Tips for descending a steep grade

[youngnretired]

I've tried to google ideas for descending a steep grade in a heavy van, but all I find is things on semi's with jake brakes. Not quite applicable to our 9200lb 08C210P Roadtrek.

Since I live where it's pretty flat and we'll be traversing some grades on our trip coming up, I'm just inquiring on how others, who may live in mountainous areas, have descended grades, such as some of the grades on I-70 heading west out of Denver. We're not going that route and will likely be on 2 lanes, but just looking for a couple tips. I'm aware of dropping a gear or two and not riding the brakes, but looking for specifics on what others have done successfully, such as slow to 35 drop to 2nd gear and head down, engage the two/haul mode and use 3rd gear, etc. If one drops to 2nd gear, will that typically hold the vehicle from running away without using the brakes (that's how it's supposed to be done in a semi with the jake brake on and running lower gear), these types of ideas. I've hauled 7000lb loads thru the Ozarks with my old truck in the past, but those are baby hills compared to what we're likely to run into, and my old truck didn't have a tow/haul mode on it either. It was just a beefed up Chevy half ton, and I'm sure that what I did probably could have been done a lot better. Just looking for people who've done this a lot more than me. I will say that the camper feels nothing like the old truck and trailer.

Thanks.

 

[booster]

I've tried to google ideas for descending a steep grade in a heavy van, but all I find is things on semi's with jake brakes. Not quite applicable to our 9200lb 08C210P Roadtrek.

Since I live where it's pretty flat and we'll be traversing some grades on our trip coming up, I'm just inquiring on how others, who may live in mountainous areas, have descended grades, such as some of the grades on I-70 heading west out of Denver. We're not going that route and will likely be on 2 lanes, but just looking for a couple tips. I'm aware of dropping a gear or two and not riding the brakes, but looking for specifics on what others have done successfully, such as slow to 35 drop to 2nd gear and head down, engage the two/haul mode and use 3rd gear, etc. If one drops to 2nd gear, will that typically hold the vehicle from running away without using the brakes (that's how it's supposed to be done in a semi with the jake brake on and running lower gear), these types of ideas. I've hauled 7000lb loads thru the Ozarks with my old truck in the past, but those are baby hills compared to what we're likely to run into, and my old truck didn't have a tow/haul mode on it either. It was just a beefed up Chevy half ton, and I'm sure that what I did probably could have been done a lot better. Just looking for people who've done this a lot more than me. I will say that the camper feels nothing like the old truck and trailer.

Thanks.

First off consider upgrading the brakes, particularly the pads, as the Chevies are famous for brake judder when hot on steep grades.

With good pads and judicious brake applications of hard pulse not low all the time, plus downshifts you should be just fine.

 

[peteco]

Agree with booster: upgrade the brakes. Both of us use Hawk pads with great results.
Front pads HB322Y.717
Rear pads HB494Y.670

I replaced the front rotors with a Hawk drilled and slotted rotor (HUS8659), but they don't make what I have anymore. You could ask them for a recommendation. I kept the original rear rotors as the fronts do most of the braking.

Make sure you "bed" the new pads.

Recommend a brake fluid flush.

Make sure your front end linkages and components are tight: tie rods, ball joints, idler and pitman arm. Grease these before the trip. And no excessive slop in the steering box.

And as you have said, go slow down the hill and use both engine braking and judicious use of the brakes. Short, firm braking to slow the vehicle, then allow some coasting but don't buildup too much speed. Then hit the brake firm again. This is better than riding the brakes to maintain a given speed.

Another thing to consider is to lube the front wheel bearings. They are "sealed" but can be lubed, which can extend their life a great amount.

Greasing Chevy sealed wheel bearings

Discussions of wheel bearing failures in Chevies (in particular) have been pretty common on several of the class B forums. One topic that comes up regularly is if it is possible to grease the "sealed" Chevy front wheel bearings. I did a bunch of reading last year during one of the discussions...

www.classbforum.com

All this seems like a lot of work and it is, but these heavy Roadtreks (especially the 210) need a bit of OCD attention to keep us safe.

 

[peteco]

Agree with booster: upgrade the brakes. Both of us use Hawk pads with great results.
Front pads HB322Y.717
Rear pads HB494Y.670

I replaced the front rotors with a Hawk drilled and slotted rotor (HUS8659), but they don't make what I have anymore. You could ask them for a recommendation. I kept the original rear rotors as the fronts do most of the braking.

Make sure you "bed" the new pads.

Recommend a brake fluid flush.

Make sure your front end linkages and components are tight: tie rods, ball joints, idler and pitman arm. Grease these before the trip. And no excessive slop in the steering box.

And as you have said, go slow down the hill and use both engine braking and judicious use of the brakes. Short, firm braking to slow the vehicle, then allow some coasting but don't buildup too much speed. Then hit the brake firm again. This is better than riding the brakes to maintain a given speed.

Another thing to consider is to lube the front wheel bearings. They are "sealed" but can be lubed, which can extend their life a great amount.

Greasing Chevy sealed wheel bearings

Discussions of wheel bearing failures in Chevies (in particular) have been pretty common on several of the class B forums. One topic that comes up regularly is if it is possible to grease the "sealed" Chevy front wheel bearings. I did a bunch of reading last year during one of the discussions...

www.classbforum.com

All this seems like a lot of work and it is, but these heavy Roadtreks (especially the 210) need a bit of OCD attention to keep us safe.

I mentioned the front bearings because if you change the front rotors that is the time to do the bearings as the caliper mounting bracket has to be removed for both jobs.

 

[MsNomer]

Came down from Loveland Pass yesterday with 6,900lb in a Promaster. Third gear, judicious use of brakes.

 

[youngnretired]

Thanks all for the comments, it is highly appreciated. When we first purchased the RT, I knew a wheel bearing was bad. So I ordered front pads, rotors and a wheel bearing for it. I ordered a Raybestos slotted rotor, and a good set of AC Delco pads. I initially looked at the Hawk parts, but was a little too steep for the budget at the time, and went the way I did. Ironically, when I searched for the Hawk pad number above, I found the pads much more reasonable at somewhere that wasn't the Hawk website. Not sure why I didn't search for that at the time as I may have used Hawk parts if I had looked elsewhere. I did pull the brake fluid out of the reservoir and filled with fresh, but next year It's on the schedule to have the mechanic completely flush the brake lines (too much going on this year) and I'll also likely change out the other front wheel bearing as well as a few other things on the schedule.

 

[booster]

The big deal with the pads is that they should NOT be ceramic. Ceramic pads are not good for heavy duty braking in heavy vehicles. High quality police, ambulance, light truck (companies all call them something different) semi metallic pads are far and way the best choice for the Chevies. I am a big fan of the Hawk pads and have had them for probably as long or longer than most. We have zero problems with them and never had any fade or juddering. The Delco pads may be ceramic and near identical to the stock ones, which have given lots of problems for many of us.

 

[youngnretired]

They definitely aren't ceramic pads, but semi metallic. They may be more towards the stock side of things, I don't know. Its too late this year and we'll find out how well everything works starting in a couple weeks. If they need changing out, that'll get added to the list for next year.

 

[peteco]

They definitely aren't ceramic pads, but semi metallic. They may be more towards the stock side of things, I don't know. Its too late this year and we'll find out how well everything works starting in a couple weeks. If they need changing out, that'll get added to the list for next year.

Hopefully they are not the same as the OEM pads that were on my 2006 RT 210. Those OEM pads really struggled to stop the van when I needed a quick stop. I was shocked the difference the Hawk pads made in stopping distance.

Make sure you bed the new brakes and see how well they do. If they are about the same as the old ones in stopping distance I would bight the bullet and get the Hawks for the front. Prices vary as you have seen, but a little over $100 at Amazon and Tire Rack.

Hawk pad bedding procedure:

https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/hawkperformance.staging.assets/public/uploads/instructions/How-To-Install-and-Bed-In.pdf

 

[booster]

They definitely aren't ceramic pads, but semi metallic. They may be more towards the stock side of things, I don't know. Its too late this year and we'll find out how well everything works starting in a couple weeks. If they need changing out, that'll get added to the list for next year.

I hope so. Some Chevy dealers are willing to put in semi metallic, which are probably from one of the mid weight larger trucks and people have had good luck with them.

Rule of thumb....if they don't mess up your wheels with brake dust, they probably won't stop well.

 

[Kobieta]

Only other thing I'd add. I drove our 1992 Dodge Popular down the Rockies out west. Keep the window open and your nose clear. I could smell the brakes heating up. Fortunately, there are many pull off areas, so we just stopped for a while, let them cool, and continued our trek downhill. At least it was, sort of, a warning! Happy Travels!

 

[youngnretired]

Thanks for all the input on this, it's appreciated. We'll see how things work out on this trip and adjust driving and stopping habits as needed, and possibly add better pads to the list of work for next year.

 

[Tissy-ClassB]

I go to Banff and area every year. In the spring I get the oil changed and have my mechanic check everything. Making sure the brakes are good. A good mechanic is a wealth of knowledge and you should be able to ask them anything. I am a single female senior with a 1998 pleasureway. They have made me comfortable driving alone by making sure everything is ok. If your mechanic won't help you get another.

 

[D&C ERV2]

We have a 9000lb sprinter with 5 speed and I have found that 3rd gear with cruise set at 45 will hold forever but going that slow can be spooky if you watch behind you. 5th gear with cruise set at 55 will not hold but an occasional hard brake to slow it down works pretty good to give brakes time to cool. 4th gear is another great alternative also combined with the speed set low and cruise on. Watch your tach in all scenarios.

 

[Johnnyfry]

I hope so. Some Chevy dealers are willing to put in semi metallic, which are probably from one of the mid weight larger trucks and people have had good luck with them.

Rule of thumb....if they don't mess up your wheels with brake dust, they probably won't stop well.

I have Semi Metallic pads on my 08C210P and they have been great. I had severe brake shudder at about 110,000 Miles and my Chevy dealership mechanic advised using "Ambulance grade" pads and rotors. They have been great. I cross to Arizona and back from Virginia every year usually going through Utah and Colorado and have had no problems. I use the transmission liberally on downhills. I can hold 65 with minimal braking using 3rd gear on 6% and 60 on 7% using 2nd. Going through WVa where they have 9% grades, I have had to use first, which limits me to about 20MPH. 207,000 and getting about time for new pads/rotors.

 

[ballbraindogs]

I've tried to google ideas for descending a steep grade in a heavy van, but all I find is things on semi's with jake brakes. Not quite applicable to our 9200lb 08C210P Roadtrek.

Since I live where it's pretty flat and we'll be traversing some grades on our trip coming up, I'm just inquiring on how others, who may live in mountainous areas, have descended grades, such as some of the grades on I-70 heading west out of Denver. We're not going that route and will likely be on 2 lanes, but just looking for a couple tips. I'm aware of dropping a gear or two and not riding the brakes, but looking for specifics on what others have done successfully, such as slow to 35 drop to 2nd gear and head down, engage the two/haul mode and use 3rd gear, etc. If one drops to 2nd gear, will that typically hold the vehicle from running away without using the brakes (that's how it's supposed to be done in a semi with the jake brake on and running lower gear), these types of ideas. I've hauled 7000lb loads thru the Ozarks with my old truck in the past, but those are baby hills compared to what we're likely to run into, and my old truck didn't have a tow/haul mode on it either. It was just a beefed up Chevy half ton, and I'm sure that what I did probably could have been done a lot better. Just looking for people who've done this a lot more than me. I will say that the camper feels nothing like the old truck and trailer.

Thanks.

I live in Colorado so I am used to driving in the mountains.
I have a 2000 Pleasure Way Excel TD on a Dodge chassis.
There is a button on the end of the gear shifter that, when pushed, turns the "Over Drive" off. It illuminates on the dashboard as O/D OFF. Then I can feel the engine braking. Just hit the button again to turn the "Over Drive" back on. You can also turn the "Over Drive" off for more torque when climbing hills.

 

[TX-Trek]

I'll admit to not being a fan of steep grades, but we've certainly seen our share on road trips.
Our 2010 210P has the LS/6 speed drivetrain that I'm able to put into manual selection mode and/or trailer mode depending on conditions. I've cooked the brakes a couple of times not being prepared before encountering a steep grades. Now if I'm getting into an area, I'll prepare beforehand as soon as I can.

Last year we had torque converter clutch failure in CO as a matter of fact. We were very fortunate that there was a good shop in the area - I had the unit rebuilt with billet faced converter along with internals. I asked the owner about grades and his recommendation was that tow mode worked well for nominal grades, but more than 5-6% use manual selection with intermittent braking as posted in this thread. And I start slow, trying to keep to the right as much as possible. I'm assuming you have a good transmission cooler, ours has heavy duty (large GVW) in line with radiator cooler.

I just did front brakes with Raybestos coated rotors and semi-metallic pads - its my "free" labor so cost is relatively reasonable.

I replaced hubs with SKF units a couple of years ago and I added grease to them as well - Booster had posted good info on doing this. They run relatively cool and have zero runout.

Runout - I use a dial indicator to check runout at hubs and rotor face. Mounting surface at hub needs to be 100% clean (flat) or you may still experience brake pulsing. In my case it was passenger side rotor runout, but I did both sides. If you don't check runout you may be repeating a problem.

 

[booster]

Totally agree with TX-Trek on this, although his 6 speed may be better in the hills than the 4 speed because of lower gears on really steep stuff. A billet, multidisc, converter clutch is always a good idea in heavy vehicles, especially if they have had a converter failure.

If you have high quality rotors that give good runout from the factory (many lower price stuff does have runout most of the time), you will probably find that the front hubs run true within the .003" total runout I use for a spec. The rears, however, don't seem to make that sometimes. Both the rear axles we had in our 07, a 9.75" Dana semifloat one and a 10.5" Dana full float one, had more than that. The only way to fix it in the rear is with tapered shims to even out the runout.

 

[dicktill]

<snip>

Last year we had torque converter clutch failure in CO as a matter of fact. We were very fortunate that there was a good shop in the area

<snip>

We had a torque converter failure in Colorado as well, back in 2014. It was on the earlier 4-speed tranny, and we were not as fortunate as you about finding someone to repair it and had to nurse it home some 2500 miles.

 

[Mike Bee-ClassB]

Agree with comments posted by Ballbraindogs.
We have a 97 Roadtrek and have driven across Canada twice with lots of mountain driving in British Columbia and steep hills in Quebec (10-12 degrees)
Taking the Overdrive Off on downhills helps with engine braking and kept us at 105 -110 km/hr tops (60-65 mph). These vans sure like to roll downhill.
In the Canadian Rockies there are seldom any guardrails. My wife "loves " being on the outside edge as we navigate those roads.

Mike Bee
97 RT170p
formerly 89 VW Westy