Need mountain driving advice

[TravelinMike]

I have a Vista 27n with the Ford V10 engine. Live in the flatlands so am now on my first time in some steeper inclines. Came up a 6% 2-3 mile upgrade. I used tow haul and with the pedal pretty much to the floor came up at 40mph between 3000-4000 rpm. My questions - is tow/ haul the correct choice? Should I be manually downshifting and, if so, can I do that in tow/haul? Should I ease off and go slower? Any advice is appreciated. BTW the descent was a breeze in tow/haul as it totally controlled the braking.

Mike

[Jim_HiTek]

Don't be opposed to downshifting and letting the speed drop as you head uphill. Watch your engine temp and if it gets much over 1/2, you definitely need to downshift. I've been on hills steep enough that my speed dropped to 25 MPH. But, I'm retired, what's the gal-darn hurry anyway?

[Yamxer438]

I'm not sure at what rpm the v10 hits it's peak hp/torque range, but in my workhorse it's around 3,200. I try to get right in that range by down shifting then hold it there. I don't pay attention to my speed.

[MisterT]

I've delivered gas units for some time, all lengths and manufacturers, and have yet to need to ever do anything but put it in drive. Even if I'm towing a vehicle I don't use 'tow/haul' mode. Just like any other engine/transmission, it will downshift as needed... but don't be in a hurry, it's not a race - and they're not design for racing.

more importantly, though, is the downhills. When you first apply your service brake(foot pedal), the unit should then try to hold that speed automatically on the way down, downshifting as needed... but keep your foot on the pedal to provide back-up braking as you go.

[Waiter21]

I have an older F53 with the 275hp V10 and 4 speed.

When doing a climb, I don't allow the transmission the constantly upshift / downshift. I manually downshift in an attempt to hold the highest speed that I can hold a continuous 4000 rpm. without having the gas pedal buried on the floor. On steep climbs, I-70 through the Eisenhower tunnel (11,000 ft) This means 1st gear an 25mph.

High rpms produce the power needed to make climbs, don't allow the RPMs to drop off.

High RPMs also pumps more coolant through the engine and radiator, and also increases airflow through the radiator.

ALSO - Consider constant shifting and the unlocking of the torque converter is the main source of transmission temperature.

GOING DOWN THE OTHER SIDE..

I generally do the same thing going down a steep decline, I slow down and manually shift to a lower gear in an attempt to go downhill and let the engine do the majority of the braking with minimal need to use the brakes.

The climb and descend are easier if I'm in truck traffic as I generally turn on the 4 ways and follow them up and down the hill.

[Honwing]

Have a 2016 Vista LX 27N towing a 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid. On our latest trip from Seattle to Carrabelle, Florida I always manually downshifted when going uphill and used Tow/Haul when going downhill. Not sure what year you have but the 6 speed works great in the mountains.

[Tony Lee]

do a search for "Snub Braking" and follow the advice as most of it applies to every vehicle regardless of whether it has any form of auxiliary braking or not.. Takes a little bit of practice to get speed and gears and engine rpm correct but it is worth learning. Tow haul or overdrive controls used in conjunction with changing to lower gears before getting to critical speeds help a lot too

As for going uphill, forget the ego and let the delivery drivers blast past in somebody else's (unloaded) rig and shift down to keep speed, gear and engine revs all under control and of course transmission and engine temperatures as well.

There is an on-line publication from CAT called Understanding Coach/RV Performance which is also worth reading

[jdyson]

If you have the newer 6 speed trans, run the unit in tow/haul at all times. It's programmed that way. You might occasionally turn TH off when descending a hill, otherwise leave it on. It will use all 6 speeds. Downshift to 4th with the lever when climbing. Max torque is around 3,200 rpm. Try to keep it there when climbing. Buy a scangauge II and you can monitor many performance metrics more easily.

Hope this helps.

[RndmTraveler]

I live in the Pacific Northwest, no matter which way I go, I always have to cross at least one mountain pass…. I rarely see anything flat longer than 100 miles.
This is what I do (24K chassis, + towing). When going up or down, I NEVER look at my speedometer, I only watch my rpm. Speed is irrelevant going up or down a grade in a motorhome. I use tow haul because it improves the shifting moment both going up an down. Always disengage the cruise control.

When possible, I try to increase my speed/rpm before I start to climb. My goal is 3000 rpm. Anything lower doesn’t have the HP to control the coach.
When I hit 3000 rpm, I just hold it there. The coach will slow down and downshift when necessary. I don’t care if I am going 50 or 25 mph…. I just keep the rpm in the sweet spot. This way I can go up a 10 miles 6-8% incline without any stress on me or the engine.

Going down on the other side is basically the same, drive by rpm rather than mph. I rather stay on the slow and safe side than having to use my service breaks. They get hot really fast…. If the tow haul is unable to hold the coach, I either shift back and ‘stab’ the brakes (2 sec. hard braking), or I take it out of tow haul, stab the brakes, and engage tow haul again. This prevents down shifting and jumping to 4000+ rpm.

Last year I took a wrong turn in WA and ended on a highway going down a 12% grade with lots of curves. When I finally got to the bottom I could smell my brakes… my wife will never let me forget that decent.
I am a balloon pilot, and going down a hill in a MH is much like a decent in a balloon. You use short burns to slow down/ control the decent, preventing uncontrollable acceleration. It is all about control.

[TravelinMike]

I want to thank everyone for their help. Didn't have as many steep upgrades heading home but for what there was, I just stayed in drive (ready to downshift if necessary) but the transmission did what it needed to without help. I did use the tow/haul on the long downgrade of 7% and it downshifted well with a couple of brake taps. All in all, a successful first trip beyond the flatlands!

Mike

[OLYLEN]

Don't be afraid of RPM on that V10 4500-4800 is fine up or down hill. Very seldom use brakes down hill using the best speed/gear combination and the 4500 RPM and I'm towing. Up hill I use the same high RPM to keep as much speed as possible, and this aids in cooling for both motor and transmission. It is common for motor temp to climb to about 200 at which point the fan clutch can be heard and the motor cools to the 190 level.

LEN

[TomandGloria]

Originally Posted by TravelinMike

I want to thank everyone for their help. Didn't have as many steep upgrades heading home but for what there was, I just stayed in drive (ready to downshift if necessary) but the transmission did what it needed to without help. I did use the tow/haul on the long downgrade of 7% and it downshifted well with a couple of brake taps. All in all, a successful first trip beyond the flatlands!

Mike

Congrats on your first successful mountain driving trip. A few more times in the mountains will help reinforce what you have learned and continue to build your confidence. Glad it worked out for you.

[eddndee]

Don't turn your motor off immediately if you stop in those mountain passes. Let the motor cool down slowly! The cool mountain air rapidly cooling that hot exhaust manifold can sometimes cause them to crack!