Steep grade road

[Mat7783]

Hi folks: I am planning to drive my Skoolie to Amicalola State Park in Springer mountain Georgia and the 1 mile road leading to the entrance has a 25% grade.a couple of RV friends say it won’t make it up this incline???your thoughts please 😎

[turf]

cool! let us know!!!

mt rushmore has a short 10% and i didnt have any problem. i've been off road and she has pulled me out of things i didnt deserve to get out of..... but i also been stuck in my driveway.

good luck

[Booyah45828]

Paved or gravel/dirt?

What transmission?

How heavy is the conversion?

All of that(and possibly more) is needed to be known for us to answer this.

If it's gravel or dirt, I'd forget about it. Same if you have an at545, unless you have a 2 speed axle with low being in the 7.XX range. Running up in 1st is almost a guarantee, as your torque converter and trans cooling system will have a work out for sure.

You'll also want to be crawling coming back down, as hot brakes are certainly going to happen if you don't.

Here's someone else talking about it on a different forum. https://www.airforums.com/forums/f42...ga-164462.html

[Mat7783]

My 34 foot Thomas bus has a cat3126B with 230HP and MD3060 tranny.fully loaded payload is 26,000 lbs.just concerned at 25% grade a mile long if she might not make it?? Do not have experience with mountain roads yet.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

You'll also want to be crawling coming back down, as hot brakes are certainly going to happen if you don't.

Is it even possible to crawl down a 25% grade in a bus with an automatic transmission without smoking the brakes?

[TJones]

After watching the video I would say that is a 1st gear up and 1st gear down situation. Might want to test out your rig on a lesser grade first.

Ted

[sportyrick]

Yoza that's a steep one. There is a 15% grade leaving Keystone and I didn't like going down that, 25%.....whew I'd pass on that. Isn't that what uber is for? Try and figure a way to circumvent that, uber, taxi, your thumb?

[Booyah45828]

With a rear engine, make sure your cooling system is in top shape. Fan, hydraulics, etc included.

Md3060 should be fine, go slow, take your time. She'll make it, just don't have your foot buried with all of the alarms going off.

[BFlinn181]

There are other state parks in GA and SC that don't have a 25% mile-long entrance road. How much is a brake job on your bus? A new transmission? There are just some routes not worth the risk.

[EastCoastCB]

I'd rather go up it than down it.
For me a 25% grade in a school bus would be a hard pass. I'd just walk the mile up and then back before I'd risk it.

[ewo1]

Originally Posted by TJones

After watching the video I would say that is a 1st gear up and 1st gear down situation. Might want to test out your rig on a lesser grade first.

Ted

Yup, 1st gear up and down, don’t let the rpm’s get to high, go real slow!
It’s all about driver patience and nerve control!

If you don’ t have mountain experience I would first do like suggested, practice,practice, practice !!!!

It’s not all just about the rig, the driver is the most important aspect part of the operation!

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by ewo1

It’s not all just about the rig, the driver is the most important aspect part of the operation!

EXACTLY
You can't have a loose nut holding the steering wheel.

[Mat7783]

Thanks guys for all the input.I passed on this state park and going to Cloudlands SP at the Georgia / Carolina border.