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11-01-2014, 06:34 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: New Bern, NC
Posts: 22
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Chevy 454 vs Mountains
I have a 1989 34 foot Holiday Rambler with a Chevy 454 in it. I can't really see taking this anywhere near the mountains (steep grades) or am I just being overly cautious. Has anyone here have any experience with this engine and mountains?
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11-01-2014, 06:59 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Wilmington, MA
Posts: 679
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I just got a 34 foot Fleetwood Southwind, 1988, with a chevy 454 in it. I like to camp in the White Mountains, so I am very interested in the responses you get...
__________________
Karl I. Sagal KarlSagal@Gmail.com
Well done is better than well said. (Ben Franklin)
1988 Fleetwood Southwind, 34'
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11-01-2014, 07:01 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Nor'easters Club
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: upstate new york
Posts: 241
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Years ago we took our 30' 1985 454 equipped Southwind pulling a Dodge caravan on a dolly from Ohio to Yellowstone, Mt.Rushmore and had a great time.
Our 4 children called it the " vacation of the century"!
It wasn't the fastest rv out there but was more than adequate and as I remember was a pleasure to drive.
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11-01-2014, 07:06 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SW, Michigan
Posts: 629
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I believe both the 88 & 89 Chevy 454 engines would not be fuel injected models so not as much power models as 5 /6 years later. Still should have enough power for mountains for reasonable weight toad.
__________________
2010 Allegro RED 36 QSA
GMC Envoy 4x4
SW Michigan to Alaska in 2015
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11-01-2014, 07:23 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DEL-MAR-VA
Posts: 377
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Years ago that's all anyone had. As a kid we had a Diplomat with a Chrysler 440 in it pulling a vw bug then a chevy dually with a 350 in it pulling a 32ft fith wheel. There shouldn't be a mountain out there your motorhome won't pull. You may have to let it cool down if a grade is several miles long but that's what people used to do. I would just make sure the motor/trans is in good shape
We are used to massive amounts of horsepower In everything now and forget how to take it easy and let a vehical walk up a hill. Just wave as the big horsepower guys blow by. You'll get there a few mins later
__________________
2016 Jayflight 32 BHDS Fiberglass sides. 16" wheels and LT TIRES
2017 Ford F-250 CCLB 6.2 with 4.30 gears
Traded06' Chevy CC Dually 6.0.
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11-01-2014, 09:14 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Wandering
Posts: 635
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I have same engine but with port injection. I'm pulling a heavy dolly and a 3500lb car. I jus' use the gears...that's what they're for. Allow everyone in the left lane to pass. That's what the left lanes are for. I do all the mountain states. Jus' have patience and don't let the high torque vehicles intimidate you. Smile as they go by as you and I get 11mpg @55. Life is good.
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2014 XLR415AMP Thunderbird ToyHauler, 2019 Sandpiper 379FLOK, F350 Lariat Diesel DRW, NRA Benefactors FullTime RV'er KN4YBP General License
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11-01-2014, 09:27 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Vintage RV Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: anywhere U.S.A, Currently back home in Thailand!
Posts: 4,245
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I had a carb. 454 in a class A and drove it all over! Like the others said, it will get you there just fine, depends if you have the O/D trans or not on how fast drive. If it has the o/d, do not let it hunt back and forth as that will overheat the trans. very quickly! Enjoy the scenery and remember to go down the mountain the same speed you went up! Enjoy, it will do just fine! Rail!
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11-02-2014, 10:47 AM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: O-lando
Posts: 26
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my 1993 HR 454 goes through the mountains just fine pulling my Jeep Wrangler.
I did take my sister once and the MH downshifted two gears, she looked over at me and smiled "$20 hill?". LOL
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11-02-2014, 10:52 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club Fleetwood Owners Club Mid Atlantic Campers Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Salem, NJ
Posts: 337
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Our 88 Bounder has a normal, carb'ed, 3-speed 454 and did the I-70 Vail & Eisenhower just fine. Slowly, but just fine. Never came close to heating up or anything. As others have said, the 454 has been around for decades and there are/were literally hundreds of thousands of them in M/Hs, bread trucks, UPS vans, and MDTs of varying size. You'll be fine.
__________________
Always remember, you're a unique individual - just like the other 7 billion people on the planet...
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11-02-2014, 12:41 PM
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#10
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: New Bern, NC
Posts: 22
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Thank you to all, this does help my confidence level... knowledge is power so they say... and I am still new at this.
Erik
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11-02-2014, 01:05 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Huntsville Al
Posts: 89
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I appreciate all the reassuring comments as well! I'm dying to go out west and have wondered about my 8.1 and the Rockies towing a Wrangler. A little less apprehensive now.
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Bill & Pam
2003 Damon Daybreak, 8.1 Vortec Jeep Wrangler toad
Huntsville, Al
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11-02-2014, 03:16 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,707
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In my childhood days, we had a 1976 26' class a allegro with a 454 and 4 barrel quadra-jet carb. It was a fairly light rig, i think around 13,000lbs. That old engine was a great workhorse, and dad never hesitated to take the mountains head on... and we always survived. Back then, we got 6 or 7 mpg on a good day with the wind at our backs. The only thing I would suggest is making sure that your cooling system is in good shape... other than that, getting up the mountain shouldn't be a problem.
It's fun sometimes to be able to put the torque to the pavement and race up a mountain grade, but if you can't then just sit back and enjoy the scenery as you lumber up the pass. Like someone said before... you'll arrive a few minutes later than the big diesel rigs, but you'll get to see and enjoy creation out that big front window all the same.
I think what's more important than being able to get up the mountain quickly... is being able to get down the mountain safely. Good brakes... knowing how and when to use the gears to help slow you down... good tires... etc... anything that can keep you from doing a swan dive off the edge of a switchback is probably more important than how fast you can get to the top.
Enjoy your travels...
-cheers
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11-03-2014, 07:06 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Chicago Area
Posts: 1,296
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You could always drop a set of headers and straight through mufflers on it. Put a truck air filter on it that is taller than stock, or double stack the stock air filter.
Another trick would be to install an adjustable fuel regulator. By lowering the pressure against the needle, you can skew the mixture slightly without starving it for fuel. inlet pressure will make a small difference against the needle valve. Back when I was running the carb 454, I installed an electronic fuel pump. The higher pressure made it run rich. It would actually spray fuel out the exhaust under WOT. I installed a regulator, which brought it back down. I found I could skew it lean or rich, depending on the fuel pressure. Of course if I got it too lean, it would restrict the flow, but there was a range where it was very adjustable. If you look at the needle valve in your carb, you can see that the force of fuel against the needle pushes down on the float. It is designed for a predicted amount of pressure. Slightly more pressure will sink the floats - of course, way to much pressure will prevent it from closing. Too little pressure will result in the floats sitting slightly higher in the fuel and lean it out. You can't make big differences, but there is a range where it is adjustable.
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2004 AllegroBay 34XB Nov 2017 Banks, Front & Rear Trac bars, Konis
Sold:'83 Revcon Prince 31' FWD GM Performance 502 w/Edelbrock MPFI, Thorley Tri-Ys & Magnaflows, 4L85E 4 spd. Tested to exceed 100 mph.
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11-04-2014, 03:54 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 346
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454
Use to have a 1994 Bounder with a 454, I'm glad I don't have it today, Climbing Wolf's Creek Pass in Colorado, I thought the engine was going to fly out, 35 mph, had to pull over twice, pulling a saturn!. Climbing the mountains of W.V. that 454 was howling! Got a 8.1 Cummins now, right over those mountains now, no problem, going down, put on exhaust brake, don't even have to touch the foot brake.
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Sam
2001 Islander
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