[Walter]

Ron,

The tunnels on I-40 are fine. The section of I-40 through the smokies is twisty with some good climbs. It’s a major route for trucks so won’t be a problem.

[Archived]

Thank you for the reply to my post. I have driven this route many times in a car but not in anything this big. My real concern are the declines.

Thanks again.

Ron

[Doug]

I drive these roads routinely because i live in Knoxville. There are some descents worth paying attention to but well marked in advance. Just get the speed down at the top of the grade, go to a lower gear and use the jake or retarder as needed. The tunnels are no problem.

[Archived]

Leaving Jeff’s earlier this month going up to Knoxville and then over to Ashville was the first time we had the coach through tunnels. No problem, just stay in your lane.

[Brett]

Ditto to all above…done the route a dozen times…just come down in whatever gear you were in at the top on jake or retarder. Geo.

[Larry]

Thank all of you for the replies to my posting. My preference would have been for someone to pick this coach up this weekend for me in IN and drive it to Greer for us. Alas, not to be.

I did some deuce and half driving while in the ARMY, and I have piloted a similar XL40 once before but only on the flat terrain of Mississippi. I hope I will be able to relax, take my time, and enjoy the ride. The mountains are my real worry since I have not driven those in a very long time.

Ron

[Archived]

Ron:

Follow all of the comments, suggestions and recommendations. They are spot on.

Prior to pickup of our XLV at Jeff Rowe’s ETLC shop near Knoxville my big rig driving experience was limited to the large U-Haul box trucks, our Suburban and 24′ enclosed race trailer, and an older 40′ Prevost and race trailer from Green Bay (WI) area, to Milwaukee, through Chicago, to track near Grand Rapids (MI) and back to Green Bay area over a long weekend (no mountains, just the Chicago expressways).

I never had an opportunity to drive our coach prior to the seller delivering it to Jeff for the zero out after we struck the purchase deal. Jeff finished the zero out, we drove to Vonore from Wisconsin with the HHR, hooked it behind the coach, and headed for a campground outside Indianapolis for the Indy 500.

At this point I’d driven the mountains from Lexington to Knoxville maybe twice or three times in my life … but only in passenger cars. So my first trip in the coach from Jeff’s to Indianapolis was similar to your upcoming trip.

I presume this coach is “new to you”. So … make sure that everything is up to snuff with the coach. Check the oil and coolant levels in the Detroit Diesel and the generator, check the level of the trans fluid, and fill the fresh water tank and empty the waste tank(s). Make sure the awnings and bay doors are secure. Fire up the Detroit Diesel and as the air pressures comes up watch the gauges and walk around the coach listening for signficant air leaks. Do a DOT air brake check. Confirm the chassis and house batteries are being charged. All the important lights work? Lights on the toad work? Do you have enough fuel to get out of the state of Indiana? Indiana is a TERRIBLE place to buy diesel fuel with a coach. Hopefully you’ll get to Ohio or Kentucky before you need fuel.

Your trip direction this weekend has an advantage over our first trip from Jeff’s to Indy. You’ll have lots of experience driving the coach BEFORE you get to the mountains! We left Jeff’s, immediately took a wrong turn and ended up on narrow country roads through a very hilly area, finally found the Interstate, and shortly were headed north through the mountains and tunnels. Your trip direction will enable you to “learn the coach” while on pretty level roads. Figure out where the the switches and things are. Practice changing lanes. Get lots of feedback from the co-pilot about your lane placement.

Once you get to the mountains you’re probably expecting to move over to the right lane because you think you’ll be the slow vehicle. That is natural. BUT you have somewhere around 500hp and likely less than 55,000 pounds to get up the hill. You will come up on semi’s pulling 80,000 pound loads with 375 to 425hp literally creaping along in the right lane. If you’re following a semi closely in the right lane, be careful that semi in front of you isn’t hiding a slow moving semi going 20mph when you’re running 45mph and the semi immediately in front of you doesn’t jump out into the center lane revealing the slow immediately in front of you. Been there, done that.

Well prior to getting to southeastern Indiana make sure you know how to use the transmission retarder or the Jake brake depending on how your coach is equipped. Does it work? Confirm that it works. After you get on the Interstate practice using the retarder or Jake by going into the first few rest areas you encounter. You don’t want to find out your secondary braking system is inoperative when you’re headed down a steep hill.

Finally … focus, focus, focus. The mountains are beautiful. But unfortunately you won’t be able to enjoy the view.

Good luck. You’ll do fine. Keep us posted.

[Rod]

Ron Im going to speak from a trans retarder position. First of all,I allways have it turned on.

When you apply the brakes the retarder automaticly applies without any joy stick partisipation.

The joy stick will controll the retarder at lift throttle from no retard to full retard through its quadrants

This retarder directs trans fluid in an oppisate direction through a turbine thats connected to the output

shaft of the trans hence slowing the vehicle.However this creates high temps in the trans,so I pay verry

close attention to my trans temp,it can reach 300+ in a hurry with full retard. So here is the the way

I negotiate the steep grades,Stay off the brakes as much as possible,and when you use them dont feather them

use them with resolve to bring it back to the speed your comfortable with. The speed Im comfortable with is

selecting the correct gear and the right amount of joy stick retard controll to keep trans temps under 280 and not

apply the brakes.Our brakes are our last defense so keep them cool.As far as uphill I let allison do its job

momentum is key,its the people jumping in your passing lane when its time to pass,I try to time passing

even if it means jumping in that lane early.They can KMA. And if you dont have sweaty palms your my hero.

[Archived]

I continue to be pleased with the level detail and advice that I am being provided. Everyone is doing a great job to keep my nerves in check prior to the 12 hour and 40 minutes drive. We plan to get from Portage, IN to south of Lexington, KY, maybe even Knoxville, TN by Saturday afternoon. I am not about to go across those mountains in the dark.

If my trip gets delayed I am going to extend an offer for someone that has experience to get that coach and bring to me safely in Greenville, SC. Or, I may just ask for a co-pilot with experience to get through this first long distance experience.

Thank you again to all offering advice and well wishes.

Ron Bolin

2000 Prevost XL40

*Pictures soon to be posted*

[Charlie]

All of the above. Beautiful drive. 50 mph truck limit on the windy I40 bits. Keep right and enjoy the ride.

[Archived]

Ron, For a first trip through the route you are correct in being refreshed before you go east past Newport TN. Up until that point the roads are no different than any other interstate. Going up and coming down Jellico Mountain just south of the TN / KY line is about a hill climb and then a descent and as long as you don’t push your speed on the downhill that is likely the only part of the trip from IN that could be of concern but will not be.

When you start into the Smokies the road is twisty and the speed limit for trucks is 50 with trucks not allowed in the passing lane. Stay in the slow lane, drive at a comfortable speed and do not allow any trucks to try to intimidate you into leaving your comfort zone. At the 50 MPH speed limit there will be some jerks pissed off, but let them pass if they don’t like your speed.

You don’t say where you plan to stop, and truthfully there are few RV parks near Knoxville so if you want you can give me an idea what you are looking for in a stopping spot and I can give you some help. I only live 4 miles from I-40 exit 398, but folks that have been to the house know that is not a spot for anyone to park.

[Walter]

Here’s my 2 bits for you –

I always go the speed on the yellow caution signs for curves and exits. A lot of the time I know the bus can go faster… but if I do, stuff starts flying around the bus and drawers fly open.

My trucking brother taught me about fattening the lane when passing or getting passed. If you are passing, you ride the yellow line with the drivers side of the bus, if you’re getting passed you ride the white line with your curb side. One thing to be careful of is some stretches of road have a “lip” of asphalt (due to a re-asphalting job) that can grab your tires and pull you off the road. Just have to be aware of that…. it’s not bad, but can be surprising.

You’ll notice that as you approach “most” trucks to pass, they will move to the right part of their lane.

You might be thinking “I don’t feel the need to speed” but I’ve noticed that very few trucks go the speed limit… they always seem to be a few MPH under. I’m not 100% why… I think some trucks are governed and others just know it’s their livelihood so they keep it well under. If I go the speed limit (by the speedo AND my GPS speed) I’m always passing trucks.

And in some idiot states like California – the speed limit for trucks is 55 and it’s 70 for us…. and for cars it’s a free for all. So in essence you have 3 travel speeds in only 2 lanes (I’d go on and on about this but that’s another matter…)

I have also been telling my wife, as she learns to drive, try not to pass while in curves… I find you have to pay attention a bit more in curves so I tell her to just wait till it’s straight. Until you’re more comfortable that is.

I don’t know if it was clear if your bus had a jake or a retarder… but ours has a jake. For a 5% grade, I find I need 5th gear and position 1 for the downhill. For a 6% it’s 4th gear and between 1 and 2. That’ll put me at around 60 mph. Like people said before, don’t be afraid to use the brakes downhill…. just don’t be riding them. You’ll see the grade signs ahead of time so you can get setup for the hill.

Wait – I guess that was 4 bits. Oh well, hope it wasn’t a bore!

[Walter]

Any problems or concerns, place to stay the night come on to my shop and spend the night….shop phone goes over to my cell on the weekend and am going to be at the shop all day saturday….

[George]

Jeff – you are the real deal. Thank you for all your inputs on this site, and for always saving the day. I (we) all appreciate you.

[Archived]

Ron,

We have one mountain on your route that you do not want to play with. It is about six miles long with grades approaching 6%, with curves. The truck speed limit is posted at 35 miles per hour. Watch out for duallies pulling fifth wheel trailers. Seems they like to “race” the cagers down the mountain. Just in case you should encounter any brake failure, the mountain has six, yes six, run away truck sand traps.

I have a “Classic”, as Jon calls it, 40 footer built in 1991. It has a Jake and the old Detroit 8V92 engine. When ascending the mountain eastbound as you will be, I use the highway’s rising grade to slow my speed to 35 mph, transmission downshifts and as I go over the crest I activate the Jake. Doing it this way the brakes, mine are drum not disc, are as cool as they can possibly be for the trip down the other side. I find on some of the steeper sections I have to brake a couple of times. As has been stated above, don’t pussy foot and drag the brakes. That builds up too much heat that can’t be easily shed the rest of the way down. Put your flashers on as you top the crest too. When you see the speed going up, I use 45 MPH as my brake application target, apply the brakes FIRMLY, return to 30-35 MPH and get off the brakes as soon as possible. Do Not leave your foot “covering” the brake pedal as you may have just enough slight pressure on the pedal to apply the brakes, which does what, it heats up the brakes, and in our case consumes air pressure doing so. Neither are positives for safely getting down the mountain.

The mountain is named, Black Mountain. It does have some very beautiful vistas but focus on the road and let your co-pilot enjoy the ride. One other tip on driving in general, don’t stare at the road immediately in front of the coach. Instead look as far ahead of your current position as comfortable for you. Looking further ahead will help keep you centered in your lane and avoid an incident that may happen ahead of you. You don’t want to play around coming down Black Mountain.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience. If I recall there are two tunnels eastbound. Slow down to the advisory speed limit posted in advance and you should not have any problems. Both tunnels are posted with directions to assist yoy through incident free.