Slipping Downhill

[FJ40-GARAGE]

What are your experiences with your trailer in the woods??



Guess it would have been clever to block the trailer wheels to slow the vehicle down and keep it steerable, while going downhill.

I got MT tires on my trailer to prevent it from slipping sideways and a hand-parking brake other than that it has no brakes while driving.

 

[rusty_tlc]

My Dad grew up an the era when horse drawn wagons were still in common use.

He had a saying that went, "Don't say whoa in the mud."

 

[Brian in Oregon]

Now I know what I need.... Tire chains for my trailer. I have four heavy chains for my FJ40 for slick crap like that which packs treads until the tire is nothing but a slich mud disc driving on a slick mud trail. But the trailer needs chains too. Probably have an old set somewhere in the garage.

 

[ar2stp48]

Looks like the trailer was the main problem; poorly balanced with more weight to rear of trailer. Couple of times it is easy to see a lifting effect on rear of Rover. Move some weight to Rover and learn how to load a trailer. Won't solve all the problem but will sure help.

 

[Elbert]

if no brakes on the trailer I'm not sure there is a good solution for the problem. Seems like the trailer will push you around no matter what you do. The heavier the trailer the worse it would be. Trying to go slow and keep moving is one way to try and mitigate the issue but that seldom works very well.

If the loaded trailer is quite heavy as compared to the tow vehicle its going to be a larger problem. Reduce weight in the trailer?

Seems like a no win solution...other than trying to put electric brakes on the trailer?

 

[spressomon]

I hate mud! And even more so when a trailer is in tow. I agree...for the situation in the video trailer brakes might have helped. But at the end of the day mud sucks.

Momentum got us back to pavement but it was a tenuous process...taken a few years ago on a mud and rain stricken Explore Nevada trip.

Best advice? Take along lots of quarters

 

[yzftaco]

I personally think that in that situation (read: snotty mud on hill) trailer brakes would make it worse... Probably lock the tires and the weight and momentum of the trailer is going to keep going. (unless you can somehow drag trailer brakes not to lock them up)
Gasing it to to bring the trailer behind the truck is the only real answer.. but going downhill on an off camber... that's going to suck no matter what you do.

 

[tekada]

I tow my CDNM101 everywhere I go off road, mud, snow whatever the WX. I do not have any brakes on the trailer. What I've learned (the hard way) in low traction situations the best practice is to anticipate where the trailer will want to go (almost always with gravity) and put the truck there first. If yor going to tow off road you can no longer pick the best line for the truck you've gotta drive the trailer. This is often uncomfortable.

-C

 

[The Jade Bean]

Wow! Watched the video and seemed like a bad time. But back to the trailer part, we have brakes on our trailer, what would you say one should set the brake controller to (braking percentage) on a slippery slope like that?

-Daniel

 

[Brentbba]

No experience with mud like that here in SoCal. I do have brakes on my M101CDN, more for on road saftey and not toasting my trucks brakes. I have seen the tires on the trailer locking up down steep sandy, loose dusty trails, but nothing sideways like the video.

BTW...nobody has said it yet...but this is a Rover driver after all!

 

[snobdds]

Last October I was hauling a load of wood out of our cabin due to pine beatle kill and the road was snow covered with mud. There is a section about 500 yards long that is twisty with a pretty good pitch. The trailer weighted at least 10,000lbs and the truck was just a mid 90's F-250. I just chained the rear of the truck up and set the trailer controler to max. Then put the truck in 4low and 1st gear and went as slow as I could go. Speed is the killer and the slower I went, the more control I had.

It's doable if your not in a rush...

With an auto tranny, I don't think there is enough control in the gearing to do something like that.

 

[inthewall]

I agree, he had zero weight on the trailer tongue. It puts lift on rear axle of tow vehicle, not good.

 

[alia176]

tire chains for both the trailer and the tow rig would've been the safest bet in this instance. Yeah, they're PITA to deal with but getting pushed by a trailer can be a harrowing experience to say the least.

 

[AspenTrails Trailers]

Electric brakes, trailer loaded properly and not overloaded, and the hitch on the truck is way too high. The front of the trailer should always be two inches lower than the back for towing unless you have an equalizer hitch.

Chains might help, but withou breaks they just roll along. I am working on a dual controller for the trailer brakes, so one can be applied without the other, will help in steering and turning on descent.

 

[The Jade Bean]

The front of the trailer should always be two inches lower than the back for towing unless you have an equalizer hitch.

Can you explain more about that please? I've never heard that before and I've hauled my fair share of trailers. I'm talking specifically about the level of the trailer...thank you!

-Daniel

 

[Admartin]

throw in low gear and control speed is most important along with proper trailer load distribution. MT tires help in situations like this. Trailer brakes are a good idea as well.