wind.driven Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I read a post under the Murphy's Law section about a guy trying to back his rig down an extremely steep hill. He said his front tires kept locking up and he couldn't steer...very scary stuff. This automatically reminded me that I always pull my e-brake 60-70% when backing down steep hills in my Dolphin. The front brakes are engineered to kick in before the rears so when you're backing down an extremely steep hill, the partially pulled e-brake preloads the rear brakes and compensates for this. Anyway this led me to think about how strange our Toyota Motorhomes are. They're extremely underpowered, almost all their weight is in the rear and they're about as aerodynamic as a giant loaf of bread. It makes sense that you would need to do abnormal things to drive them. So...Tell me what you do to drive your curiously unique Toyota? -Cameron, Ase Certified auto mechanic, 1985 Toyota Dolphin http://www.followthewind.net/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey 4x4 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I just always remember I am driving something that feels and handles like an old wooden ship at sea. Always leave yourself proper room and always be ready for someone to pull out in front of you. If you are unsure of a steep hill (especially during snow/ice) it doesn't hurt to walk it first and make sure it is going to be okay to drive it. Camping on a steep mountain in Georgia we got snowed in and ended up driving down the mountain since waiting the snow storm out wasn't a choice. I drove about 5 mph the entire way down and made no sudden turning/braking/acceleration. The camp rangers even advised that it probably wasn't safe but we did not have a single problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredNewell Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 We have a "prepare for departure" checklist. She has her list, and I have mine. We also verbally confirm with each other that we did our list. I actually walk around and do a 360 tour of the MH. All tires are checked. All lights are checked Windows are clear and clean. Step is stowed. All that... Then we start out. I practice good habits. I don't back up without checking my path. I do not drive blind. That being said, we just drive it. Every 3000 miles or so we pull into a jiffy lube or whatever and get serviced. If something needs replaced or fixed, we just do it. We're not perfect. Sometimes we find something we left off of the check list. Like the time we bought a cheap microwave at WallM**t. We set it up on the counter for use, then stow it up on the bunk for travel... except for the time we forgot to stow it. It made a big noise when it crashed to the floor while turning onto a freeway ramp. Bummer. Need a new one now. Old one broken. One time we forgot the dog at Lost Lake near Mt. Hood in Oregon. We came back a half hour later and she was eager to get in. We had opened the door while taking on fresh water and she got out... we didn't notice. Now the dang dog is on the check list. Once a cupboard door came open as we "bounced" up a driveway into a shopping center. A pyrex bowl and a corell bowl flew out and shattered into thousands of glass slivers. I ended up cleaning using duct tape sticky side out to get all of the slivers. Now the checklist has us second check (both of us) that all doors are tied shut. We use little bungie cords (elastic cords). I guess the point of this entry is that "situational awareness" is a big factor on how we drive an rv. In addition to the "truck" side of the driving equation, there is also the "house" side. They are both the responsibility of the driver in terms of safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaChinook Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I definitely learned "know how big you are" on my first real trip out. It was the new roof rack I added. The Chinook is pretty small, but tall enough that with the roof rack, I got caught on the little office of a pay parking lot. Hung up the roof rack on their rain gutter. Pulling into parking spots, under trees, pulling into traffic/merging lanes, sneaking through tight spots. You've got to be aware of your size. In my old, non-rv Toyota pickups, I've always gotten to the point where the truck kind of become an extension of my body. I know exactly how tight a gap I can squeeze through, exactly how much clearance I have and exactly where to line up to that rock I'm about to drive over, which is tall enough to catch my differential, but just short enough to clear my axle housing, etc. Not quite there with the Chinook, but that's what I'm shooting for. I also realize that the Chinook will go 85mph. But if I need to brake quickly, or swerve fast, it's all over. So I'm always aware...at the the speed I'm going (could be 60 or could be 35, depending on the road and the conditions), if someone pulls in front of me or I need to swerve or hit the brakes, what's going to happen? It usually makes me slow down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I have found that if I have to back down on steep hills, especially with loose surface, that I can use the hand brake to avoid that front end lock up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popeye Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Has anyone experienced problems with the front wheels skidding or hydroplaning in wet weather when braking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefdave Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Popeye sounds like tyres need a check or the lsbv on back axle. plenty of write ups on lsbv on this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmffie Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Loved the new information about my MH and the brakes. Funny how people have no qualms about cutting a person off... they treat the road as a race track. Thank you for the information about the brakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydancer2992 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Air braking - the aerodynamics of these motorhomes provide excellent air brakes. Turbo switch - when I need extra power to pass a slowpoke or go up a hill, I hit the AC switch and turn it off. The small surge of extra power helps. Swing wide - on a turn. Since the rear wheels tend to follow inside of the turning circle of the front wheels, make turns a little wider for clearances of objects inside your turn (like parked cars, gas pumps). Conservation of momentum - in hilly country, I tend to conserve momentum coming down a hill in the form of speed to make some distance up the next hill. Follow the herd - I follow a group of trucks or a truck. Better MPG. Also, speeders zooming up from the rear tend to avoid a herd of large vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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