Can you reverse your trailer up a steep hill with a horse in?

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SpruceRI

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Had 2nd issue coming down my lane, meeting a car coming up, who wanted me to reverse back.

As I was so close to a driveway, I tried to. But brakes were locked on and couldn't.

Bloke got arsey... tried to explain the issue with a braked trailer, but not understanding the mechanics, I struggled to!

Can anyone explain to me what should happen as far braked trailers go.....?

Is it right that the brakes apply, to stop the trailer shunting the car down the hill, but shouldn't they release to enable me to reverse?

Sometimes this happens on my drive, which has a bit of a camber, but I pull forward, brake then reverse and give it 'a bit of welly' backwards and it's OK.

The hill I was on this evening is very steep - does that make a difference?

I have an Ifor Williams. Old but serviced regularly. Always had issues with the brakes sticking on if I reverse it into its parking space and then don't pull forward/pulll nose back out. I gather this is a common problem with older Ifor models.

Thanks
 
Basicly there are two types of overrun brakes. The old style that requires a latch to be moved manualy ,and the modern automatic type. Both prevent the brakes from working if the car is reversing.NEVER EVER try to reverse up a steep hill because the trailer can quite easily cause the back of the car to slip sideways causing a serious jacknife situation. Four wheel drive wont save you either.This realy is a dont even go there situation.
 
I have no knowledge to offer re the brakes situation, but plenty of sympathy!

Bloke got arsey...
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Stupid idiot. What is it with some men, who can't stand a woman being in their way, let alone, a woman in a powerful car towing a big trailer?
I once had a man overtake a set of parked cars, so that he was on my side of the road. I was coming up a hill with the trailer on, and the run of parked cars was 200 yards long.
He became very abusive because I was in his way and wouldn't reverse 200 yards down a hill with a trailer. The fact that there were 3 cars behind me didn't help either. HE only had 20 feet to reverse!

Little man syndrome, combined with road rage. Lurvely!
 
Ok = the guy you met is a total ****** - any idiot knows that you never reverse up a hill with a trailer onand you should always give way to the vehicle towing a trailer. Reversing up a hill is very bad for your car as it will burn your clutch out.
 
Janette said:
I have no knowledge to offer re the brakes situation, but plenty of sympathy!



Stupid idiot. What is it with some men, who can't stand a woman being in their way, let alone, a woman in a powerful car towing a big trailer?
I once had a man overtake a set of parked cars, so that he was on my side of the road. I was coming up a hill with the trailer on, and the run of parked cars was 200 yards long.
He became very abusive because I was in his way and wouldn't reverse 200 yards down a hill with a trailer. The fact that there were 3 cars behind me didn't help either. HE only had 20 feet to reverse!

Little man syndrome, combined with road rage. Lurvely!
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Why make this a sexist argument. I have met plenty of women who are equaly stupid.
 
To Mike007

I did say SOME men, and as you have pointed out, SOME women are equally stupid. In my case, it just happened to be a man, as it was in OP's original post.
 
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Thanks for the explanation Mike007. My trailer is the newer style of the 2 you mentioned as I remember us having a Rice that needed pinning for maneouvres (can't spell it!!).

As to this bloke being an arse - yes he was. But a few weeks ago I had the same issue with a woman, so I'm starting to think everyone is against me! ;-(

He had a car load of his mates..... and like the woman before, I thanked him profusely once he reversed into a driveway, and then he still hooted at me!
 
It was very nice of you to even try - I would just have sat there waiting until he moved. The farmer's son at our old yard told us about meeting a guy who expected him to reverse his tractor and trailer round a corner so he could get past. As it was clear the car driver wasn't going to budge, he got his flask our and poured himself a cup of tea. The bloke finally took the hint and moved his car.
 
I'm afraid this incident is just indicative of the intolerant attitudes that I meet almost every working day.

It does not seem to matter how easy it is for the other person to resolve the issue, there are a proportion of drivers who just seem to question what YOU are doing on THEIR road.

Let them beep and wave their fists, it's their blood pressure going up, not yours or mine :D
 
I'm surprised you even tried! I would have sat there until they moved and then thanked them profusely

Basically on little roads the lorry / tractor / trailer is king and there is not a lot they can do about it.
 
I was in a similar situation last weekend. The only ways out of my yard are via single track lanes. I was halfway up a hill, with trailer and horse, when a car comes down, stops and expects me to reverse. I sat there for a while, waiting for the car to take the initiative. Car driver didn't budge either. Eventually (and how I didn't lose my temper I still don't know) I got out, walked up to the driver's window and very politely pointed out that I had right of way on two counts: 1. I was travelling uphill, and 2. I was towing a trailer. The reply I got was "but I'm 86 years old and I'm not able to reverse my car anymore". Holding back the urge to shout "so why the f*** are you still driving then?" I had to get back to the car and reverse halfway down the hill and round a blind corner.

Got to admit, it wasn't an experience I'd like to repeat, but I was actually very, very proud of myself for a) keeping calm and b) finding out that I could cope in what was for me the most difficult towing situation I've ever been in.
 
Faro said:
"but I'm 86 years old and I'm not able to reverse my car anymore".
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I would have called the police - complete waste of time yes, but there are people that seriously shouldn't be on the road any more, as they will cause accidents.

Frequently seen pootling around the Cotswolds at 38mph on a main road and then you have a head on with some burk trying to overtake in an unsafe place.
 
my trailer locks like this and it must feel awful for the horse

i got my dad to adjust the brakes which worked and we now park without the hand brake on (its an old richardson trailer) it might be worth mentioning it to the person who services the trailer

as to the coment from the man, my mum has a news paper in the car and when someone wont reverse a few feet she gets the news paper out and starts reeading it
 
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