Scott, my original point was exactly the same as yours.  You are right, I live in central Oklahoma.  But I do know about long descents, having traveled through the West many, many times, and having lived in Appalachia.  I even venture into SE Oklahoma sometimes, where such descents are a reality in the Ouachita range.  I do know how to drive on long downhills, and have done so successfully.  It is the long uphills that are challenging in my camper!!.

I posed the question because at least one other poster mentioned overheating his brakes on downhills, and I know it has happened to some other people.

If you have actually seen one big rig in a runaway truck ramp, that is one more than I have seen.  But I suppose they are there for a reason.

mcneely
---- Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> Hi Dave ...
> obviously .....one doesn't waituntil loss of control of descent speed is
> starting to happen.
> I think you live in an area that does not have a lot of long or steep
> descents.
>   Those two mentioned the other day are classic descents on the West
> coast (where there are many long chalelening descents' )
>
> as soon as one starts into one of those ..if thinking and at all a
> skilled driver ..you go right into 'long steep descent mode' ..
> you keep speed down, you downshift etc.
>
>   done right ...there's never any feel of brake fade.
> Heck ..if someone ever feels brake fade affect at all, they've already
> over-driven the brakes.
> If that does happen ..you immeidately go into 'even slower more careful
> mode' .
>
> 'usually' when a truck can't control their descent speed ...they may
> have never built up much real speed.
> a say 60,000 lb truck can be going 7 mph and not be able to stop. Even
> slowerthat that sometimes.
>   So probably, most of thetime trucks don't fly into those gravel traps
> at say 60+.
>    I think I have seen just one ever in a gravel trap ..
> and I doubt they entered going very fast at all.
>
> there is a LOT one can do that's intelligent when braking any vehicle.
> It's not just 'pushing on that pedaland seeing what happens.'
>
> Develope a feel for it. Use your brakes all kinds of ways that you
> wouldn't usually in safe places.
> People should have an idea what their van is going to do in a panic stop
> situation at say 70 mph.
> Of course people should never 'drive into' situations
> where there's going to be any panic stop situation.
>   Manypeople do though ...'most drivers' are fairly clueless.
> not montioring what's going on behind them and way behind them..
> or WAY out in front of them ..
> they let people fly formation on them, follow too close ..
> drive alongside buses and trucks for miles at a time..
> and many other dumb things ..
>   and..
> heck ..even in a panic stop ..it is not 'cream on the brake pedal full
> instaneous effort' .
> that's good way to loose control of the vehicle.
> Even in a 'oh crap !!' panic stop ...use 'feel' ....you want the tires (
> on dry pavement ) just short of lock-up.
>
> if fact ...super modern high tech cars like BMW's and Mercedes can tell
> when the driver has freaked out and is in full panic stop mode, and will
> operate the breaks appropriately and much better than a paniced typical
> clueless driver can.
>
> Electro-hydrualic brakes ..all computer controlled, can do things like
> drag the pads very lightly on the discs in rainy conditions..to keeep
> the pads dry.
> Modern cars have 'electronic brake force distribution' ..
> the sensors and computers in the cars are working hard to get the
> absolute most out of the brakes.
> Heck ....some exotic cars have carbon ceramic brakes that are an 8,000+
> dollar option.
> Those don't fade, period.
>
>    Just drive smart is all !  Drive within the capabilities of the
> vehicle and stay 'AWAY' from other cars as much as possible  - you'd
> think people would realize this, but they don't.    One gender I am sure
> feels better closer to other cars ...like that's more trusting and
> intimate driving that way ... ...something that we are not allowed to
> say ..but it's an actual factor.
> I've had someone 'lock on' to me at night ..
> on totally empty roads ..over and over ...just could not shake 'em ..
> whether I sped up or slowed down ...every 10 minutes or so ..there'd
> they be ..'locked on' again ..close to me, on a totally empty deserted
> road. Sure enough ..it wasn't a man.
>   try to drive AWAY from other vehicles please !  It can onlyhelp. Dense
> traffic is a differen story of course.
>   And even then people don't see how to 'control and defend their
> position' intelligently in the whole mass.
>
> besafe !
>
>
>
>
> On 9/14/2013 6:42 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> > Well Scott, what does one do if the brakes are overheated, but not using them will result in uncontrollable speed?  I have never had this situation, though I have driven on some several mile long, steep grades.  But some people have.  Truckers certainly have faced that situation, to the point that highways are equipped with runaway truck ramps.  I can sure imagine the fear involved in having to pull into one of those things!  mcneely
> >
> > ---- Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> >> I hope everyone recognizes it's better to cool brakes by driving and not
> >> using them, then to just stop with very hot brakes.
> >>
> >>
> >> On 9/13/2013 8:29 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> >>> ---- Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET> wrote:
> >>>> I certainly didn't do it on purpose. In both cases when it happened I just didn't think it would, but there was never a place to get off the brakes and let them cool. Constant downgrade and suddenly overheated!
> >>> What gear were you in?  Was there a place to stop?  Maybe not, on some mountain roads there is no place to pull over.  But in a low gear one is usually able to keep the speed down enough to rest the brakes sometimes.
> >>>> On Sep 13, 2013, at 3:54 PM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> ---- Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET> wrote:
> >>>>>> Haven't had to gear down yet, but I haven't gone over those two roads again either
> >>>>> I don't have to be on brutally downhill roads to gear down and avoid excessive braking.  I have never overheated brakes, and I don't intend to.  mcneely
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> ________________________________
> >>> --
> >>> David McNeely
> >>>
> > --
> > David McNeely
> >
>

--
David McNeely