Well my Dad signed me up to pull a trailer with some equipment for working on a steam engine for our local steam engine museum. I have yet to see the location but it sounds like I have to pull the loaded trailer out of a back yard up a “steep” hill. The people that get paid to be wrong (meteorologists) are calling for rain. What do you think is the best way to approach this? Should I use 4Hi or 4 Lo to make it up the wet grassy hill? I am very inexperienced with towing and have not off roaded much so your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx
John

 

4 LO-- - - - This will give you better traction, and be easier on the transmission. 4 HI will allow to much RPM and will cause you to probably spin if the Hill is to great and if its wet!!

 

If your concerned about tearing up the grass, I would go 4lo and creep out and stop on wheel spin.
If your not concerned about the condition of the grass when you leave, grab 4 high, you will need the extra wheel speed to clean your lugs as you dig ruts.

 

It sounds like you are in for a costly learning experience.

I know from more years than I care to count of off-road towing experience that steep hills, wet grass, and trailers do not mix.

At the least, you will spin out, then slide straight backwards and only through a new fence, or into someone's car.

More likely is that you will spin out, slide backwards, and jack-knife, pushing one side of the truck-cab plumb to the frame, busting the windshield and back glass in the bargain.

Believe me, no matter what gear you are in, no matter how super-grip the tires, no matter how powerful the engine, when you quit moving forward on steep, wet grass, you are going to slide backward.

When it happens, you will remember my warnings.

 

Exactly what I was thinking! I have slid backwards, and it is not fun.

 

I would just use 4hi,but then again the CTD has never seen 4lo. When ever we are doing anything needing 4wd the condition of the grasss or what ever is the last thing we worry about. The trailer alone that we have weighs 2k so when ever the trailer is hooked to the back and we are going thru mud or grass the truck needs to be in 4wd being it is a DRW.

Jeff

 

This is your excuse to buy a new bumper and hefty winch! If you can't Ram it winch it!

 

Just make sure you say "Hey y'all ... watch this !! Somebody come hold this beer so's I don't spill it".

Depends on how heavy the trailer is, how steep the hill is and how slick the ground is. If there's no gettin out of it ... I'd say 4 lo, point it straight and mash the go-peddle until you either top the hill or you figger out that it ain't gonna happen (good time to have that alternate plan in mind).

Good luck ... let us know how it turns out. NO FEAR !!

PISTOL

 

i wheel quite a bit and do a lot of towing, you could have some problems

momentum will be your friend here, i would say four low and moderate speed

try not to spin the tires, just as a suggestion, when we wheel we tie off to something when it gets really hairy, if you dad has a truck or someone else in the group can bring one i would run a series of ****** straps to another rig at the top of the hill and have them act as an anchoring point they drive away as you drive up and give you some margin of safety

better safe than sorry

or you could always dukes of hazard the darn thing

 

If you're worried put some chains on first, front and rear. They might chew grass up a bit more than when not using them, but not as much as fighting for traction with tires spinning while sliding down the hill sideways :^)

If you look at chain mfg sites like Pewag (?) and Laclede (?) they advertise chains for use offroad as well as in snow. They're also cheap insurance, although a mess to install if you're already buried in mud.

 

It won't matter a bit either way.

4lo or 4hi has no effect on available traction.

They only affect torque to the wheels. 4Lo supplies more tq to the wheels, making it easier to exceed the amount of traction available.

4lo will not provide more traction, but will better allow you to modulate the power you apply to the wheels and better use the traction available.


JH

 

You would be much better off with your truck somewhere it can get traction, like the top of the hill. Send a gasser down to hook to the trailer, then run straps from the front of the gasser to your rig, and you can keep tension on the straps and pull them if THEY lose traction. Use the power where it will work the best, on level ground with good traction.

 

You'all would actually use 4 wheel drive? Shoot, down where I am from we hooker up, tell everyone to stand back and watch this and then take our best shot - YES in 2 wheel drive. I have only been stuck once with 10k in tow in GA clay running from a hurricane which would have stuck even a 4x4. If you get stuck you unhook, leave the trailer and tell the owner sorry 'bout that but it IS your trailer.

 

I think you will just dig four holes and sick to the axles no matter 4 hi or low.
Others have said it.
I would winch from a distance.
I think even with dry grass and a STEEP hill you will still have a problem.
Winch it or wait till dry and farm tractor it out.
IMHO....have fun and be sure to post some pics!

 

When I went w/ my buddy to get his boat in IN, it was in the guys driveway and the wheels had sunk in pretty good over the winter. For some dumb reason he pulled straight in so the front of the trailer was over the grass. Well, it had been raining while we were there and when I hooked up to pull it out (on level ground in 4 wheel drive - w/ my old 02 dually) it just sat there and dug a hole in his lawn. Wet grass is no good. Needless to say, he hooked up his truck at the back of the boat and I went in reverse to get this thing all the way out on the driveway so I could pull it out straight and leave.


Tony