I8 has a pretty significant climb and descent. You should consider descending at a slow speed and a lower gear to minimize braking. I can't really characterize how much braking will be required because I never touch mine on the way down, even at 80K pounds. The descent isn't as long as Donner or the Grapevine and probably no more brake required than the long descents on I15 but it does wind back and forth more like a mountain road. The good news is that if you decide you don't want to go back that way you can cut north on I5 to I10 for the return trip without going too far out of your way. I wouldn't reroute my trip to avoid it. There are much worse even back east.

We drove our gas motorhome through all 48 lower states and it worked out fine. We had the 8.1 liter Chevy engine. Even though we did not take that motorhome on I-8, we did take it over the Rockies multiple times, down the 16 miles of 6% grade from Cloudcroft NM to Alamogordo NM and other long downgrades. What we were taught by RV Driving School is to go down at a speed you can control within 5mph. Say you start at 50mph and without using the brakes it goes to 55 or 60mph quickly, that is not in control. Press the brakes and go to 45mph and see how fast it goes to 50mph. Still too fast? Then try 40mph. Keep it up until you feel you can keep it within a 5mph range without riding the brakes, which might be 20 to 25mph. For a 6% grade we were in control at 35mph or so, which is what Diane took that grade from Cloudcroft.  You brake solidly to go down 5 to 10mph at a time.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 14th of April 2013 06:33:50 PM

BJ, that grade from Cloudcroft drops 4000 ft in 16 miles or something like that, correct? We had a GI flip an 80K pound satellite com van on that road back in 1993. Blocked the road for hours. The jake brakes on the ford tractors couldn't hold them back well enough. That road can be white knuckle.

This information is really helpful. Thanks to everyone for posting. We Gassers appreciate your input. I too went down some grades that were white knuckle. Bob Cat Pass (out of Red River NM) was my first one. We were in our 1996 Infinity gas. No problems on that one but we did not speak one word on the way down! Maybe a gasp every once in a while. That pass has some hairy switch backs on it. I think we went down about 45 miles an hour. That was what the curves said was maximum speed.

I don't think it can be said often enough: The safe speed signs on roads, especially mountain roads, are for cars! RVs of nearly any size and most especially the larger ones should negotiate these roads at much slower speeds. The Grapevine in California is a prime example; Cars - 70mph, trucks - 35mph. You can drive to the bottom of the hill many times too slow but, you only get one chance too fast.

I think we are all learning something here. Thanks to you guys who have been there done that. I look for some other gassers to pipe in here and give us some more insight on different passes and how they did with the gas powered MH. It is good to know that you don't have to have a diesel pusher to go to the west coast.