Climbing the hill

[chrisntina83]

Hello..I'm new to the class A and I see posts about going down the hills...but was wondering if there are any tips or special techniques for climbing the hills?

[ThePowells]

Push the accelerator down farther.

[twinboat]

Some folks will suggest all sorts of engine RPMs and gears to select, but basicly what the last guy said, Step on the pedal.

That makes more engine power and signals the transmission to automaticly shift.

[jsmmonaco]

sometimes when climbing a LONG hill, my coach, 07 monaco knight (330 with allison 6sp), will upshift, reducing rpm and pulling power...........it will then downshift, going thru the same process again................if this is occurring, i will manually keep the transmission in the lower gear (if it is shifting between 4 and 5, i will lock it in 4)..............it might be a little slower, but it keeps rpm and pulling power where i want it...................i keep an eye on the temp and rpms, and an ear on the engine sound.............usually allows me to maintain a speed of at least 50 on an interstate highway................

[Waiter21]

Generally, I'll manually downshift and slow to a speed that allows me to maintain about 4000 RPM without holding the gas pedal to the floor.

[desertdd]

When climbing a long climb I encounter semi's that are going slower, but when there is a lot of traffic I tuck in behind them and shift down so my rpms stay around 2000. I have seen some near disasters when people try to pass a semi with a motorhome and the auto traffic is moving at a much higher speed. If there are no cars in sight I will pass. Another advantage of this is the coolant temperature will stay near normal. You will be a little slower to the top but I feel this is better to be safe rather than sorry.

[Soppy]

I will just manually shift down a gear or 2 or 3 depending on the length and steepness of the grade. This will prevent the transmission from hunting and allowing the engine to run in the power band without having the pedal to the floor.

[grindstone01]

When approaching a hill, I will try to gain a little speed, maybe 5 MPH or so. Then I keep my foot steady and let the motor/trans figure out the rest. The rig will slow down and usually crawl over the top of the hill just like most experienced truck drivers will do. There is no need to horse a rig up a hill.

I compare a rig going up a hill to a bicycle rider going up a hill. The rider will usually shift to lower gears, maintain pedal RPM,s and crest the hill at slow speed. The pain your legs are feeling is similar to the motor/trans stress your vehicle feels if you try to horse it up the hill.


A couple of years ago, I tried to maintain 35 MPH pulling my FW up Donners Pass in CA. The result is I have been nursing a external head gasket leak since which will be fixed soon as I get to my sons garage.

[vettenuts]

The RPM will be dictated by the drive train you have, i.e., gas or diesel. With a gas coach, there is the Workhorse with a 8.1 V8 and the Ford with a 6.2 V10. Each of these gas motors have different RPM's that provide the best torque.

I try to keep my RPM in the peak torque without revving it too much. If that means a slower climb, the flashers go on and I take my time up the right lane. If the hill is steep enough, you won't be alone as there will be loaded trucks taking the climb slow as well.

[TonyMac]

Originally Posted by jsmmonaco

sometimes when climbing a LONG hill, my coach, 07 monaco knight (330 with allison 6sp), will upshift, reducing rpm and pulling power...........it will then downshift, going thru the same process again................if this is occurring, i will manually keep the transmission in the lower gear (if it is shifting between 4 and 5, i will lock it in 4)..............it might be a little slower, but it keeps rpm and pulling power where i want it...................i keep an eye on the temp and rpms, and an ear on the engine sound.............usually allows me to maintain a speed of at least 50 on an interstate highway................

Ditto

[chrisntina83]

Originally Posted by TonyMac

Ditto

Thanks for the tips everyone. We bought our 06 Monaco Monarch SE 37 footer a year ago. Making plans for a trip out west soon. Just wondered the best way to hit those hills!

[Thor29.3inAZ]

Well Chrisntina...... I have a gasser so my input would not do you any good here...... Except that it flat goes up the mountain passes with little to no problem....

[Bigd9]

I'm in the "Push the accelerator down farther" camp. Actually I engage the cruise control and then let the coach do its thing and I sit back and enjoy.

[Wayne M]

You need to watch the temperature gauge and as it climbs up to 205˚ and keeps climbing it is time to down shift and maintain about 2000 rpm. For a long 6% grade keeping it on cruise will, at least in my case, cause the temp. to rise and rather quickly.