
After having selected this gear, don't touch the clutch, or the accelerator anymore.
Let the vehicle roll along straight road stretches. Ideally, the vehicle does not exceed a comfortable driving speed while on a straight part of the descent, leaving the brakes for the bends.
When approaching a bend, brake down firmly. Especially at hairpin bends, be aware that another large vehicle could come up the other way, forcing you to stop completely. After having passed the bend, release the brake completely, giving it time to cool down before the next bend.
In general, do not stand on the brakes for longer periods. If you really have the feeling that speed gets out of control, then brake down firmly, and use the moment of low speed to switch down one more gear.
Most important: Completely ignore any flashing and hooting sports cars behind you! They most probably have better brakes than you, and certainly the lighter vehicle. And if their drivers go mad, then this is entirely their own problem.
And if your outfit is really heavy, then you might want to consider retrofitting a retarder.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Euramobil Sport 585DS (C-class):
Ok so we use a low gear, even first, but how high do we let the revs go?
We did have some good lines behind us yesterday, I pulled over a couple of times, but there were no honking horns or ugly looks, polite drivers I guess. Except a bus driver who I suppose thought we didn't give him enough room when we stopped to let him pass on a curve. He didn't even appreciate the fact that we saw him coming way down the hill and waited for him to arrive.
In fact on a side note I'm beginning to have a certain level of dislike for those big tour busses the drivers tend to be rude, like they own the road and then they dump off hundreds of tourists, clogging up everything.
Passo Sella
______________________________________________________________ Fallow our Camper and other adventures here:
www.johnandluisa.blogspot.com
Ok so we use a low gear, even first, but how high do we let the revs go?
Hi,
don't let them get into the red area on the counter. In fact I tend to keep them at up to 3600-3700. If you still feel comfortable with your downhill speed at these revs, and don't expect the road to get any steeper, then you might want to select a higher gear.
The idea behind driving down in low gear is to prevent the vehicle from building up too much speed during the unbraked intervals.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Euramobil Sport 585DS (C-class):
Good post this! It's a question I have often asked myself in the past when car driving in mountains. But, like JHELM asked, I am confused as to how high the revs can go before engine damage?
Now I'm a motor-homer. The next van I am getting is 5 tons, so I can imagine all that weight mass on a steep downhill slope. With the correct low gear, surely the revs must be screaming and the only way to ease that is either a higher gear or the brakes. The net result is MORE constant brake use to lower the revs. Any answers please?
The next van is also going to be using the new Fiat auto gear change system. Is there a further technique when using an auto model?
I basically agree with Wizzo. Short periods of hard braking to bring the speed right down, then off the brake pedal altogether to allow the brakes to cool. Modern disk brakes should handle that. Avoid long periods of continuous gentle braking - that will probably cause the disk pads to overheat, as well as risk boiling the brake fluid.
Be gentle with your gearbox too, because they cost a lot more to replace than new brake pads. I wouldn't want to put too much heat into the gearbox on a long descent (or ascent, for that matter). I'm also not sure what adverse effects it might have, if you effectively use the engine as an air pump for prolonged descents without drawing any fuel into the cylinder heads. Maybe some diesel engine expert know the answer.
hi SD not really an expert but dont think much harm would come from overrun for long periods.. oil still going around, engine would also cool down nicely from the uphill bit that may have got you in this position
Auto boxes may be a different matter, starting to scare myself now with the though of all that weight and not much engine braking...
With the correct low gear, surely the revs must be screaming and the only way to ease that is either a higher gear or the brakes.
If revs are "screaming" while going downhill, then either you have indeed selected a too low gear. Or you are simply too fast! The ideal scenario would be if, after having braked down in a bend, the vehicle builds up just enough speed that you can easily brake it down again just before the next bend.
Do release the brake completely from time to time, but don't let the vehicle build up too much momentum. And, as said: Completely ignore any angry drivers behind you. It is your responsibility to bring your 5 ton van including all passengers down the hill safely. Not theirs.
Regarding automatic gearboxes I cannot help. I would not want one in my MH, and my ordinary car has, strictly speaking, no gearbox at all.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Euramobil Sport 585DS (C-class):
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
All times are GMT + 1 Hour Page 2 of 2Goto page Previous1, 2
UK
