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Old 07-08-2017, 04:50 PM   #1
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Teton Pass Motorhome Fire

My daughter just texted me pictures of a burned out motorhome on Teton Pass. While descending the pass toward Victor, ID, a car that was a few vehicles behind the motorhome smelled hot brakes for quite a ways and then noticed smoke coming from the right rear tires of the motorhome just before they burst into flames. The fire completely gutted the coach. They were apparently not in a low enough gear and relied on the service brakes too much. It looks like a 42-45' with a tag. That pass is a 10% grade that I have gone over and once you get too fast, it's very unforgiving. My daughter was on the pass and waited two hours for it to clear up. I don't know how to post the pics from my phone, but the Jackson paper should have them in a day or two. No word on the occupants

EDIT: Here. https://www.eastidahonews.com/2017/0...ay-teton-pass/
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Old 07-08-2017, 04:56 PM   #2
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Been over that pass in a Type C MH towing a '95 Ody on a dolly with surge brakes going east to west. Friend in a Type A MH had no brakes at all by the bottom. My dolly brakes were toast (literally) after that. I don't think I'll do that road ever again!
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Old 07-08-2017, 05:16 PM   #3
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And despite these obvious examples of why they are wrong, you will still get macho men in big powerful rigs telling newbies on these sort of fora to just stick it in drive, turn the auxiliary brakes on and just drive as normal.
What they need to do is learn downhill technique in my old MC8. 17 ton, no jakes or exhaust brakes, 4 speed manual gearbox - crash box to boot - and drum brakes - and a two stroke engine with no retardation apart from friction and windage.
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Old 07-08-2017, 05:25 PM   #4
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That's too bad!

but no matter the grade, properly using your engine/exhaust brake and tranny at the top and STABBING the brakes hard and letting off WILL control it...


at 10 or 11k ft and 7% or so,
wolf creek pass in Colorado is not 10% bad, but @ 40k lbs, we didn't have any issues coming down...
didn't even have to lock it in a lower gear,
just never let it build up and used the engine brake the whole way...
with no throttle, ours will try to get into the lower gears...

but still, that's a sad reminder for us all !
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Old 07-08-2017, 06:00 PM   #5
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I sometimes think folks are embarrassed to go slow on mountain passes. If you have to use the brakes going down then you're probably in the wrong gear. I've never understood the need for speed in an RV. I've gone up and down just about every western pass there is and never had an issue in a DP or a gas rig. I have gone up and down several of them at 5 MPH but I never caught on fire.
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Old 07-08-2017, 06:11 PM   #6
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... brakes overheat long enough, wheel seals melt/fail allowing rear Carrier lube to make contact with glowing red drum
= FIRE

What a bummer, Guy should have pulled over, let brake cool 30 mins or so and ease down more...

Truth be known, probably his 1st vehicle with air brakes. Last week a Toyota, this week a big azz diesel pusher.
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Old 07-08-2017, 06:42 PM   #7
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+1, mackwrench! I drove an 18 wheeler for USXPRESS as a Western Regional solo driver and have been over most all of the mountain passes. Many have signage at the start of the downgrade indicating the maximum speed for a given weight. Never had any problems, even at 80,000 lbs, obeying the speed limits and using the methods posted by JohnBoyTwo. I did see quite a few mishaps caused by folks (truck drivers and personal vehicles) who ignored them. Glad no one was injured.
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Old 07-08-2017, 10:31 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Lee View Post
And despite these obvious examples of why they are wrong, you will still get macho men in big powerful rigs telling newbies on these sort of fora to just stick it in drive, turn the auxiliary brakes on and just drive as normal.
What they need to do is learn downhill technique in my old MC8. 17 ton, no jakes or exhaust brakes, 4 speed manual gearbox - crash box to boot - and drum brakes - and a two stroke engine with no retardation apart from friction and windage.
Tony; Sounds like you drove one of those old Greyhound buses that roared down old US 16 in Michigan in the 1950's. Back then it was the main road between Lansing and Detroit. "Good ole Days"
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Old 07-08-2017, 10:50 PM   #9
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Wife and I went through that pass in our first mortorhome, an 87 chevy aerolite. I remember on the ascent we slowed down in every gear until we were left with first gear and loosing speed. I think we hit the summit going 5mph or so. Now I know better would have down shifted manually earlier and kept the rpms up.
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Old 07-09-2017, 03:53 AM   #10
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I can't help but think after reading this post, this forum should have ONE main post of interest, a sticky or whatever you call it here, named "SAFETY PRECAUTIONS EVERY MOTORHOME OWNER SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY" or something like that.

It could be a list with brief descriptions of each safety item, to inform folks of things like proper downhill braking like this article points out. It could con't with other items like:
• Fridge recalls
• Up-to-date fire extinguishers
• Tire DOT dates, proper care and PSI
• Towing
• Propane tanks
• CG electrical precautions
• Fire, CO and Propane alarms/sensors
• Awning unfurling while underway
• Safety gear to carry onboard in case of an emergency
and so on......

Now maybe we already have such a area/post/sticky I don't know. I've never ran across it. I would think that the best way to approach this would be a list of items to check & be aware of and alert folks so they can read up on these various different things. It would NOT be an list where everyone could give their input and post opinions because it would end up being to long, to divisive, and to scientific.

My 2 cents.
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Old 07-09-2017, 04:59 AM   #11
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Teton Pass
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Old 07-09-2017, 05:23 AM   #12
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I think another factor is the isolation from the outside world the big DP give the driver. I had an 08 F53 class A and could tell (sometimes painfully) what was going on in and around my MH which helped me avoid bad situations. Also it still amazes me that anyone can go in and get any size rig and drive off with out any training other than how to turn the lights on and put the slides out.
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Old 07-09-2017, 05:27 AM   #13
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we try to follow the old saying "speed up a grade = speed down a grade"...........if i hit the top at 40, gonna keep down hill at 40, or less.............probably less..........
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Old 07-09-2017, 05:43 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bamaguy911 View Post
Tony; Sounds like you drove one of those old Greyhound buses that roared down old US 16 in Michigan in the 1950's. Back then it was the main road between Lansing and Detroit. "Good ole Days"
No, it is my "BigRig" conversion in Australia - where our tallest mountain is 7200 feet and 95% of the country is flat. Here in the US I really appreciate the auto transmission and exhaust brakes that make long steep downgrades here in the west a non-event as far as elevated pulse rate goes.
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