Quick braking question.

[Tom Warner]

Come on guys you are scaring people that have Bluebirds without a
retarder. Any Bluebird can go down the steepest hill without a
retarder if you know how to drive it and learn how to do it right.
Truckers for many many years drove log trucks in the adirondaks where
I live here in New York without a retarder and they did it daily and
got to the bottom of the steepest hills without brown spots on their
shorts. Were there accidents? Yep..for the fools that took chances
and drove to fast.

The Bluebird coaches have very good brakes and while a 6000# trailer
will surely slow you down going up hill, it will surely speed you up
going downhill IF you dont select the right speed and use the brakes
correctly. In the case you describe I would use 1st or 2nd gear and
when the speed gets close to its maximum in that range I would stab
the brakes hard and slow it down 5-10 MPH and hour then let off the
brakes and let them cool down until the speed got up to close to its
maximum and then hit the brakes hard again and bring the speed back
down 5-10 MPH, and keep doing that until you get to the bottom of the
hill. This is the method that professional drivers have used for
well over 75 years. I would caution you however to start in the
lowest gear and only when you are confident you can handle it go to a
higher gear and try that also. Shouldnt take long before you are
confident to go down any hill (thats what they are called out west,
and mountains in the
east) .................................................ducking now!

The Cat 3208NA is a fine engine and if it breathes right (it doesnt
the way bluebird installed it in the coach), the valve lash properly
done and the engine serviced per the cat manual will outlast you and
I. Sure there are people that will tell you not to buy any bluebird
that does not have a turbo charger but just remember that every
engine has its stong and weak points. For the Cat 3208NA it is
understressed and bulletproof if properly serviced. If you want to go
up hills at 65MPH then dont buy any bluebird buy a corvette

tom warner
vernon center,ny
1985 PT 40


At 05:17 PM 5/24/2007, you wrote:
>New guy here again. I purchased a 35' 78FC 3208NA. I would like to know
>if you experienced guys think that engine braking/compression in 1st
>gear would hold back this motorhome with a 6000# trailer behind it
>going down a 6-7% grade? I am guessing not. Thanks in advance and for
>the other advice as well.
>