Steep hills

JD, if your outfit copes with our hills down here, you won't have a problem. In any case, gradient markers on the map will give you a clue  

You are referring to the infamous Sutton Bank in Yorkshire from which caravans are now banned (although we towed up it back in the 70s without mishap).

The road you encountered would be the A170 at Sutton bank where caravans have been banned for many years due to the 1 in 4. Incline. Coming north from Cornwall you do not need to go that far north. The main route from the A1 is the A64 past York to Scarborough
which does have some hills  but nothing like Sutton bank and I have towed caravans to Scarborough on this road without a problem for many years.

The road you encountered would be the A170 at Sutton bank where caravans have been banned for many years due to the 1 in 4. Incline.  ....

But if you have a glider you can tow that up or down the hill to your heart's content .....we went that way last year and (while solo) saw all sorts of trailers, large & small onthe back of an arry of vehicles ... but no caravans! Incredible! 

 .. ....

Rumour has it that the locals are very happy to ring the cops if they see a caravan going on the approach road from the Thirsk side.

I dare say they are. But the detour is via roads that aren't really suitable for large car & caravan outfits due to their size, but large trailers are allowed on the hill ..... I'm still baffled by the set-up

I drove home solo the other day via the "caravan advisory" route, and have to say that if we had the choice, then towing up Sutton Bank, with our small caravan and powerful 4x4 would be by far the easier option. However, I will add that we know the route
well, and know when power is required and where the hairpin bend comes into getting to the top! Driving solo, it usually involves being behind some not so route familiar drivers, who quite rightly tend to be very cautious of getting up to the top from Sutton
under Whitestonecliffe! Hence, anyone towing will find that they just don't get the clear run and maintenance of revs that would give a trouble free tow! A decent tow car, with plenty of pulling power would be required as well for any van. So it is probably
wiser that it remains out of bounds for caravans. No trouble in the MH though, apart from dodging broken down cars after the hairpin! The "advisory route" is interesting as well, some narrow twisty roads!

..Nice villages though

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Rumour has it that the locals are very happy to ring the cops if they see a caravan going on the approach road from the Thirsk side.

I dare say they are. But the detour is via roads that aren't really suitable for large car & caravan outfits due to their size, but large trailers are allowed on the hill ..... I'm still baffled by the set-up

I reckon most Car and Caravan outfits could do Sutton bank ok provided no one does something stupid in front of them. Once stopped (particularly at the hairpin) it would be difficult to get going again.

I used to do that route regularly (solo) and to be honest it's the tourists doing 10 mph gawping at the views that cause the problems.

Your point about the glider trailers is well made but probably there are comparitively few of them and they tend to know what they are doing.

I met a coach coming down on my side of the road to clear the hairpin as I was driving up on a recent visit to Somerset. It suggests that caravans take the toll road but it isn't a great deal better.

Sutton bank is now camera monitored for those thinking of risking it!! And consider that although you may make it up with your outfit under normal conditions what happens when you get behind and artic in crawler gear at 2mph?  The caravan route is fine contrary
to what a lot have stated on here and i have been along it numerous times with my twin axle and estate car, yes there are a couple of hills and bends but nothing that your average outfit cannot cope with.

BTW i have recovered several outfits from sutton bank that thought as some posters have stated that they could get up ok!! It is not worth the risk or the points on the licence

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Wass Bank (don't try it towing!) is really beautiful, ...

But could legally do so 

 ..... Once stopped (particularly at the hairpin) it would be difficult to get going again.

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Just press the 'GO' pedal ..... and you move 

Might well be MM They only come out at certain times although some are stored there.

Go pedal and tourist gawping at the view = bang.

Having flown from there (made my arms ache)I can say it's a great place to have an air experience flight from if that pulls your chain.

They were actually installed in 2010 However most people assume they are just there to advise drivers about the hill, not the case as they are linked direct to traffic HQ

Thanks jeff. 2010 is when I retired from serious work.

 It used to be a fairly regular drive for me from where I live to Scarborough.

Don't think I have been that way since.

I would however agree that the ban on caravans and not trailers is silly as i have on several occasions towed car and caravan combinations up the hill with my Landy as well as cars with gliders, some of the gliders with trailers weigh more than 1800kgs when
loaded with all there equipment!!

Unfortuanately there is no accounting for people having common sense and not trying to go up it with there overweight and inbalanced outfits, hence the blanket ban as it would be impossible to police, i believe there is currently a petition running to get
HGV'S banned as well

It is usually HGV incidents that close the road, I think the sign actually says "HGV's". You get the odd car having issues, but as I mentioned earlier, the HGV incidents can be very bad, shedding of loads, total wipe out on the hairpin, sometimes road surface
has to be repaired depending upon what happens. We stay in cottages at Old Byland on a fairly regular basis, and it's always a guess if road will be open to get up to top. Many is the time we have detoured around Kilburn and up Wass Bank!