The depicted dilemma is relatively easily resolved as the "trailer car" is presumably motorised. An un-motorised caravan/trailer would/could create a more difficult reversing situation.
I have in the past had to reverse caravan out of more difficult situations - due to road conditions. It is not a situation I liked being in but with an adequate tug (Patrol) and low range capability it takes the stress level down.
Thanks Possun3. I forgot to look at your post of a week or so ago.
We have done 'most' of the roads in that region. There are some scary parts. Many of the roads are on old railroad right of ways. So they are very narrow. And a lot of old cuttings.
But we done it in a pickup not a 35ft mh towing. Note the towed car is on a dolly. So not quite as easy to unhook.
tea spoon said
11:09 AM Jun 20, 2021
another reason for using a drone ......
Are We Lost said
12:33 PM Jun 20, 2021
Well I can understand how easily that situation could arise. Perhaps that was where the GPS or map directed? Or just take a wrong turn. Once on the road, it then gets progressively narrower and steeper. With a long motorhome and short trailer, reversing would be a beast. At what point do you decide enough is enough?
"I can't turn around, the road is now too narrow to safely reverse with the trailer on, and I can't detach the trailer because I would not be able to get past it."
To me, the photo looks like it is showing the results of attempting to reverse back (angles and position on the road). Maybe he was worried that unloading the car would upset the delicate balance and have the whole lot rolling over and sliding down the hill.
I remember getting into a situation with a hired motorhome in Tasmania. Not nearly as bad as that, but very "memorable". We had taken a turnoff to some lookout ... maybe 10-15km?. Not planned, just saw the sign. As the road ascended it became steeper and narrower and then turned to gravel. I could not recall how far back a possible turning place would have been. Probably several kilometres. In hindsight, spending an hour or two reversing back down then would have been a better decision, but we pressed on as we were now close and would turn around at the lookout.
At the lookout, there was a final steep hump to get over to get on the flat and find room to turn around. That was fun. Finally got the motorhome over it after several attempts, by getting up enough momentum, and scattering much gravel into the bush.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Tony LEE said
12:43 PM Jun 20, 2021
I call it being adventurous.
Only once had to get pulled out - by a tractor in Turkey after walking a few km and climbing up to talk to a shepherd who climbed up some more to get phone reception to ring a friend who drove for an hour to get to me.
Well, gollygosh. A fairly major landslide had been previously partly cleared and there was just a bit of mud built up that looked easy enough to cross. Turned out to be a foot of clay and rocks and sand and dirt kept in a state of quicksand by water flowing through it. First climbed up on the landslide to divert the water away from us and then spent 2 hours with a shovel getting nowhere. Boots would sink way down into the mud and I often had to dig my feet out so I could take a step. Did manage to get a bit of the muck out but once I diverted the water the slush turned to concrete. Time to reassess. Changed boots socks and trousers and took enough rations to last for a 10km hike to the nearest town and set off. Luckily, I spotted a shepherd high on the hillside and climbed up to see if he could help. Lucky he had a mobile so we climbed even further up the hillside to get a signal and phoned a few people in town until one agreed to bring his tractor out to help.
Plenty of other times have ended up in dire situations, but that is what reverse gear is for
Or in this case, a winch
Always more interesting when the outside dually are just spinning in fresh air
And not only on the roads either. Twice the barge engine failed and we ended up drifting several km out of control back down the river in Brazil
And then there is snow. 2200 metres in eastern Turkey when we ended up in the middle of a major out of season snowstorm
Sign says "chains required'. They weren't kidding
And the real scary situations were never photographed simply because there wasn't time or we were more into survival mode than happy snap mode.
Keeps the blood pumping though.
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Sunday 20th of June 2021 12:47:02 PM
I'm quite cautious now I'm towing a 25' 3T caravan but with just the 4WD and a tent I have many times found myself in places where I thought "I don't want to be here!" What happens is the track starts off well and gradually gets worse, at some point you think "Maybe I should turn around?" but you can't right now so you carry on and the track gets worse... you get the idea.
I'm with Tony: it's an adventurous spirit :)
Tony LEE said
01:28 PM Jun 20, 2021
Actually, back to the OP.
If you ever get a chance to drive Wards Ferry Road CA in a 35 foot over width motorhome with non-folding side mirrors, I'd suggest you give it a big miss.
Sign at the start said 5 ton limit. 100 yards further on I realised it was s dreadful typo. Should have read 20 foot limit but by then it was too late. Front corner gently scraping the rock face and opposite corner outside dually running on thin air at every corner. Managed OK until second bridge where road met bridge at 90 degrees. Spent half an hour inching back and forth gaining an inch each time until we were lined up good enough to squeeze across.
Still have bad dreams about what could have been.
(no drones back then, no widespread wireless internet and maybe not even Google earth. Just a garmin to get us into trouble
BTW don't let anyone tell you you can't reverse a gypsy trailer or an a-framed 4 down. You can if you need to
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Sunday 20th of June 2021 01:31:52 PM
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Sunday 20th of June 2021 01:33:33 PM
bgt said
02:08 PM Jun 20, 2021
Tony some nice memories there.
I've backed a 4x4 on an A frame behind a 40ft bus. Not far but it can be done. Better if the wife holds the steering wheel in the towed.
In Alaska we drove into Wrangell St Elais NP. On a one lane gravel road that had just been graded. Wet and boggy. 35ft motor home towing a small car. About 25 miles in we caught up to the grader. No room to pass. About 40 miles in we found a pull off and camped for several days. A ranger knocked on the door one day and asked us "how the hell did you get this far into the park?". "Behind the grader". I can still see him walking away shaking his head. Lucky for us a few days later everything froze up. Including the road. We made out without an issue. Dramas? No. Memories.
Only in the USA?
https://www.rvnetwork.com/topic/142242-a-really-poor-choice-of-roads/
I have in the past had to reverse caravan out of more difficult situations - due to road conditions. It is not a situation I liked being in but with an adequate tug (Patrol) and low range capability it takes the stress level down.
Not far from Million Dollar Hwy. -------beautiful scenery in that part of the world..... (Nice place to do something stupid....!)
link works fine for me?
We have done 'most' of the roads in that region. There are some scary parts. Many of the roads are on old railroad right of ways. So they are very narrow. And a lot of old cuttings.
But we done it in a pickup not a 35ft mh towing. Note the towed car is on a dolly. So not quite as easy to unhook.
"I can't turn around, the road is now too narrow to safely reverse with the trailer on, and I can't detach the trailer because I would not be able to get past it."
To me, the photo looks like it is showing the results of attempting to reverse back (angles and position on the road). Maybe he was worried that unloading the car would upset the delicate balance and have the whole lot rolling over and sliding down the hill.
I remember getting into a situation with a hired motorhome in Tasmania. Not nearly as bad as that, but very "memorable". We had taken a turnoff to some lookout ... maybe 10-15km?. Not planned, just saw the sign. As the road ascended it became steeper and narrower and then turned to gravel. I could not recall how far back a possible turning place would have been. Probably several kilometres. In hindsight, spending an hour or two reversing back down then would have been a better decision, but we pressed on as we were now close and would turn around at the lookout.
At the lookout, there was a final steep hump to get over to get on the flat and find room to turn around. That was fun. Finally got the motorhome over it after several attempts, by getting up enough momentum, and scattering much gravel into the bush.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I call it being adventurous.
Only once had to get pulled out - by a tractor in Turkey after walking a few km and climbing up to talk to a shepherd who climbed up some more to get phone reception to ring a friend who drove for an hour to get to me.
Well, gollygosh. A fairly major landslide had been previously partly cleared and there was just a bit of mud built up that looked easy enough to cross. Turned out to be a foot of clay and rocks and sand and dirt kept in a state of quicksand by water flowing through it. First climbed up on the landslide to divert the water away from us and then spent 2 hours with a shovel getting nowhere. Boots would sink way down into the mud and I often had to dig my feet out so I could take a step. Did manage to get a bit of the muck out but once I diverted the water the slush turned to concrete. Time to reassess. Changed boots socks and trousers and took enough rations to last for a 10km hike to the nearest town and set off. Luckily, I spotted a shepherd high on the hillside and climbed up to see if he could help. Lucky he had a mobile so we climbed even further up the hillside to get a signal and phoned a few people in town until one agreed to bring his tractor out to help.
Plenty of other times have ended up in dire situations, but that is what reverse gear is for
Or in this case, a winch
Always more interesting when the outside dually are just spinning in fresh air
And not only on the roads either. Twice the barge engine failed and we ended up drifting several km out of control back down the river in Brazil
And then there is snow. 2200 metres in eastern Turkey when we ended up in the middle of a major out of season snowstorm
Sign says "chains required'. They weren't kidding
And the real scary situations were never photographed simply because there wasn't time or we were more into survival mode than happy snap mode.
Keeps the blood pumping though.
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Sunday 20th of June 2021 12:47:02 PM
Nice pics Tony.
It is easy to be wise after the event.
I'm quite cautious now I'm towing a 25' 3T caravan but with just the 4WD and a tent I have many times found myself in places where I thought "I don't want to be here!" What happens is the track starts off well and gradually gets worse, at some point you think "Maybe I should turn around?" but you can't right now so you carry on and the track gets worse... you get the idea.
I'm with Tony: it's an adventurous spirit :)
Actually, back to the OP.
If you ever get a chance to drive Wards Ferry Road CA in a 35 foot over width motorhome with non-folding side mirrors, I'd suggest you give it a big miss.
Wards Ferry Rd
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GXgq319t13qz9w2bA
Sign at the start said 5 ton limit. 100 yards further on I realised it was s dreadful typo. Should have read 20 foot limit but by then it was too late. Front corner gently scraping the rock face and opposite corner outside dually running on thin air at every corner. Managed OK until second bridge where road met bridge at 90 degrees. Spent half an hour inching back and forth gaining an inch each time until we were lined up good enough to squeeze across.
Still have bad dreams about what could have been.
(no drones back then, no widespread wireless internet and maybe not even Google earth. Just a garmin to get us into trouble
BTW don't let anyone tell you you can't reverse a gypsy trailer or an a-framed 4 down. You can if you need to
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Sunday 20th of June 2021 01:31:52 PM
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Sunday 20th of June 2021 01:33:33 PM