I need a gear guy

[homeless]

Maybe my problem is my driving skills! I cruise alone all day at 2000 or 3000 RPM in over drive. When faced with a big hill I am concerned to not have RPM go over 4000 RPM!! So first step is to take it out of over drive. Push till RPM is at 3000 or 3500 and down shift??

Am I being too cautious?

[twinboat]

If I see a steep grade, like 7%, I press the pedal to the floor. The AUTOMATIC transmission does the rest.

The engine and transmission are paired up to work together to get you up the hill. Although they may sound like it, they will not be damaged by working hard when called to.

Sure it sounds like the engine is screaming, but it's designed to do that.
What your hearing is the large cooling fan spinning, pulling in air. Even the small cars engine, next to you, is spinning fast.

Even when merging into a highway, you should be getting up over 4000 RPMs, otherwise, in many cases, the ramp isn't long enough to safely merge.

[Waiter21]

4,000 rpm is your friend---

When running up steep hills, When the tranny downshifts as the MH slows down, I'll manually downshift to the lower gear

I do the manual downshift so its not constantly upshift / downshift (Probably bothers me more than the tranny)

Ultimately on long climbs, I attempt to maintain the highest speed / gear selection that will produce 4,000 rpm without me needing to hold the accelerator pedal to the floor.

i.e. on the eastbound I-70 climb to the Eisenhower tunnel (11,000 ft, west of Denver) I typically find I'm making the climb in 1st gear at 25 mph, and the engine is running at about 4,000 rpm.

[biggcrisp]

I'm also conservative.

Approximate values:

1st gear = 10 mph @3,500 rpm.

2nd gear = 20 mph @3,500 rpm.

3rd gear = 30 mph @3,500 rpm.

OD allows 4th and 5th gears above 40 mph.

A 7 or 8 % grade usually equals twisty turning roads and slower speeds anyway. A 6% grade is only a downshift into 4th gear or maybe 3rd if traffic or road conditions slow me down.

5 speed trans with the 158" wheelbase and 4.3 gears.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by biggcrisp

I'm also conservative.

Approximate values:

1st gear = 10 mph @3,500 rpm.

2nd gear = 20 mph @3,500 rpm.

3rd gear = 30 mph @3,500 rpm.

OD allows 4th and 5th gears above 40 mph.

A 7 or 8 % grade usually equals twisty turning roads and slower speeds anyway. A 6% grade is only a downshift into 4th gear or maybe 3rd if traffic or road conditions slow me down.

5 speed trans with the 158" wheelbase and 4.3 gears.

Your numbers don't work with the OPs older 4 speed.

Your 4th gear is direct drive, where 3rd is direct drive on the 4 speed. That leave a larger gap between 1st and direct drive, that 2nd fills. That's why the RPMs need to be higher between shifts.

[Mark Kovalsky]

The correct way to drive the coach is to keep pressing the go pedal to maintain speed. If the grade is steep enough, press it all the way to the floor. Let the computer control the transmission to manage which gear to select to keep the engine where it needs to make the power required to climb the grade.

The computer will not let the engine operate at a speed where damage will occur. It can shut the fuel off to keep from overspeeding the engine. The trans will upshift before this happens. The V10 can run above 4000 RPM all day long and the only damage is to the fuel level in the gas tank.

[Hikerdogs]

First of all the largest Sun Cruiser made in 2000 was the 37G. It may well be 38' long but Winnebago identifies it as a 37G. It was built on a Ford 20,500 lb. chassis and if it has the original differential it will have a 5.38:1 gear ratio,

We had the same engine/transmission combination in our 2001 Adventurer 32V. While the length of ours was shorter it was built on the same capacity chassis with the same engine and transmission combination. The motorhome weighed in at 19,500. With the 3,700 lb. car and the 750 lb. dolly in tow we had a combined weight of 23,950 lbs.

In 2011 we had a similar problem not being able to climb hills at a reasonable speed. We were in the 10 mph range trying to climb to the Eisenhower tunnel on I 70. We did struggle through it, but it was obvious something wasn't right.

I looked through my maintenance records and found the fuel filter was due to be changed. We got one at a local parts house and changed it at the next campground. I was surprised when I removed the old one. I swear it weighed nearly 10 lbs., and was full of the nastiest crud I'd ever seen in a gas tank.

After the filter change the motorhome ran like a scared rabbit by comparison. On hills that we previously climbed at a maximum speed of 10 mph we were now climbing at 35 - 40 mph.

After that experience I always kept a spare fuel filter in a storage compartment. One tank of bad gas can partially plug the filter and haunt you for hundreds if not thousands of miles.

[twinboat]

This is one of the benefits of a Scan Guage II.

That is a HP setting that will show the HP you are developing.

If you can't reach 80 to 90 % of what your engine is capable of, something is wrong.

[OLYLEN]

Plain and simple your being too conservative with your RPM. When approaching a 6-7% grade drop out of OD, with experience you will see if the RV will hold speed, if not drop to 2nd gear and run the RPM to 4500-4800. Be proactive, do the gear drop before you lose speed. This is the high HP range and best cooling range. The higher altitude you go the less HP you have. You can add the 5-star tune and get another 40HP and 40# torque, the best hill climbing addition for you year in my opinion.

LEN

[Waiter21]

The engine is producing a lot of heat on these climbs, higher rpm also means coolant circulating through the radiator faster.

I watch the temp gauge, and have never seen it move - rock solid.

[Crankshaft]

Originally Posted by Waiter21

The engine is producing a lot of heat on these climbs, higher rpm also means coolant circulating through the radiator faster.

I watch the temp gauge, and have never seen it move - rock solid.

Your lucky. We just got back from a 3 week 6,000 mile trip. I also use a scan gauge. I saw my coolant temps from 202 to 212 and the transmission from 172 to 194. When the V10 works, it really works, the temps show it.

With all that said, I've come to the conclusion that the V10 is an asthmatic, constipated engine. The engine and chassis is generic, built by Ford without knowing what it's ultimate use is going to be.

I plan on adding the 5 Star tune to my V10, it needs more HP and torque. Along with that it needs more air. The stock air box has to go. The best aftermarket air filter that I have used is the AEM dry filter. They don't make a drop in filter for the F53 or a cold air intake. They make universal kits, I plan to call them and discuss what we need. As for the other end, the stock muffler has to go. Again, the best replacement is the Walker BTM (Big Truck Muffler) I've used these on my F150's and F350's. Power was increased and the noise didn't increase that much. If there is a resonator in the exhaust system, that's going too. Just the cat and a muffler. All 3 of these should open up the V10 considerably, making driving more enjoyable. I'm not trying to make a sports car out of it, just improve it's driveability.

[twinboat]

The water pump circulates the coolant thru the engine block and heater core.

The thermostat regulates the exchange of coolant between the block and radiator. If the coolant moves too fast thru the radatior, it will not release enough heat to the air.

Water pump speed has little to do with engine temperatures.

[homeless]

I do have the banks system! I take from all this that I need to put my foot in to this old engine and depend on the computer to keep her from blowing up?

[Mark Kovalsky]

Yes, that's right.