Sutton Bank A170

Jim Schush

Jim Schush

Joined
Nov 6, 2017
Posts
193
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Location
Huddersfield
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51,280
MH
Dethleffs Trend t7051
We are driving to Helmsley this morning from Leyburn and the route is taking us up Sutton Bank. I have just looked on the highways website and it does have a warning about drive wheel with possibly low traction points on some parts of the 25% gradient points.
Our van is running at near to 3.7 ton, is front wheel drive and 7.4 metres long, am I working too much and is it doable?
 
When you get near to Sutton Bank there are signs for an alternative ‘caravan’ route......just follow that through Coxwold and you’ll re-joint the A170 near Helmsley.

It’s only a few minutes longer, if your worried about Sutton Bank.
 
Hi - I would suggest you will have no problem whatsoever going up Sutton Bank - we are pretty much same size and weight - It is HGVs that seem to have the problem when they change down and loose traction - Caravans are banned -
The avoidance route isn't great - I would just do the bank u will be fine -been up and down loads of times
 
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Personally I always use the HGV/caravan route. It only takes a few minutes extra, and is much more relaxing.
Loss of traction can occur if the road is wet or you have to stop for any reason.
Coming down....no problem.(y)

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Sutton Bank. In 1980 the company I worked for had a Christmas party in Hemsley. During the party there was 2" of snow. As I was first to leave with my wife, we had to go down Sutton Bank (at that time the alternative route was not signposted).
Anyway we got home successfully. On the following Monday at work several of the lads came to see me, Ken they said you were the first down Sutton Bank how come your car wheeling did TWO LOOPS before getting down the bank.
Yes it was a bit hairy but safe.
Please use the caravan signposted route. If you stall on the steepest bit,
, unless you have a very low 1st year it will be very difficult to start (clutch burnout).
Drive safe!!
 
Wheres your sense of adventure.
The Morocco Funsters love hills. (y) ;)

img-20170302-131745-largejpg.jpg
 
No problems going up, just leave enough space with what/whoever in front, anticipate the road ahead...... you always get a bird spotter in front of you🙄😂
It’s good coming down aswell.. we had the engine management light on, it had been on for about 70miles, with no loss of power. On the way down Sutton Bank, I engaged 2nd gear and hill decent thingy (Fiat Comfortmatic gear box). The engine/electronics etc did the job, and when we got to the bottom the warning light had gone off. And not been on for 12months now 👍
 
There's only really one bad spot which is more or less at the bottom. A very sharp, steep LH bend. Approach leaving plenty of room in front and try and see if anything is coming down then you can have a good swing at the corner.

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TheTwoOfUs said:
There's only really one bad spot which is more or less at the bottom. A very sharp, steep LH bend. Approach leaving plenty of room in front and try and see if anything is coming down then you can have a good swing at the corner.
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That's about the only place you'll lose traction if you hit it a bit slow.
It's a hairpin and the inside of the corner is steep.
The steepest part of the hill is between the bottom and the hairpin
 
Only been to Whitby once - on the pillion behind Trophychap on the Blackbird. He commented through the Autocom at the top as we passed the NO CARAVANS sign, that the last time he came down here he was towing the caravan in the fog. Not sure if he had the Range Rover or the Granada at the time.

There are any number of roads in Wales too, which sort out who can drive from those who can't. People who you try to either get past or pull in and let em go ahead a reasonable distance, before you do ....... ie discretion.
 
Just looking on the NYCC website.
On average there are 2 HGV incidents per week with an average delay time of 4 hours each while the heavy wrecker drags them to the top.
I've been up and down the hill dozens of times (bikes and cars) and never been delayed.
 
We live fairly near Sutton bank. I'll be driving to Pickering on Thursday and will be using the caravan route.
You will be ok IF you get a clear run at it. The problem is if you round the penultimate bend and come across a lorry that's going very slow or stuck and you lose all your momentum. It will be difficult to get going again. And you're a bit commited then. No turning back.
It gets much steeper after that bend and lots of people aren't prepared for it as its blind.
We went up it in our 4.5 ton 7.4m long van a while ago and it was a bit hairy. Hubby who is an ex truck driver said he wouldn't do it again in the van hence with me driving we're doing the caravan route, which by the way is a bit narrow in parts.
 
Done in 5 ton Frankia no problems and garrowby and blue bank.

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Mr B said:
No problems going up, just leave enough space with what/whoever in front, anticipate the road ahead...... you always get a bird spotter in front of you🙄😂
It’s good coming down aswell.. we had the engine management light on, it had been on for about 70miles, with no loss of power. On the way down Sutton Bank, I engaged 2nd gear and hill decent thingy (Fiat Comfortmatic gear box). The engine/electronics etc did the job, and when we got to the bottom the warning light had gone off. And not been on for 12months now 👍
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Are you sure it did not just blow the bulb, hence no light anymore !!
 
I`ve had an R-V both up and down Sutton Bank, but being a Big Diesel and Auto, you just hold it in low, and be prepared to hold everyone else up!. (3mph!). Along with several HGV`s which where far more problematical. :LOL:
 
Had “ fun “ on Sutton Bank a couple of years ago in our V Line, just around the shard LH bend we came up behind an old tractor with some farm crap on the back doing about 3 mph. I could not go by as traffic was coming the other way. I had to stop or I would have burnt the clutch creeping behind the twat.

I waited for a few seconds for the oncoming traffic to clear, a quick glance in the R mirror to make sure no one was overtaking, good job as a Merc was impatient and was going to beat me to it, he’s past so with a bit of burnt rubber we are too.

Luck was on our side as the Merc has hit a car pulling out of a turning on the left, it could have been us had I not paused as he was “ being impatient “ We had to pick our way through bits of plastic and a cloud of steam, people were getting out so we carried on.

Our memory of Sutton Bank.

BernieT
 
tonka said:
Wheres your sense of adventure.
The Morocco Funsters love hills. (y) ;)

View attachment 408883

Ahh, memories of the Tizi n Test pass! That was good fun. I have an almost identical photograph with a few more MHs in the picture. Beautiful country and wonderful memories - but a lot of the roads were awful!
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Route 89A, Sedona to Flagstaff Arizona, is an "interesting" climb involving several Hairpin bends. From Pumphouse wash to the Old creek vista. They where working on it in 2012, to remove some of the worst tight bends. Not so much the "steep" but the length of the climb!. Same with some of the Crossings on the "Great Divide", they can be at 12.000ft!. High enough for SWMBO to notice the Lower Air Pressure and experience mild breathing issues (She is Asthmatic).
 
Went up it recently in our 9m 7t an without a problem. Just that first bend - make sure you are clear in front of you when you get to it.
 
Ah Sutton Bank-when an undergrad at York university (1976) had a try out for the gliding club. It had a winch launcher on the edge of Sutton Bank. With the instructor/pilot behind me, we trundled across the grass and I saw the edge of the bank rapidly approaching. and then it felt like you were catapulted over the edge with sheer emptiness beneath us. I think I lost 2 lbs on that flight, all of it brown!
Been up Sutton Bank many times when a delivery driver for Manders Paints (remember them?) in a Ford Transit 3500 but never in the motorhome.
 
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Ingwe said:
Ah Sutton Bank-when an undergrad at York university, had a try out for the gliding club. It had a winch launcher on the edge of Sutton Bank. With the instructor/pilot behind me, we trundled across the grass and I saw the edge of the bank rapidly approaching. and then it felt like you were catapulted over the edge with sheer emptiness beneath us. I think I lost 2 lbs on that flight, all of it brown!
Been up Sutton Bank many times when a delivery driver for Manders
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Likewise. But Back in the 50`s in a Slingsby T3, (no Canopy just a screen) As an Air Cadet! Hull Squadron, we used to go up there quite regularly, we where all regarded as Potential "recruits". (y) As you say, first time is a definite "Brown Trouser" Job!, If I remember right we had to be Min 13yrs and have parents permission in writing!. Took me ages to get dads signature right.!!!
 
I remember it well. I was there in '73 in an Austin K9 4 x 4 ex military ambulance. Great fun

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We have been up steeper and more winding roads with poorer surfaces in morocco in a 9m 5.5t front wheel drive moho. The biggest problem we had was grounding the tail overhang on some of the hairpin bends.
Take it easy and it shouldn’t be a problem.
 
We did it easily in our Rapido Merc engine Automatic, despite a cyclist!!
 
Jim Schush said:
We are driving to Helmsley this morning from Leyburn and the route is taking us up Sutton Bank. I have just looked on the highways website and it does have a warning about drive wheel with possibly low traction points on some parts of the 25% gradient points.
Our van is running at near to 3.7 ton, is front wheel drive and 7.4 metres long, am I working too much and is it doable?
Click to expand...
We did it several times in our 7.3 4Tonne Mizar, only had a problem once when a car and caravan were sliding back down the steepest part of the hill towards me. it ended up half parked in the ditch, had had to stop and the van wasn't too happy at the hill start. John was nearly taken off his bike by a similar incident. loads of 'white van man' manage ok.
 
makems said:
We have been up steeper and more winding roads with poorer surfaces in morocco in a 9m 5.5t front wheel drive moho. The biggest problem we had was grounding the tail overhang on some of the hairpin bends.
Take it easy and it shouldn’t be a problem.
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At least if the back end is grounding it will dig in and stop you rolling backwards !!!!!!!!!!!

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