Trip from SC to PA

[gsmoore@prtcnet.com]

My wife and I are planning a trip to West Chester, PA. All the trip routes show going through NC, VA, DC, etc. which we woud prefer not doing. The better route looks like going through Gettysburg taking 77 and 81 through the Shenadoah Valley. I have driven this route in a car several times but never in a 35' Class A V10 gas engine. My question is: does anyone have any tips for driving across these mountains? Gearing up/Gearing down are a given, but others? I know the drive is spectacular but I remember many steep hills and valleys.

We are new to RVing and have a 2009 Damon Daybreak 3370 class A motor home. I'm sure the brakes and all else are fine but remembering those hills makes me a little nervous. Any suggestions will be most appreciated. Thanks, Gary and Sandy Moore

[garykd]

Hi Gary and Sandy,

Welcome to the FMCA forum. Other than going down a hill in the same gear you went up the hill there is nothing to be concerned about. I've take the route mentioned in your OP many times. Compared to other mountains we encounter in our travels, the route you will be traveling should present no problems. The longest pull you'll have is I77 as you cross into VA. Fancy Gap mountain is 7 miles @ 7%. However, it is not bad because the road is a good quality. Just get in line with the trucks and enjoy.

[Guest 2driftrs]

Gary and Sandy, we've been up and down I-77 and I-81 more times than I care to remember. We, too, have a Ford V10 in our coach, so not to fear. The only suggestion I'd make is when pulling the steeper hills, don't use cruise control. The Ford setup will try everything to maintain speed, and you'll drop gears constantly in doing so. This causes very high engine RPM's, terrible MPG, high wear, etc. Better to sacrifice some speed and try to keep in the higher gears. You can't hurt the engine because the Ford chassis will not let you lug the engine in the higher gears.

Enjoy your trip. The last time we went up I-81 it was snowing!