V-10 Compression Braking Question.

[F350Heavy]

On an RV Forum a guy said that his rig gets up to 4000 rpm on downhills. He has a V-10, 6 spd, and 4.30 axle with a large fifth
wheel trailer. Is this regular for the V-10. My old 7.3 diesel never gets over 2000 with the exhaust brake on and I hadn't thought
about maybe not having an easy time going down grades if I get an F450 with the V-10 (sorry, don't recommend the diesel, thanks.)
Would appreciate comments from V-10 6-spd owners who haul heavy loads down steep grades and try not to over use the brakes.

[camperguy]

I have a F350 V10 with a 9.5' Hallmark (3200#) towing a 2001 Ford Explorer (4500#.) I often travel the high mountain passes in Colorado. I downshift from OD on most hills and often shift into 2nd on steep grades. This is pretty much all the brakes I need with some application of the brakes if I get over about 55 mph. It works OK but I wished I had brakes on the towed EXP at times. You learn to look ahead and not follow too close. Yep, the RPM's will hit 4000 when you are approching 60 in 2nd range. I feel that I need to be in 2nd range if my speed is going over 50 with a lot of hill left. That way I don't get the brakes too hot and will have some left in an emergency.

[todlake]

Heavy,

Don't have the 6-speed, but I do use the slushbox to check my speed. Seeing 4000 rpms is no big deal. I'll drop the gears on a progressive downhill to my boat ramp (about 3 miles of twisties) until I'm using first near the 90 degree off-camber turn going into the marina parking lot. These engines like to rev.

Robb [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]