Riding RV Brakes into Death Valley Proves Disastrous
Robert Gilchrist Huenemann, M.S.E.E., and his wife Holly of Hollister, California, came across the burntout shell of a motorhome at the entrance to the Stovepipe Wells Campground in Death Valley National Park in November and believed the expected cause of the disaster was worth sharing with other RV owners.
Huenemann said, "The park staff told us that the fire was caused by riding the brakes all the way down one of the passes into Death Valley. I am not sure which one, but both passes drop more than 4,000 feet in something like 20 miles. The grades approach 10 percent in places.
"We were told that no one was injured in the fire."
According to Huenemann, the pictures were taken by his wife on November 24 after the remains of the motorhome were loaded onto a truck. The fire apparently happened a day or two earlier.
Huenemann said, "I just hope that making the pictures available will get people to think about how they use their brakes. But I do not have very high hopes."