Anyone never made it up a hill in their van??

So we're down in north Devon and went to the Coombe Martin wildlife and dinosaur park and the car park is at the top of a well I'd say cliff others a steep hill. Got half way up and the car in front stopped and we couldn't get started again!! So we had to roll back in reverse and park in the coach unloading car park!!

I will say I think the clutch is a bit weak but it hasn't struggled on any other hills oh and it's a high top brick! (Bay is still being restored)

So has anyone else had this in theirs??

 

Only when I had a slipping clutch , changed the clutch and been fine ever since

 

Nearly on holiday kept losing power on hills even with a 60 mph run up I was slowing down to under 30 mph,
A couple of times I thought I was not going to make it,
All down to a broken rotor arm,
Steve,

 

There was a hill I almost didn't get up once - I was following @Malc up a hill in Wales with @Steve behind me. Malc stops and I just about managed to grab 1st and get going again. Not sure of the name of the hill but I'm sure it had a rude name - I uttered a rude word while I was there, anyway.

 

i found them pretty good as they seem to be low geared. Just stick in 1st or second an dyour away, if its so steep as you have to drop down to first, provided you can keep enough momentum going and revs i would of thought it could tackle almost anything

 

pass of the cross in wales is a challenge, i hit the bottom at 60 and am about 15 at the top with a nice train behind me of jolly car drivers waving at me.

 

Don't worry, they're all cheering you on because the sight of an old VW campervan brightens up their otherwise dull and soulless journeys.

 

Friendly waves I hope,
Steve,

 

We burnt a clutch out on this very hill in 2002 in a 6 week old car, Renault Laguna.

That is one hell of a hill.

We had to roll back down, unload half the camping gear, get up the hill then walk back to get the rest. We did this after the 3rd attempt though, by which time it was too late for the clutch. On attempt 3 I had to bail the family out of the car because it filled with smoke!!

The hill should come with a warning!!!

 

In fact here

one time i videoed it

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one! We were quite loaded too, the worst bit though is the fact the park is on that hill and you spend the day walking up and down it!!!

 

I've always claimed the handbrake and clutch on my camper are the best of all the vehicles I've driven! The clutch on my t5 was crap! Although I never had to replace it, unlike the 3 I had in the t4 in 4 years!

 

we went on a secret tour round i.o.w with silver , ventnor thats a pretty steep one, then shanklin that was a bit steep to but we made it !! not sure what it would have been like if we had had to stop though!

 

I know the hill you mean - I think I was driving a V8 Discovery last time I was there so no problems.
I've had to go into 1st once in Wombat - coming out of Malcolm's at last year's Spring Camp. Went up Winnats Pass in the Peak District on Wednesday - 2nd all the way

 

Never had trouble starting as 1st seems pretty low, but hills at speed were a nightmare, getting ever slower when loaded, which is why my engine is now in Paul Weeding's capable hands. With reference to your brick, I was struggling up a hill on the M3 a few weeks ago and a brick came flying by, accelerating up the hill.

 

It was ok until @burntout come to a near standstill and I had to drop a gear on the hairpin, that and the wet and I was spinning up the wheels.

 

Yes, failed to pull away with a failed clutch at traffic lights on the way to the chip shop half a mile from home. .. after getting back from a Devon and Cornwall trip involving lots of second gear hill starts because the gearbox didnt have first gear on offer most of the time despite lots of adjustment. On the way back got out of Lyme Regis foot hard on floor in second..

Where the clutch went I would usually be driving through the lights up the hill in 4th...

One clutch and gearbox later all is well.

 

burnout where are them outs?

 

Years ago a mate of mine had a ford prefect ( 3 cylinder engine) and going up harrow on the hill 1. of the 3 passengers would have to walk. And the car went at the same pace

 

Mine is usually ok on hills and can accelerate up hills but from standing start is a different matter!! Especially as this hill was at least 45 degree's :-S