Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV, and Motorhome Drivers [Paperback]

Richard W. Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

In an attempt to make mountain driving a little safer for truckers and RV'ers, R&R Publishing Inc. has been collecting and publishing information about mountain passes and steep grades since 1993. Over 85,000 copies of Mountain Directory West and Mountain Directory East have been sold. The books have been expanded and upgraded periodically. Combined, Mountain Directory West and Mountain Directory East give the locations and descriptions of over 700 mountain passes and steep grades in 22 states. This is vital information for anyone driving a large or heavy vehicle. The Mountain Directory books tell you where the steep grades are, how long they are, how steep (%) they are, whether the road is two lane, three lane, or four lane, if there are escape ramps, switchbacks, sharp curves, speed limits, etc. With this information, one can know ahead of time what a pass is like and make an informed decision about whether to go over or around. If you decide to go over, perhaps the cool morning hours would ease the strain on the engine and transmission during the climb. Unhooking the towed vehicle would make the climb and the descent easier. Knowing what lies ahead is half the battle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Motorhomers will find one or both of these books useful in taking the surprises out of driving in the mountains. --Sherry McBride, Senior Managing Editor, Motorhome Sept. 1999

Elevation alone does not indicate a grade's difficulty; the change in elevation is the critical factor. --Family Motor Coaching, August, 1999

The directories will help drivers make smart routing decisions and prepare them for dangerous grades. --Andrew Ryder, Editor, Heavy Duty Trucking, May 1998

About the Author

Author Richard Miller was inspired to write this book after a nearly disastrous mountain descent in an 18 wheeler. This occurred in Arizona, but when he subsequently attempted to find information about the mountain grades in various western states, he was amazed to learn that no one had compiled much data about these potentially deadly hills. The only way to get accurate information was to personally drive over as many of these passes and steep grades as he could find. The search eventually covered almost 40,000 miles and yielded detailed descriptions of over 400 locations in eleven western states.

A similar search was conducted in eleven eastern states, this time covering nearly 20,000 miles and yielding descriptions of over 300 passes and steep grades in the mountainous areas of the eastern United States. This information is in a companion book, "Mountain Directory East for Truckers, RV, and Motorhome Drivers." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: R&R Publishing Inc. (April 4, 2006)
• ISBN-10: 0977629015
• ISBN-13: 978-0977629015
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for experieced and novice motorhome drivers, September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV, and Motorhome Drivers (Paperback)

Mountain Directory West was invaluable to me when plotting a course through 17 states from Georgia to Washington State and back again. Another silver haired grandmother and I traveled in my new 31 ft motorhome through mountains of S. Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, the Oregon and California coasts, Arizona and New Mexico. By knowing what was ahead on our route, we were able to cool our engine and brakes before ascending or descending a particular stretch of highway, and never experienced a moment's trouble.

I highly recommend Mountain Directory West for any RV/Motorhome driver who is planning a trip over any US mountain range west of the Mississippi. The companion Mountain Directory East serves the same purpose for those traveling east of the Mississippi.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mountain Directory West, January 23, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV, and Motorhome Drivers (Paperback)

This book and it's companion Mountain Directory East are valuable publications to have handy as you travel by RV throughout the USA. They provide the elevation, the % of inclines, the length of the inclline, hidden curves, speed and so much more. Referring to these guides before a mountain pass helps prepare you for the amount of brake usage that will be necessary to reach the bottom safely. Richard has done a great job of researching the varied terrain, referring to the pass information can provide a significant peace of mind to all RV Getaways.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read before pulling RV in the mountains, February 28, 2006

By 

Alvin Baker (Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV, and Motorhome Drivers (Paperback)

I am planning to take my first trip into the Rocky Mountains with a 5th wheel this summer. This book is extremely helpful. It gives enough detail on the different mountain passes for you to know if you can make the hairpin turns with your rig. It gives the percent of grade and the length of downgrade in miles. Something I had not thought of was the height of tunnels. This book makes planning the route to take much easier.