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ezgoing · 11-17-2011, 10:02 AM

Hi gang just a smiple question for you all ....ive been rving for six years an heres my delima ...ok when going through huge hills/mountains ...which gear should i be in im gas motorhome f53...1999 holiday rambler ..exactly ...i need to know which gear ..also which rpm do i need before i raise or drop to lower gear ....i just dont recall ...thanks for your help

Mike Canter · 11-17-2011, 11:26 AM

It takes horsepower to climb steep grades. Look in your owners manual and find what the RPM is for your horsepower peak. So lets say it says 4200 rpm. So find what speed your feel comfortable driving and downshift the tranny so you are at that speed at that 4200 rpm and just hold it there. On my MH my max rpm is 2100 (big diesel) and my horsepower peak is 1800 so that is 48 mph in 4th gear at 1800 rpm. Because I am so heavy and if the ambient temps are 110* and it is a 7% grade I may drop down to 3rd gear at 35 mph at 1800 rpm. If you let that engine rpm drop too low then it might overheat and you will have a real problem going up a steep grade. Just don't take the motor RPM over the redline . Usually the engine computer will automatically limit your redline so you cannot over rev it.

If you can't find the RPM where max horsepower is made then tell use what motor you have and somebody here can tell you.

JimM68 · 11-17-2011, 11:51 AM

Mike's on the money. I have a deisel now, had an. F53 and v10 prior.
The v10 loves to rev. Its owners/drivers sometime not so much.
You can just leave it in high gear, put your. Foot on the floor and forget it. It will run at 4000 to 5000 rpm and climb the hill as best it can. It won't hurt itself, tho it may soundd like it might.

Or u can learn and feel what rpm you are most confortable with, downshift manually, and just hold that rpm. I was most comfy in the pace arrow at 3500. I would downshift to third, and throttle to hold 3500 on the climb, generally around half throttle.

There are chips / tuners that will help keep it in a higher gear / lower rpm. I had one, it was great

Gary RVRoamer · 11-17-2011, 04:57 PM

Push your foot down and let the transmission decide. It's very good at that. If you think its too noisy (you aren't harming it), back off a little.

Tha_Rooster · 11-17-2011, 05:00 PM

The 2004 ford chassis I had, it took first and flat out to climb some mountain hills.

Wizard · 11-17-2011, 05:03 PM

Agree with Gary. We climbed over the Bighorn Mountains in our previous 32' Brave with V10. I just let the tranny decide what it wanted to do. Granted we on went 35 MPH most of the way but thats fine with me.

BTW, we was also towing a Ford Explorer that weighs about 4500 Lbs.