See separate posting of trip details. Wouldn't all fit into the same post.
Why not just call it a pilgrimage? You're 71 ffs.
Why not, indeed. I live on the left coast, my family is all on the extreme right (coast, I mean). Hadn't seen any of them for more than a handful of days at a time for 50 years, probably more.
Retirement apparently results in less than ever but at least there's the opportunity for one decent vacation. I had a fresh 455 engine and a fresh THM425 transmission, what could possibly go wrong?
Of course, a few things did "go wrong" but none that resulted in the most dreaded of outcomes: "rig abandonment"!
So here are a few of the things about GMC Motorhome travel that seem worth mentioning to me. Your value may vary:
1. How fast should I be going?
Probably whatever the speed limit says, plus the speed limit listed on any of those cautionary signs (ie. that yellow curve sign) posted on roads across the land.
And pay attention to the semi-trucks and their speed. They know the maximum speed they can legally travel and most do not take the risks to their cdl of exceeding it.
The truth is you are driving a large and heavy vehicle! This requires constant attentiveness. Exceeding those posted (especially cautionary turn) directives will hopefully ONLY result in excess wear to your rear tires and a bit of a scare.
Driven with respect, however, Myrtle is a comfortable and well-mannered vehicle that turns heads wherever she goes.
Myrtle in Elk City, OK
2. The vacuum guage is very helpful.
I have the stock 3:07 differential. Per Jim K, in San Jose, 3:54 was spec'd on the original drawings but budget concerns and available stock changed that up.
Anyway, getting up a long hill can be a bit of a slog and overfueling is a concern for me (maybe I can save at least a couple cups, lol). Monitoring the vacuum guage shows me a very visual measure of how much "is left" for my right foot. Of course, this is an inverse calculation of fuel usage. They used to have them set up that way on your dash.
3. Have you changed your brake fluid recently?
Mine is about three years old. Be due for a change soon. When I realized I'd be going down steep grades AGAIN that would require significant braking, I looked up the temps that brake fluid boils at (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fluid) and found that DOT 3 brake fluid contaminated by water has a significantly lower vaporizing temp then I like to see, ie. 284 degrees F.
I've measured my drums at 350 after only 1/4 mile of steep descent and am eying DOT 5 as my next fluid choice. 500 degrees F boiling point sounds much better to me.
4. Don't overlook your tires!
It's hot out there. My return trip (large sections of I-44) resulted in encountering temps well in excess of 100 degrees F, not to mention the relentless pounding from the many rough roads out there. I had some older tires on my rig (15 yrs?) that ran fine on my northern run. Not so lucky down south. Two failed on me and I replaced all 4 in Albuquerque. I've seen mentions of aggressive tire changing schedules. Follow them.
5. Excessive heat makes everything more complicated.
Well, for starters, you probably know your iPhone won't charge if it's too hot. The same applies to hot electronic equipment in general. How does your inverter behave at 100+? If you have a generator, will that overheat? How efficient is your refrigerator? My 12 cu ft Norcold absorption refrigerator freezer stays below freezing but the main compartment gets disturbingly warm.
I removed the fan and shroud assembly from my coach and installed an electric fan/shroud assembly that fits the existing radiator core very well. It draws somewhere around 30 amps while operating (dual fans move a lot of air). During my west to east trip, I discovered my selection for fan control temp switch was too low (corresponding to 180 on my temp guage) and that the fans were running continuously. This resulted in no available voltage for my DC to DC converter and a continual drop in house battery voltage.
After rigging up a switch on my dash, I was able shut the fan off as desired. I have a motorcycle mounted on the front of the coach that partially obstructs the radiator. I had to run my fan more or less depending on external temps to keep engine temps in a desired range while traveling at 60 - 65. Lots of run time at 100+. No AC running either and I fear the additional heat load that would generate.
So, is an electric fan a good option? Can't really say yet. Rule of thumb from the car world is your cooling fan should never be running at speeds above, say 40 mph, as the cooling system is expected to handle temps with that degree of air flow. What kind of cooling performance issues are you all seeing with the standard setup and 100+ temps? Are your fan clutches engaged at cruise with high heat conditions? I talked to Jim K about electric fan setups but didn't really follow all he had to say about it. He seemed to favor the standard setup.
I will say this, though. When my alternator belt failed 20 miles from home, replacement was SO much easier without that fan and shroud in the way.
6. How much amperage is best?
As a follow on to the above, as much as you can get. I bought a new 100 Amp and I should have gone bigger. Seems like the large frame GM unit (145A Delcotron) was an option and I will have to look into that. Not sure there's the room for it. A newer prefit might make more sense. Possibly even a serpentine belt conversion to complement the electric fan setup.
The more we switch to our higher tech batteries and quantity of storage, the more we need to reinforce our primary charging components. Engine power generation is one of those.
Of course, any solar that can be added to the mix relieves strain on others.
7. How could I forget fueling in California?
Maybe you saw the other thread on this? I thought I was good. We have hoses like that here in Washington, I thought.
NOT! It takes both arms over my shoulder to compress the hose on a CA gas hose. And you are NOT doing that into the existing opening. I managed to get filled with a toilet paper roll and then bought a cheap but durable plastic cup that I modified to get me by. GMCRV sells a gizmo for that but either way, plan ahead if you are going there.
Final Thoughts
Very glad I made the trip and the visits with family were priceless.
It was hot, there was a lot of fast-moving traffic. Lots of construction and steep, winding roads, as well. All-in-all, pretty stressful to travel in a vehicle of this size and weight. Perhaps some shorter trips? That sounds like a start! Oh, and gas is expensive!
Why not just call it a pilgrimage? You're 71 ffs.
Why not, indeed. I live on the left coast, my family is all on the extreme right (coast, I mean). Hadn't seen any of them for more than a handful of days at a time for 50 years, probably more.
Retirement apparently results in less than ever but at least there's the opportunity for one decent vacation. I had a fresh 455 engine and a fresh THM425 transmission, what could possibly go wrong?
Of course, a few things did "go wrong" but none that resulted in the most dreaded of outcomes: "rig abandonment"!
So here are a few of the things about GMC Motorhome travel that seem worth mentioning to me. Your value may vary:
1. How fast should I be going?
Probably whatever the speed limit says, plus the speed limit listed on any of those cautionary signs (ie. that yellow curve sign) posted on roads across the land.
And pay attention to the semi-trucks and their speed. They know the maximum speed they can legally travel and most do not take the risks to their cdl of exceeding it.
The truth is you are driving a large and heavy vehicle! This requires constant attentiveness. Exceeding those posted (especially cautionary turn) directives will hopefully ONLY result in excess wear to your rear tires and a bit of a scare.
Driven with respect, however, Myrtle is a comfortable and well-mannered vehicle that turns heads wherever she goes.
Myrtle in Elk City, OK
2. The vacuum guage is very helpful.
I have the stock 3:07 differential. Per Jim K, in San Jose, 3:54 was spec'd on the original drawings but budget concerns and available stock changed that up.
Anyway, getting up a long hill can be a bit of a slog and overfueling is a concern for me (maybe I can save at least a couple cups, lol). Monitoring the vacuum guage shows me a very visual measure of how much "is left" for my right foot. Of course, this is an inverse calculation of fuel usage. They used to have them set up that way on your dash.
3. Have you changed your brake fluid recently?
Mine is about three years old. Be due for a change soon. When I realized I'd be going down steep grades AGAIN that would require significant braking, I looked up the temps that brake fluid boils at (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_fluid) and found that DOT 3 brake fluid contaminated by water has a significantly lower vaporizing temp then I like to see, ie. 284 degrees F.
I've measured my drums at 350 after only 1/4 mile of steep descent and am eying DOT 5 as my next fluid choice. 500 degrees F boiling point sounds much better to me.
4. Don't overlook your tires!
It's hot out there. My return trip (large sections of I-44) resulted in encountering temps well in excess of 100 degrees F, not to mention the relentless pounding from the many rough roads out there. I had some older tires on my rig (15 yrs?) that ran fine on my northern run. Not so lucky down south. Two failed on me and I replaced all 4 in Albuquerque. I've seen mentions of aggressive tire changing schedules. Follow them.
5. Excessive heat makes everything more complicated.
Well, for starters, you probably know your iPhone won't charge if it's too hot. The same applies to hot electronic equipment in general. How does your inverter behave at 100+? If you have a generator, will that overheat? How efficient is your refrigerator? My 12 cu ft Norcold absorption refrigerator freezer stays below freezing but the main compartment gets disturbingly warm.
I removed the fan and shroud assembly from my coach and installed an electric fan/shroud assembly that fits the existing radiator core very well. It draws somewhere around 30 amps while operating (dual fans move a lot of air). During my west to east trip, I discovered my selection for fan control temp switch was too low (corresponding to 180 on my temp guage) and that the fans were running continuously. This resulted in no available voltage for my DC to DC converter and a continual drop in house battery voltage.
After rigging up a switch on my dash, I was able shut the fan off as desired. I have a motorcycle mounted on the front of the coach that partially obstructs the radiator. I had to run my fan more or less depending on external temps to keep engine temps in a desired range while traveling at 60 - 65. Lots of run time at 100+. No AC running either and I fear the additional heat load that would generate.
So, is an electric fan a good option? Can't really say yet. Rule of thumb from the car world is your cooling fan should never be running at speeds above, say 40 mph, as the cooling system is expected to handle temps with that degree of air flow. What kind of cooling performance issues are you all seeing with the standard setup and 100+ temps? Are your fan clutches engaged at cruise with high heat conditions? I talked to Jim K about electric fan setups but didn't really follow all he had to say about it. He seemed to favor the standard setup.
I will say this, though. When my alternator belt failed 20 miles from home, replacement was SO much easier without that fan and shroud in the way.
6. How much amperage is best?
As a follow on to the above, as much as you can get. I bought a new 100 Amp and I should have gone bigger. Seems like the large frame GM unit (145A Delcotron) was an option and I will have to look into that. Not sure there's the room for it. A newer prefit might make more sense. Possibly even a serpentine belt conversion to complement the electric fan setup.
The more we switch to our higher tech batteries and quantity of storage, the more we need to reinforce our primary charging components. Engine power generation is one of those.
Of course, any solar that can be added to the mix relieves strain on others.
7. How could I forget fueling in California?
Maybe you saw the other thread on this? I thought I was good. We have hoses like that here in Washington, I thought.
NOT! It takes both arms over my shoulder to compress the hose on a CA gas hose. And you are NOT doing that into the existing opening. I managed to get filled with a toilet paper roll and then bought a cheap but durable plastic cup that I modified to get me by. GMCRV sells a gizmo for that but either way, plan ahead if you are going there.
Final Thoughts
Very glad I made the trip and the visits with family were priceless.
It was hot, there was a lot of fast-moving traffic. Lots of construction and steep, winding roads, as well. All-in-all, pretty stressful to travel in a vehicle of this size and weight. Perhaps some shorter trips? That sounds like a start! Oh, and gas is expensive!
