Driving On Downgrades; Using The Engine To Slow The Motor Home; Gear Preselection - Fleetwood American Dream 1997 Owner's Manual

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DRIVING & VEHICLE CONTROL
Page 3 of 5
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DRIVING ON DOWNGRADES
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Driving on winding or mountain road& is not difficult if done with reason-
able care. Contr()lling vehicle speed is vital to safe maneuvering in hilly or
moui1taihou?aJ'eas. Driving slowly will help you keep YOUf'motorhome under
control.' .
, Always operate in the proper transmission range. Downshift on hills to
avoid engine and brake overheating'or undue engine loads. Downshift wheh
descending grades. Engine compression and friction will help control 'lehicle'
speed, and relieve some of the strain on the .brakes. DO NOT EXCEED
MAXIMUM ENGJNE RPM for the gear range you are in. Serious compo-
nent dalnage could occur. Shift the transmission to a lower gear
befo~'e
starting
dpwn the grade: Match speed and gear using the tachometer. Refer to the
Chassis Owner's M-anual for downhill driving technique. .
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. USING THE ENGINE TO SLOW THE MOTOR HOME
TO'llse the engine as a braking force, select the next lower gear. If the motor
home is exceeding the maximum RPM for this gear, use the service brakes to
slow down. When a lower speed is reached, the transmission Electronic
Control UnIt (ECU) will automatically downshift the transmission. Epgine.
bmking provides good speed .cont1'ol for going down grades-:- When the mot01;'
--home is heavily loaded,or the grade IS steep, preselection of a lower geai;prior
to the
S~'ade
may be desirable.
GEAR PRESELECTION
Ge'a~' preselection means selection of a lower gear to match the driving -
conditions you enC0lll1ter or expect to encounter. Preselection will give you
better control on slick or icy roads and on downgrades. Downshifting to lower
_ gears illqeases engine braking. The selection of a lower gear often prevents
cycling between a gear and the next higher gear on-a series of short
up-and~
down hills. . -
Mountain driving or desert temperatures can put extreme demands
011
drive
train components. Under extreme heat conditions you may need to turn off the
vehicle air conditioner to improve engine and transmission cooling.
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American Dream
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