Towing up extremely steep hill ....

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welshcobmad

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Viewed a lovely livery which ticked all the boxes yesterday BUT the hill to access it was extremely steep - my Kia Sorento (big older shaped one) had to be put into first gear to get up some parts with just me in it! I also know the clutch has started to smell in the past whilst towing up the really long steady incline to even get to that driveway in the past. With that in mind, the thought of towing up or down it fills me with fear!

I'm due to get a new tow car & contemplating one of the bigger engines autos either VW Tourareg or Jeep Grand Cherokee. Would something like this cope any better than my trusty manual Sorento? If not, think I may need to carry on viewing yards! Any experience of tackling hills like that greatly appreciated! I own an Ifor 506 & a 500kg Welsh D so nothing too heavy but may well have to tow 2 at times.
 
My yard is at the top of a steep, narrow and until recently, bumpy hill. I've had a few tow cars over the years and in a low gear at a steady speed they've all been fine. The Defender is by far the best, I don't even need to accelerate, just put it in first and let it tick over. An auto would also be better than a manual for this so you don't burn the clutch out but I'd lock it in first rather than risking it changing up and then losing power.

If you're really worried about it and you're getting a new car anyway, I'd get something that has a low range option - effectively letting you drop down two or three more gears than high range first. I find this is as useful to engine break and make sure you don't have to sit on the brakes going down the hill as it is to go up.
 
What about getting a newer sorento automatic, if you like your current car. I find towing with automatics is so much nicer and ours copes easily with every task we ask of it!
 
I have a Grande Jeep Cherokee V8 which towes an old Richardson Supreme Ultra (heavyish trailer) with a hefty Clydesdale on board and it has no trouble hiking up steep hills. It does have the tow haul facility which holds it back from going up the gears to soon. Fabulous bit of kit but comes at a cost in fuel.
 
Another with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It doesn’t en feel my trailer on hills.

In the mean time could you unload at the bottom of the hill and walk up?
 
I used to have to tow up a steep hill usually 2nd gear most of the way.
I had a Jeep Cherokee, Ssangyong Rexton and Isuzu Trooper. All were fine. However it was always tricky in the winter due to ice etc, so that’s something else to consider. From a riding point of view as well as a driving.
 
I had a Daihatsu Fourtrack manual that had absolutely no problems with very steep hills, had a great gearbox and would just happily chug along on a tickover, best off roader I had too...unfortunatley they are no longer made :-(

My last 4x4 was a Jeep Cherokee auto - powerful car lovely to tow with but got shot after the whole tow bar debacle!! Just don't buy an Isuzu trooper - biggest piece of unreliable crap ever!!

If I was buying new I would buy a Ford Ranger automatic - lovely tow vehicles!
 
I have an Isuzu dmax manual. Amazing on hills. Low range gearbox option. Can tow 3.5 tonnes. Honestly it's awesome. Took some getting used to the amount of torque in low gears but it's great.
 
I tow with a Defender, which is in its own league when it comes to powering up hills or across terrain. Therefore no help with a lighter (more sensible!) everyday vehicle. However just a thought, why not scope out or openly ask other liveries as the yard what they tow with?

Also second what another poster said about it’s not just going up but coming down. Both with and without a trailer it may make winter access limited. Had a scary moment earlier this year where the temperature dropped so much whilst we were out that a very steep hill was icy as I towed home. I felt lucky I had the weight and control of a bigger 4x4 to control the speed. Makes me feel sick to think what could have happened with the combos I see some people towing, particularly estate cars.
 
I'm afraid I'm going to put a downer on it. My last yard had 2 huuuugeee hills to get up. They were stoney and potholed too. It did put me off going out anywhere if I'm honest. My trailer moved twice in the 2 years I was there.
 
Another with a jeep v8, but mine is lpg so does great on fuel, the hills are very steep around me, I can do 30 -40 miles an hour without putting my foot down. with 2 horses in the trailer.
 
Thank you for all your responses, it's given me a lot to think about & really useful.

I love my Sorento but knowing it struggles up the hill leading to this place & that the drive way is twice as bad there's no way I'd feel comfortable with a box on it, plus the newer model Sorentos tow less so that's out! Lots of good things said about the Jeep Grand Cherokees & I also like the look of the Isuzu D-Max so will look at them & also to some more research on the VW Touaregs. Like one of you suggested, loading at the top would be good but my boy is one of those prats who loads depending on the which way the winds blowing so not as easy as just popping him on at the top of the lane.

After lots of thinking its really put me off & think I'll carry on the hunt (for somewhere flatter!), as some one mentioned, even an icy day would cause issues & frighten me & I suspect I'd be less likely to go out & about with the thought of tackling that hill - I'm really a very confident driver towing & out in all weathers, but it really does look like you're heading off the end of the earth dropping down to it lol!

This has all helped with my new car research though as I need a new one anyway so thank you all!!
 
We have a 2010 Sorento and it’s towing capacity is 2.5t, I didn’t think the older models towed more than that? The Sportage can tow 2t (depending on model).
 
i swapped from a Sorento to a Jeep Grand Cherokee for exactly this reason, my husband thought i was making it up when i said it was smelling going up the hills till he sat it!!
The trailer lived down the bottom of the steepest hill i have every driven up and down and it scared me till I got the jeep
 
Ruby's Mum said:
We have a 2010 Sorento and it’s towing capacity is 2.5t, I didn’t think the older models towed more than that? The Sportage can tow 2t (depending on model).
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The pre 2010 ones like I have tow 2800kg, the newer ones like you have are 2500kg if a manual & the autos which is what I'm after, only tow 2000kg - so not enough for me if mine can tow 2800kg but struggles on the very steep hills unfortunately. I love it otherwise though!
 
mjcssjw2 said:
i swapped from a Sorento to a Jeep Grand Cherokee for exactly this reason, my husband thought i was making it up when i said it was smelling going up the hills till he sat it!!
The trailer lived down the bottom of the steepest hill i have every driven up and down and it scared me till I got the jeep
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I'm glad you said that! As that's my exact worry, I'll do it once & move then never shift the trailer again as its in the back of my mind. My other half was in the Sorento with me when it started smelling on the hill past this year I was referring to & panicked we were going to stop halfway as it got pretty strong so at least hes seen it first hand really. Jeep Grand Cherokee it may be then!
 
welshcobmad said:
The pre 2010 ones like I have tow 2800kg, the newer ones like you have are 2500kg if a manual & the autos which is what I'm after, only tow 2000kg - so not enough for me if mine can tow 2800kg but struggles on the very steep hills unfortunately. I love it otherwise though!
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Gosh I never realised the older models could tow 2.8T that's a big drop to the newer models.
 
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