OP:
First, a 10-% grade is not the same as a 10 degree slope.
Second, if your Ram's e-brake won't hold the Ram AND the trailer, then something is very badly wrong. My e-brake on my '06 GMC 2500HD can and has held my pickup AND a 14K trailer on a 6% grade.
SueT: Many years ago, when I was young, dumb and feeling invincible I did the same thing with an '89 S-10 2WD automatoc towing a Fiero ( on a U-Haul 2-wheel dolly ) through Flaming Gorge to Vernal.
I discovered my trans had long ago lost it's over-run when I found no engine braking in second gear.
By the time I found a pull-out, my front rotors were literally glowing orange!
Once in Vernal, I discovered my rear brakes hadn't been working! No e-brake either.
I can't blame GM, I should have checked things before setting out.
However, I was successful at keeping my speed below 25 MPH all the way down. It was a week-day in the off-season, so not much traffic. I would have dead-stopped in the lane had the brake fade been any worse, and had I not seen the turn-out.
'06 GMC C2500HD RCLB gasser 4.10:1, 4L80E, custom camshaft
'84 Trans Am 6.2 diesel, 700R-4, custom Class-3 receiver
'69 F350 dually. GM 6.2 diesel, turbo, 700R-4, NP208 all pending.
bobinyelm wrote: Clutch/PP is basically new-no problems at all w/ the clutch.
Backing it 3-4 ft off the road might not have kept it from rolling back as it wasn't any less steep, and the chocks may not have held anyway.
You need a bank, rock wall or guard rail to hit with the rear right corner of the trail if you can not hold the load. This as a trick of OTR drivers. I saw it down once as a kid but most do not loose brakes to the point they will not hold the load on a hill.
To check your clutch, first apply the parking brake. Next, put the clutch in and go into third gear. Release your foot from the clutch gradually. If your clutch is in good condition, your engine should stall right away. If the engine doesn’t stall or if you hear rattling or bad noises from the engine, then your clutch is slipping. Good luck.
* This post was
edited 07/13/12 08:09pm by coolbreeze01 *
2008 Dodge 3500 With a Really Strong Tractor Motor...........
LB, SRW, 4X4, 6-Speed Auto, 3.73, Prodigy P3, Blue Ox Sway Pro........
2007 Komfort 212 on 225 75R 15E Maxxis 8008 Tires.........
If you break down on a hill you simply get over as far as possible, chock, open the hood and wait. Utah hwy 24 is a well traveled road and someone will come along and offer you assistance. I wouldn't necessarily wait for a policeman though as many of the roads out here aren't patrolled on a daily basis.
Myself, I probably wouldn't have tried to disconnect the truck, from the trailer, as my assumption would have been the truck was dying and I probably shouldn't keep running it as I could be causing a lot of damage.
I am glad I wasn't in your position, and thus I won't judge or swear that I would do things differently. But from my comfy desk chair here, I seriously don't think I would disconnect from my trailer and leave it in the middle of the roadway. Just doesn't seem right, safe, or even legal to do that. Stay with it, if for no other reason than to wave other drivers away.
coolbreeze01 wrote: To check your clutch, first apply the parking brake. Next, put the clutch in and go into third gear. Release your foot from the clutch gradually. If your clutch is in good condition, your engine should stall right away. If the engine doesn’t stall or if you hear rattling or bad noises from the engine, then your clutch is slipping. Good luck.
I know quite well when a clutch is slipping or not. I don't know how or why some folks are fixating on my clutch.
The clutch had NOTHING to do w/ the problem.
Furthermore, doing THAT test with an engine like the Cummins that will fuel up under load, even at idle, is abuse. The Cummins has plenty of torque to slip even a slightly questionable clutch while in almost any gear just by adding throttle even if NOT towing.
The rpm will increase without a commensurate increase in speed telling you the clutch is slipping.
whisperide wrote: OP:
First, a 10-% grade is not the same as a 10 degree slope. Did I say it WAS?
A 10% slope is 4.5 degrees, which is still very steep.
Second, if your Ram's e-brake won't hold the Ram AND the trailer, then something is very badly wrong. My e-brake on my '06 GMC 2500HD can and has held my pickup AND a 14K trailer on a 6% grade. Maybe it would hold a 10% grade with a total weight of 15k, maybe it wouldn't. I just wouldn't be the farm on it, and would want chocks behind all of the wheels as a precaution.
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