How steep is too steep?

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  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,145 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #32

    On Saturday drove north to south in Switzerland,  6ks from Gotthard Tunnel on the A2 height at entrance 3540 feet so had 6 ks of continual stop start, took best part of an hour, no problem at all!  Just go for it and enjoy your holidayHappy

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,647 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #33

    One more sleep and then we move on further into Dumfries & Galloway.

    OOps'have just realised thatI've posted tihis in the wrong post. Embarassed It was meant to be in the "How many sleeps" post, as most
    of you must have realised. No steep hills on this route though.Wink

  • Alex Cassells
    Alex Cassells Forum Participant Posts: 159
    edited September 2016 #34

    We towed from Nairn to Braemar one summer holiday, along the A939, Tomintoul road. I think there are 20% gradients along there. Had a Jeep Cherokee at the time and had to stop on the pull up to I think it was The Lecht, to let it cool down. Warning message
    on the dash. Got there in the end with a nice sense of achievement.

  • Bebo
    Bebo Forum Participant Posts: 54
    edited September 2016 #35

     .... Where is this 16% hill Bebo?

    I wouldn't worry Oneputt, it's unlikely to be near you Cool

    Write your comments here...its up on the NY moors, looking at all the advice, I think im worrying over nothing!

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #36

    If it is Sutton Bank, Wass Bank or Chimney Bank, don't even think about it, first one vans are banned, middle one is legal but you will need one heck of an engine, and the third one will see you hospitalised!

    If it is Blue Bank at Sleights, heading in and out of Whitby, you should be fine, just take it steadily and smoothly! Happy

  • Bebo
    Bebo Forum Participant Posts: 54
    edited September 2016 #37

    If it is Sutton Bank, Wass Bank or Chimney Bank, don't even think about it, first one vans are banned, middle one is legal but you will need one heck of an engine, and the third one will see you hospitalised!

    If it is Blue Bank at Sleights, heading in and out of Whitby, you should be fine, just take it steadily and smoothly! Happy

    Write your comments here...no, its none of the above! I have driven up and down Chimney Bank........... the hill in question is near Stape.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #38

    Are you coming in from from Pickering end or Goathland side? Stape is easy from Pickering, no problems with van on back. Could be more of an issue from Goathland, you would need to go over ford before Wheeldale (Roman road) and you might struggle round hairpin
    after that heading to Levisham Forest? There is a CL up in forest, so vans obviously get up and down on a regular basis.

    Did you tow up Chimney Bank?Happy

  • briantimber
    briantimber Forum Participant Posts: 1,653
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    edited September 2016 #39

    Didn't find Chimney Bank particularly daunting, drove down it to Rosedale Abbey (twice) and driven up it with full water tanks to Hutton le Hole a few months ago. Mind you, I knew what to expect as Ive driven up and down it two years ago. Wouldn't fancy
    it with a caravan in tow though.....SurprisedCool

  • Jemmydog
    Jemmydog Forum Participant Posts: 25
    edited September 2016 #40

    Towed a Monza 1300ct up Porlock with a manual Rover SD1 many years ago.  I'm rather more sensible these days!

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,064 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #41

    Didn't find Chimney Bank particularly daunting, drove down it to Rosedale Abbey (twice) and driven up it with full water tanks to Hutton le Hole a few months ago. Mind you, I knew what to expect as Ive driven up and down it two years ago. Wouldn't fancy
    it with a caravan in tow though.....SurprisedCool

    Wouldnt fancy trying to get Gertie up it, although we did go up opposite side to Great Fryupdale. We had a lovely picnic up top of Chimney though last Winter!Happy

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #42

    Towed a Monza 1300ct up Porlock with a manual Rover SD1 many years ago.  I'm rather more sensible these days!

    Back in 2008, we were going up Porlock (solo) and came upon a small car + small caravan which had got stuck and was then descending backwards.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,582 ✭
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    edited September 2016 #43

    .... . On that basis you need to be below the towing limit by a reasonable amount to enable you to restart if you have to.

    Which is how much? Innocent

    Unfortunately manufacturers usually only give you the one figure so on anything steeper it is guesswork.

     If you hit the problem and there is room behind you one tip is to let the caravan run back at an angle with the car also at an angle to the hill which reduces the effort needed to restart but it needs the cooperation of other drivers.

  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
    500 Comments
    edited September 2016 #44

    We've towed up Porlock hill, but we left a big gap after the previous car had departed. It's not somewhere to make a hill start because the previous driver hasn't kept their revs up.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #45

    Caravans are advised to use the toll road at Porlock, meeting an oncoming vehicle or the local bus on one of the very steep hairpin bends would cause major problems.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2016 #46

    Porlock Hill Happy

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited September 2016 #47

    Earlier in the year driving up Porlock Hill I met a coach on the first hairpin on its way down. I was solo so wasn't a big deal. Would be a bit hairy with a caravan. It's the narrowness of the road as much as those hairpins which make it such a pain. Considering
    this is the main road from Bristol across the top of Somerset & Devon it's pretty poor but I suppose there is insufficient incentive economically to do anything about it.

  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
    500 Comments
    edited September 2016 #48

    Earlier in the year driving up Porlock Hill I met a coach on the first hairpin on its way down. I was solo so wasn't a big deal. Would be a bit hairy with a caravan. It's the narrowness of the road as much as those hairpins which make it such a pain. Considering
    this is the main road from Bristol across the top of Somerset & Devon it's pretty poor but I suppose there is insufficient incentive economically to do anything about it.

    Write your comments here...

    Maybe its eccentricity in this modern age is a good reason to keep it. It's always good for dinner party tales of past derring do, but maybe avoided by older and wiser caravanners today.

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