Mountain passes and Steep Grades

[tenco]

Hello,

I am planing a trip to Oregon from Texas. I have limited RV driving experience in the mountains. I purchased "Mountain Directory West" which describes road grades and gives me an idea of what the roads ahead will be. Grades of 6% or more seem to be the most difficult. (The dreaded Cabbage Hill is on my route.)

Any practical words of advice to handle the roads and passes?

Also, has anyone traveled HWY 20 through Oregon as opposed to taking I-84 to get to the coast.


Tow vehicle is a 2005 Express 3500 van. My trailer is a 2007 Outback 28RSDS.

Eric

Thanks in advance!

 

[John From Detroit]

Best advice CHECK YOUR BRAKES, make very sure you understand hot the trailer braking system works.  Today's systems are a long, long way from the Long long trailer (A lucy ball movie that is very antique now) thanks to some folks who's daughter I really did try to date but still,  you need to know how they work (You think I'm kidding, I grew up in Tekonsha)

That said, others are better at towing up and down hills than I am, I've towed up and down Michigan hills but compared to where you are,  these little mounds are little more than ant-hills. 

You may need to downshift at the top but the general rule is whatever gear you go up in , go down in

 

[Phil]

Hello,
Also, has anyone traveled HWY 20 through Oregon as opposed to taking I-84 to get to the coast.

I drove HWY 20 through Oregon and loved it.  It's great if you are not in a big hurry.  I have a motorhome towing a Jeep.

Phil

 

[Ray D]

I have driven both routes many times. I usually take the one I didn't take last time.

I 84 has numerous interesting stops, if you have the time. It is an easy, four lane highway and scenic. It has one long grade, no problems if your vehicle is up to snuff.  ;D

Highway 20 is mostly two lanes. Starting from the east, westbound, from Ontario to Juntura, pretty interesting high mountain desert with frequent grades and turns, some pretty tight, none too difficult. I've driven that in large vehicles, and you just need to take your time, go slow, and stay alert. Also, watch out for cattle and wildlife on the highway.  (But, then, that's the reason for going that route, isn't it?)

Juntura to Burns tapers out into ranch country, interesting the first several times you drive it.

Burns to Bend is straight. Set it on cruise control, and go take a nap. Or, at least the first time, observe the sage brush and Juniper forest. (It's Kansas, with sage brush and Juniper instead of wheat.) There are a few rest stops and Historic Sights. Don't miss them, if you have the time to stop.

By the way, watch your speed from Juntura to Bend, as the unmarked sheriff's vehicles along there do some revenue raising.  :-\ It's about the only way they have, out there. (They haven't got me yet, cause I set it on cruise and take a nap.)

Bend has a lot of  interesting tourist stops within 15 to 20 miles. I have spent weeks there, and not gotten it all done. Done a lot of it, several times. Depends on your interests.

Bend to Sisters is a short drive, piece o' cake. (30 minutes.) But, that's where you stop, for sure. Sisters is the best tourist trap in the country, and I never get through there in less than six or eight hours. Not sure it can be done, faster! So, go to the RV Park on the west side of town, and check in. (You can't stop a vehicle larger than a pickup truck, in town.) Leave when you have finished whatever it is that you want to do. Good idea to take a high limit credit card.  : (It's kinda like carrying life preservers on a boat.)

Sisters to Sweet Home is an interesting drive.  Mostly like a carnival ride, but you can do it. If the sign says the curve is 20mph, believe it. (That's the record that anybody has ever done it!) On downgrades, (which is most of the way,) just keep it slow. That way, you don't get a surprise and have to slow down when you can't. The scenery is majestic, but the driver doesn't get to see it. That's for passenger entertainment, only. Driver's eyes are on the road!

Sweet Home to Lebanon is a slam dunk, where the driver can watch some of the scenery, too. It's the same stuff he/she missed, for the last few hours, so it's catch up time on the fabulous scenery. (Oh, yeah, and driver can start breathing again, too!)  :

Lebanon to anywhere is like Kansas,  : almost - nearly flat and wide, by comparison.

I love that drive. 

Ray D.  ;D

 

[OldSoldier]

We drove 20 across to the Oregon coast just last SEP.  Stopped for a few days at Clear Lake.  The trip is not nearly as hard as the books might imply.  Nice trip, relatively easy and nice terrain.

Enjoy it.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Any practical words of advice to handle the roads and passes?

The general rule of driving down a grade in the same gear that you came up is a good one. However, not all grades are the same going up as going down. For example, the Tahachapi grade traveling East on CA highway 58 is pretty long and steep. However, coming down the other side and landing in Mojave, CA puts one in the high desert -- much higher than when leaving Bakersfield in the valley on the West side. So if traveling West on 58 and having never been "down" the Western slope, the gear going down would have nothing to do with the gear going up.

A rule that I follow is the 10mph/10sec rule. First I decide my top speed going down a grade (50mph usually works for me as a max). I then select a gear I think is OK and brake to 40mph -- then take my foot off the gas pedal. If my rig accelerates to 50mph in less than 10 seconds, I drop to the next lower gear.

The idea is that if taking 10 seconds or a bit more, I should be able to maintain (in this example) an average speed of 45mph down the grade by slight blips of the brake pedal as the speed approaches the upper end of the 10mph/second scale (in this example, 50mph). If steady pushing of the brake pedal is needed to maintain the average desired speed, the gear is too high and will cause overheating whereas the slight blipping when in the proper gear will not.

This has been very helpful when deciding between overdrive, drive, or 2nd gear. I have used it pulling a trailer, a 5th wheel and Class C and A gas motorhomes. I will vary the max according to the grade. For example, coming down the grapevine on the 5 freeway North, I stay in the truckers lane that carries a max speed of 35 -- so there I set my max at 40 to maintain the 35 average with only slight blips of the pedal. Also, a stop watch is not needed -- as one can count to ten pretty closely in one second intervals.