Mountain Driving with 1995 42', 42,000 lb. Blue Bird

[Ron Thompson]

Being a new comer to the world of RV'ing I am impressed at the way everyone has
responded to a call for help. Its very refreshing to see this kind of
cooperation. I will be sure to pass it along as I intergrate into the world of
RV'ing.

Best regards,

Ron Thompson
Waller, Texas
1995 Wide Body 42" BB
Detroit Diesel Series 60 470 HP
Kubota, 4 cylinder, 1681 cc.
Phone 936-931-2802 land line
cell..713-295-0119 Cingular

James Hutchings wrote: Just an
add on " you do not ride the brakes.. You apply continuous gentle
pressure to slow the vehicle. As I said earlier if you smell brake you are
in to high of a gear. Slow down before you mow down some one else.

"Mountain driving - Professional drivers are taught to use the same
transmission gear to descend a grade as the one required to climb the grade.
This is a good rule of thumb but road surface conditions, visibility, and
other variables must be used. Proper use of an exhaust brake will save the
service brakes for real emergency stops. If you must use the service brakes
it is better to keep a continuous light application of the brake pedal. This
is less likely to cause brake fade than to allow your vehicle to speed up
and then pump your brakes to slow it down. Better yet descend in the correct
gear so that you don't even have to use the service brakes. It may take a
few seconds longer to get down, but at least the brake lining will be saved
and you won't have white knuckle brake fade to deal with. If your brakes do
fail, look for a run off ramp designed for that event. If none is available
try to scrub off speed by side swiping the mountain edge of the roadway. It
is better to damage the rig than to go off a steep embankment and roll over,
etc. Proper maintenance will significantly reduce this risk and you could
take a few seconds in the Brake Test Area on the top of the hill to inspect
and test your rig's brakes and tires. A few seconds is all it will cost. "

5.4.6 Proper Braking Technique

Remember. The use of brakes on a long and/or steep downgrade is only a
supplement to the braking effect of the engine. Once the vehicle is in the
proper low gear, the following is the proper braking technique:

. Apply the brakes just hard enough to feel a definite slowdown.

. When your speed has been reduced to approximately five mph below
your "safe" speed, release the brakes. (This application should last for
about three seconds.)

. When your speed has increased to your "safe" speed, repeat steps 1
and 2.

For example, if your "safe" speed is 40 mph, you would not apply the brakes
until your speed reaches 40 mph. You now apply the brakes hard enough to
gradually reduce your speed to 35 mph and then release the brakes. Repeat
this as often as necessary until you have reached the end of the downgrade.

Both methods work if you are in a low enough gear.

Jim Hutchings

From: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Pete Masterson
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 6:44 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Mountain Driving with 1995 42', 42,000 lb.
Blue Bird

The Jake Brake or Jacob Brake is a particular brand of engine brake
manufactured and sold by Jacobs Vehicle Systems, Inc. While the term
Jake Brake technically only describes Jake Brake brand engine brakes,
it has become a genericized trademark and is often used to refer to
engine brakes or compression release engine brakes in general,
especially on large vehicles or heavy equipment. See Wikipedia for a
full entry at:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_brake>

The magnetic retarder used on some earlier BBs is similar to the
technology used for "dynamic braking" on diesel-electric railroad
locomotives. The diesel-electric locomotive is actually a diesel
generator (up to 5000 HP) that powers electric motors to drive the
engine. On down grades, the motors are electrically switched to
become generators, and the power produced is directed to very heavy
duty grids and discarded as heat. Realize that these things produce
600 amps at 600 volts and that's a _lot_ of heat! (Great for toasting
marshmallows.)

Pete Masterson
aeonix1@...
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42'
El Sobrante, CA

On Jun 25, 2007, at 4:28 PM, Ron Thompson wrote:

> My BB has an engine retarder. I have no idea what that is
> exactly. I assume it is using the compression of the engine to
> hold back the transmission which will hold back the BB
>
> What is a Jake Brake?
>
<snip>

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