Caravans prohibited A170 Sutton Bank

[voyager4811]

I think it allows for muppets inexperienced caravanners

It doesn’t allow any caravans at all.there is cameras +and camera half way up the bank on the corner and they do normally prosecute drivers

 

[Beltie]

I agree about Sutton Bank, having driven up and down many times...but compared with towing in the Alps, Pyrenees and other mountain routes is it worse that those, or the standard of drivers is the main concern?

Most alpine passes are much less steep than Sutton Bank. 10% to 12% is pretty average. High and long certainly, but not necessarily steep.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

It doesn’t allow any caravans at all.there is cameras +and camera half way up the bank on the corner and they do normally prosecute drivers

I know, but the signs and prohibition is there to protect people against themselves

 

[voyager4811]

View attachment 752464View attachment 752464

It is not the hgv,s that are the problem it is the car and caravans that stall or come to a stop on the hill which in turn cause the trucks to stop which they Then loose forward momentum and believe me it’s not easy to get 44t to roll uphill from a standing start on a 25% uphill

 

[Marie-Claire]

I took the wagon and drag up fully freighted with bricks, put it in manual box on the level stretch before the hairpin and did about 5mph all the way to the top, all about keeping the momentum moving

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[scotzsue]

We have twice narrowly missed being seriously injured or killed by caravans and cars coming back down the hill and once just managed to avoid one which slewed across the road leaving only just enough room to avoid it. The road itself isn’t too bad but I try to avoid it.

 

[Neil S]

Went up Sutton bank 23 years ago with this old girl weighing in at a little over 42 tons .
stuck her in 2nd low bottom range just before the sharp hairpin and crawled up , didn’t attempt to change up until it started to level out near the lay-by at the top .
made me sweat I can tell you

 

[Ian Bosman]

I know, but the signs and prohibition is there to protect people against themselves

The sign is a prohibition sign so no excuses for cars with a trailer caravan

 

[DuxDeluxe]

The sign is a prohibition sign so no excuses for cars with a trailer caravanView attachment 752807

I know that

 

[EuroTrotters]

This is what could happen !

Caravans seized after Sutton Bank trip | Harrogate Informer

Two caravans have been seized by police this morning after coming to officers' attention as they were driven up Sutton Bank. Caravans are prohibited from

www.harrogate-news.co.uk

Out of date info re driving licences

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[Old Gibber]

Old Gibber I have towed the Morris around Scotland and the steep cliff roads of the East Coast and Wales. I have towed it on inclines as steep as this and, after the experience, I would say it is not as bad as the approach road to the Bolton Abbey site. My motorhome is not a small car and my small car is not a caravan. I would suggest you check the alternative route because it is not “a lot easier”.

I do know both routes very well thank you. As I said a bit of common sense goes a long way.

 

[Ian Bosman]

I do know both routes very well thank you. As I said a bit of common sense goes a long way.

I know this is not following the thread but there is a lot of caravaners who appear to flout the law regarding maximum speed which is never greater than 60mph. When on motorway i have often been passed at 70 mph (me) by an outfit of caravan and tug.I matters not a jot that the tug is capable of pulling a large caravan, it is the law that matters!

 

[grey bear]

been up sutton bank fully loaded ERF artic the gardner 240 engine was red hot the only time i heard the cooling fan come into play got to the top after climbing up in 1st gear just about walking pace all the way when stopped at top you could feel/smell/hear the heat and the gardner engine had even more oil leaks than normal till it cooled down to normal .wouldnt be in a rush to repeat in any hgv or car with a trailer

 

[Conal]

Ian Bosman Yes, maybe it was because I was extra careful towing the car but I noticed that, whilst I was obeying the 50mph rule, many many cars towing caravans, livestock and trailers empty and full passed me, some exceeding 60mph on dual carriageways. It could be due to modern vehicles having so much power.

 

[Minxy]

It could be due to modern vehicles having so much power.

That's a bit like saying it was the guns fault for shooting someone even though the person holding it pulled the trigger!

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[Ian Bosman]

Ian Bosman Yes, maybe it was because I was extra careful towing the car but I noticed that, whilst I was obeying the 50mph rule, many many cars towing caravans, livestock and trailers empty and full passed me, some exceeding 60mph on dual carriageways. It could be due to modern vehicles having so much power.

I suppose the solution is to do what happens in the mountains in europe which is to have a series of hairpins snaking up the climb such that the slope encountered is much less than that as it is now. The current evidence is that too many flout the law at Sutton Bank. I can well recall walking down this route over 60 odd years ago when a pupil still at school. That way we really appreciated the steep climb.

 

[Conal]

Minxy Not really, anyone can pull a trigger on a gun; my point was that powerful cars go faster more easily than less powerful ones. Manufacturers keep increasing the possible top speeds and the horse power even though there is no need for any car to be able to go over 70mph (in the UK), and vehicles towing only need power within a certain speed range.

 

[Ian Bosman]

Minxy Not really, anyone can pull a trigger on a gun; my point was that powerful cars go faster more easily than less powerful ones. Manufacturers keep increasing the possible top speeds and the horse power even though there is no need for any car to be able to go over 70mph (in the UK), and vehicles towing only need power within a certain speed range.

When o had a caravan my last tug was a pug 508 eStTe diesel which had loads of power but the van being pulled needed care as they all do, get a snake going can be very frightening which can happen when a Larry passes you

 

[gus-lopez]

I know this is not following the thread but there is a lot of caravaners who appear to flout the law regarding maximum speed which is never greater than 60mph. When on motorway i have often been passed at 70 mph (me) by an outfit of caravan and tug.I matters not a jot that the tug is capable of pulling a large caravan, it is the law that matters!

You left out the half wit in the outside lane.

 

[Deputysherrif]

Just returned from a four week jaunt and, whilst travelling from Slingsby, North Yorkshire, to Bolton Abbey, we travelled on the A170 at Sutton Bank. As we started on the A road we passed a number of warning signs prohibiting Caravans from the route. There were also caution signs stating that the gradient reached 25%. I assumed that the two sets of signs were linked - too steep for towing caravans?
I was towing a Morris minor on an A Frame and proceeded with caution, pulling over on occasion to allow faster traffic to pass.
My question is should I have viewed my arrangement as the same as a car towing a caravan? I felt there was a significant difference in that my car weighs around 800kg and my motorhome weighs around 4200kg (not fully loaded at the time). I found the steep descents and inclines relatively easy to manage although my speed did reduce, as did that of other HGVs travelling the route at the same time?

We were aware of how steep Sutton Bank was when we heading across the North York moors in our first motorhome so we followed the road signs for the alternative route for caravans. Off we went along some quite narrow but not steep roads anticipating arriving "on the other side" without problems.
Next thing we know we're on the road up Sutton Bank!
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. If they had got the road signs right my engine overheating light wouldn't have have come on....

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[Minxy]

Minxy Not really, anyone can pull a trigger on a gun; my point was that powerful cars go faster more easily than less powerful ones. Manufacturers keep increasing the possible top speeds and the horse power even though there is no need for any car to be able to go over 70mph (in the UK), and vehicles towing only need power within a certain speed range.

I know, but if you can't control the car to stay legal then you shouldn't be driving it, you can't blame the car for the driver's lack of ability to control his/her right foot, no more than you can blame a gun for going off when someone can't control the finger on the trigger.

 

[Ian Bosman]

You left out the half wit in the outside lane.

Amen to that