[QUOTE=GAmes;1652136]Those are all interstate roads. For a test of vehicle endurance and driver skill I recommend taking an RV to Idaho's Sawtooth Recreation Area. Hwy 75 out of Sun Valley is good[QUOTE]

Its even better in the winter after it snows then melts a little and turns to ice.

 

Trust me its even more impressive when you are half way down with the brakes smoking and no Jake brake. Oh I forgot to mention the D8H on the lowboy.
When you get to the bottom after something like that you can then call yourself a truck driver.
Then change your shorts and pound the cone shape out of the seat.

 

Lookout Pass on I-90, Idaho/Montana border. Long and steep. Done that one in the winter several times. I don't remember the grades, but god help you if you go through a guard rail on that one!

 

A general rule of thumb...
When descending a long grade, use (at least) 1 gear lower than that used to climb that same grade.
I know that doesn't give you many choices if you have a 3-5 speed auto.
But when you gross out at 190,000 lbs+ hauling Cat 245D Excavator and have as many as 18 gears to chose from it makes all the difference in the world.
This was a move we did last Tuesday for a job I'm working on in
Thousand Oaks, Ca,

 

I have been over both Lookout Pass in Idaho/Montana and Emigrant Pass in Oregon. I have done Lookout with and without an exhaust brake and Emigrant without an exhaust brake. I LOVE the exhaust brake.

I have done Emigrant Pass in the winter with my 5er going over it twice in both directions, once each way in December and then again in Jan/Feb. It was not a pleasant stretch. Needless to say you can't use the exhaust brake during these times.

Another good one is up the west side of Stevens Pass on Highway 2 in Washington. I have come down that one several times without an exhaust brake and once with it. Did I say I LOVE the exhaust brake. I was only grossing about 19,000 lbs when pulling all these hills. I don't know the grade on Stevens but it was enough that I would need to get on the brakes hard 4 or 5 times as at the end of it there is a turn that is better than 90*. After that turn there is still some grade but it is pretty mild in comparison.

 

Actually that's the Cajon pass....I15 from San Bernadino into Victorville, topping out at barstow.

El Cajon is San Diego north county.

Sorry...couldn't let it go!

Tony

 

East or west out of Laughlin Nevada can be a treat......especially if those crispy summer temps of 125 are a factor. 500ft to around 3000 in a fairly short distance. Usually you can find a few spots along the sides of the road where you actually see burn marks from rigs that went up in smoke.

Another long pull would have to be from Salt Lake to the Wyoming border on 80. Seems that goes up forever.

 

Roll over Pete has got it - at the very least, you descend in the gear you ascended in....that is one reason I don't have automatic transmissions.

Being from NH, I loved the bumper sticker "My Car Climbed Mt Washington"...big deal. I thought the better one was ""My Car Came DOWN Mt. Washington and didn't crash"....brakes only last so long, and with an automatic with no engine braking....

I just did the grapevine on Interstate 5 last Monday morning @ 9am with my FL70 hauling my 25' 10 ton trailer (empty). Did it when the temps were still on the cool side (hadn't yet climbed to 100+). Climbed her in 4th, came down in 4th, using my PAC exhaust brake, and the occasional air brake - no issues.
Coming back to Florida from California, drove I40, so did the Rockies, the Ozarks and the Apalacian foothills - maybe a 6% grade here or there. The entire trip through Texas, NM and AZ on Interstate 10, and back across the Mohave and then AZ. NM, TX, OK on Interstate 40 it was some hot - truck running about 10-12 higher, under load, on the grades as well.
Lots of trucks having radiator problems.

 

Thanks Tony. Typical California... unnecessarily confusing... but I got it now.
Cajon Pass is only road I've ever seen with 40+ miles of non stop UP!! No down & up.... no level off and then start climbing again.... just non stop up!!

I certainly have not been everywhere.... but that road sure impressed me!

RJ

 

I nearly forgot US82 going into Alamogordo, NM. West bound there is a sign that prohibits trucks without Jake brakes from proceeding. I do not know what the grade percentage is, but I was sure glad I had an exhaust brake that day. The next day my throttle rod broke leaving town on US70.

 

I've been over that pass many times, it only seems like 40 miles and that is only when towing heavy. It is only 39 miles from downtown San Bernardino to downtown Victorville, and at least 15 miles of that is downhill. Even Baker grade, which I consider a worse climb isn't 40 miles.

 

I was about to mention this road... i never had the chance to get pushed down this mountain with my trailer behind my duramax but it sure lugged going up!!! and its SCARY to go down in the snow.. when i did that i must have passed by 6-7 cars that had slid just off the road.. good thing for the gaurdrail!!!!!

 

All of this is the best reason for adding an exhaust brake to my truck. Thanks.

~Dave

 

I don't know why I didn't remember in and out of Laughlin, NV. Read where a guy that works in the area says he gets at least one $1000 brake job out there each year. The time I have been in and out of there I have smelled a lot of brakes.

Another good one is Utah 14 out of Cedar City going over Cedar Mountain. I used to cut firewood up on top and more than once heated my own brakes when loaded heavy. Of course I was running either a full sized Bronco with an 8ft pickup bed trailer or a Ford Ranger! Not good choices in either case. I saw many a flat lander go by with their brakes smoking and they didn't even have a trailer.

 

The west side of Monarch Pass (2-lane) on US 50 between Gunnison and Salida, CO will get your attention or check out Red Mountain Pass on US 550 between Ouray (u-RAY) and Silverton, CO.