hensoni
Member Since: 01 Oct 2007
Location: Sleepy Somerset
Posts: 576
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| Off-road towing suggestions |
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Next week, I have to negotiate a steep bank with the Disco with a 2.5ton, 28ft long trailer behind. The bank is about 45ft long (about the same as the combination) and drops 20ft. There is good access with a level area at the top and the bottom of the slope, so I can get the vehicle / trailer combination into a good position for entry and exit angles. Other than some trees to avoid, there is plenty of room along the bank (it's about 100ft wide) and I have already recce'd the area to find the gentlest slope. The ground is reasonably lump free and grassed, but it is very likely to be wet. The car is running ATRs, but the trailer has got tyres that are just as happy sliding sideways as they are rotating.
So, here's the question. What is the best way of negotiating the slope without grounding the trailer at the bottom of the slope (terrible clearance on the trailer) or rolling the whole combination down the slope (embarrassing and expensive).
The potential solutions I see are:
1) Ignore it, drive down as normal in low range / HDC at as steep an angle as possible to prevent damage to my customer's venue
2) Drive down (lo ratio, HDC) at a deliberately oblique / shallow angle, thereby increasing the exposure to the slope, but decreasing the change in altitude between vehicle and trailer
3) Reverse down
I would imagine that the trailer is at it's most vulnerable when the combination isn't straight and as the combination will be totally "sloped", I would need to ensure that I maintained a nice straight line all the way down. As the trailer will try to move down the slope with or without the car, I guess that once I'm on the slope, then I'm committed!
The way out seems to be less of an issue - low range, shallow angle and go for it... Hence the thought that reversing down might be sensible.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Club missing my D3
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 9th Aug 2011 11:08 pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26763
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If you reverse down, and the back of the trailer digs in, your very stuck! Personally, I would use a vehicle with a winch, and lower the trailer down the slope on the end of a cable.
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| 9th Aug 2011 11:15 pm |
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hensoni
Member Since: 01 Oct 2007
Location: Sleepy Somerset
Posts: 576
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Cheers Gareth,
No winch, unfortunately.
The trailer has got rear legs (and protecting struts) that dig in. At other venues, we've erm... managed to replace the grass that is displaced. The Disco has always managed to push the offending scenery out of the way to date. Club missing my D3
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| 9th Aug 2011 11:20 pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26763
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I would think the danger is a jack-knife if you drive down slowly, the D3 will have greater slowing capability than the trailer, which will naturally try to overtake the car.
If you have no other option, then straight down, DSC definitely ON to keep it as straight as possible, but HDC off and let gravity take it down. It might go a little faster than you feel comfortable with, but at least gravity should take the whole train down at the same speed which will minimise jack knife risk. Just keep it straight.
The ground can be repaired after, and you say you have a good run out area to slow the whole thing down once on the level.
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| 9th Aug 2011 11:30 pm |
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