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Parking a bus on a hill
Hi all-
What is the proper procedure for parking a 97 Prevost XL on a hill?
Is it better to put it in drive or reverse, then set the parking brake and turn off engine?
I typically put it in Neutral to park, but that doesn’t seem right on a hill.
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9 Replies
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Neutral, parking brake on and if concerned due to slope, chalk the wheels.
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Done.
Thanks Tom!
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I do not suggest this as acceptable but my driveway has a 31% slope and my parking brake holds the coach on that slope. It is so steep, with the nose pointing downhill I have all I can do to pull the door closed when entering the coach.
In case that isn’t easily understood as to how steep 31% is, when the tail of the bus is at the garage door, the mirrors are below garage floor level so I cannot see the garage floor until the tail of the bus is about 5 feet inside the garage.
I have spring brakes on both the tag and drive axles, and if just one of the springs has failed the bus will not hold on the slope of my driveway.
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Wow, that is steep!
My slope is not that steep, but steep enough that I did use chocks just to be safe.
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- Back in drivers ed many years ago was taught if parking down a hill front wheels towards the curb,up hill front tires out towards traffic. This was a long time ago.
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Hello,
Normally I park on slight slopes with the coach in neutral and parking brake on. The only time I go the extra step and chock the wheels is when in areas like Branson. Many parking areas are extremely steep and would never take a chance without the chocks.
Thanks!
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“Back in drivers ed many years ago was taught if parking down a hill front wheels towards the curb,up hill front tires out towards traffic. This was a long time ago.”
Soooooo … Jon should park with the nose downhill and the front tires turned towards the woods?
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Jon. Are you finding this helpful? What letter grade would you give Chris and i with our Beaver XL40 getting to the top?
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Jim, take a bow. You remain the only one that has every backed his own bus up the driveway without help.
We have had numerous buses up the driveway and into the garage, and two besides you made it to the top with a driver other than me, but in both those cases I was coaching them with my cell phone as they came up.
I have had two not able to make it because they slowed or stopped part way, and because of the grade they spun the tires.
I find it ironic that while the slope requires a degree of care to negotiate, the greatest problem requiring more coaching than anything is the slight subtle curve at the bottom that most cannot negotiate without getting wheels onto the stones on the edges of the concrete.
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