Epic fail, Don’t blindly follow your sat nav

[daventess]

Blimey! I've just "driven" it on google maps streetview. Two cyclists would have to be careful passing each other in places.

That looks insane.

Cracking views, though.

 

[Mike Atkins]

We've done it in our 1996 1.9td VW T4 camper. Was a bit scary in places and clutch got a bit warm. Felt worse going down as, with a short bonnet, difficult to judge the front. Amazing footage on the dashcam

 

[Beltie]

Crass stupidity; I'd like to hear his conversation with the hire company when he returned the 'van.
Does anyone know how they eventually extracted it?

 

[jess12]

Blimey that roads a bugger on a motorbike when it's wet don't think they could have had a sat navigation with van size programed in but there are enough warning signs before you get to it .But then we have all made mistakes live and learn I guess and the only thing damaged was the van and maybe a little pride

 

[Guigsy]

Blimey that roads a bugger on a motorbike when it's wet don't think they could have had a sat navigation with van size programed in but there are enough warning signs before you get to it .But then we have all made mistakes live and learn I guess and the only thing damaged was the van and maybe a little pride

I've tried and it's very hard to get even a car based satnav to take you over the pass. I'm pretty sure they went over it on purpose.

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[CWH]

If it's anything like the Bealach na Bà, the signs may not be visible. The signs at the bottom of the bealach were obliterated by stickers and had to be replaced - on longer posts, in the hope that the Sticker Fairies couldn't reach them. Unfortunately, this also puts them above the driver's eye-level.

 

[cyberyacht]

When I was last in the Lakes some years back, I was going to take OH over the Hardknott but when I got to the start of the pass there was a sign saying "loose chippings" as they had just resurfaced it. Discretion was the better part of valour so I gave it a miss.

 

[ElliesBoss]

Used to use it in the Motoring News Road Rally Championship many years ago. Great fun at speed in the dark . Just prayed I got the map reading correct .

 

[Michael Rennison]

But sometime when you don't follow the satnav you can equally get into trouble! A few years ago, heading to the King Harry Ferry from the east, following the satnav, when a road sign pointed right ,,, King Harry Ferry. Satnav said go straight ahead. Decided to follow the sign. Big mistake. a narrow lane that got narrower and narrower the further I went until the lane ran out a farm gate. Had to reverse a considerable distance before I could turn round. Getting back to the road we turned off, you could see all three arms had turned through 90 degrees.

Those lanes are a nightmare in anything other than a bike or scooter

 

[bobnick]

It is known it is easier one way than the other. I never can remember which way is which.

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[Calamaster]

I use a Truck Sniper Sat Nav and put in all my dimensions. If it warns me of a dodgey route I take alternative.

 

[dazandandrea]

When we had the 1984 T25 we did Hardknott , wrynose, Newlands and great Langdale on the same day .
Also completed all the above in a '72 T2 and '73 T2.
Great vans for difficult climbs on small roads

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

Empty the garage.

Get 10 people in the front seat.

Sorted.

Or put my wife's handbag onto the dashboard

 

[DavidG58]

That bend has a severe gradient

But well sign posted

My SIL took daughter and family over a couple of weeks ago in a T6 camper, on a dry sunny day, He scared himself

We drove over in the late 70’s in a spitfire, at the top Bev had to get out to see if anybody was coming up to the top, we couldn’t see over

 

[Freo]

That’s a great pic of that bend.
As can be seen, the drop of the camber on the inside is vicious.

I remember seeing a video of someone going over Hardknott in a traction engine.
Not sure, so don’t quote me, but I think it was Stuart Harrison, and his engine may have been Western Star. Great vide, in any case.

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[Bertilak]

I’ve done it that direction in small pvcs twice… the’83 Trafic just chugged up on 60bhp with rwd, like what’s the fuss, the T5 with 180 bhp was sliding about on traction control! And the hand brake couldn’t hold it on that gradient either (obviously I couldn’t use the power, but indicates the torque available)

 

[Gunnster]

I've ridden it a few times doing cycling sportives it's upto 33percent gradient on tight hairpin turns
Once caught up a corsa with a burning clutch too

 

[Beltie]

I've ridden it a few times doing cycling sportives it's upto 33percent gradient on tight hairpin turns
Once caught up a corsa with a burning clutch too

View attachment 751087

I've ridden it a couple of times, it's very tricky, particularly in the wet. If you try to ride it in the saddle, you end up pulling the front wheel off the ground. If you try to ride the hairpins out of the saddle, you end up losing traction from the back wheel.

 

[Gunnster]

Easier to ride up it than walk it in cycling shoes I found.
Certainly no plans to take MH that way would have to throw wife out or beer to get up

 

[Beltie]

Easier to ride up it than walk it in cycling shoes I found.
Certainly no plans to take MH that way would have to throw wife out or beer to get up

It's probably safer to walk up in cycling shoes than to try walking down in them. That could prove fatal!

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[Dazzola]

I'm of the opinion that if you can drive well, and read the road you can get pretty much anything anywhere.
I've had BMWs for years and never been stuck in snow, we once passed a bloody range rover stuck uphill past the northern general hospital in Sheffield during a blizzard.
It's all about weight, transfer and momentum.

 

[Bubble 12]

Hardknott pass yesterday. View attachment 750323
View attachment 750324
View attachment 750325

Went up there in the 80's in our Ford transit based Adventura, no problem. Passed a car with the bonnet up and steam coming out everywhere. Would not try it in our Autosleeper broadway EL not for lack of power but traction on FW drive is poor.

 

[G-RMPS]

Done Hardknott and Wrynose many times in both directions (by car) in my stupid youth. Also in the dark which is interesting. After a good day (they do have 'em occasionally in the Lakes) the sheep sleep on the road because it is relatively warm. A bit offputting seeing nothing but green eyes in your headlights

 

[VXman]

Reading all these replys with interest..
Lots of past threads saying FWD is the dogs bollocks with no traction issues and every bit as good as RWD..
Not so many in favour of FWD here!
P.S. you may have quessed I am a staunch RWD supporter and would never have a FWD motorhome.

Edit To add..... yep sure someone will say its the tyres.... not the driving wheels..

I struggled for traction up there a few years ago in my 4.2 V8 rear drive MG ZT-T. I don't think my Fiat Ducato motorhome would stand a chance. It spins it's front wheels at the sight of an incline!

 

[Orion]

View attachment 750903

That bend has a severe gradient

If you’re going to post a picture of it at least get the angle correct!

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[poppycamper]

I struggled for traction up there a few years ago in my 4.2 V8 rear drive MG ZT-T. I don't think my Fiat Ducato motorhome would stand a chance. It spins it's front wheels at the sight of an incline!

Differant to a moho.... Great big lump of a very fine engine over fro. Wheels... no weight over back... same as BMW's who drive around with bags of sand in boot...

 

[Nanniemate]

Tam would

so would I , was on similar last week great fun

 

[cyberyacht]

You have to give it a bit of welly going up Porlock hill. It's no good trying to crawl round that hairpin.

 

[Michael Rennison]

I've ridden it a few times doing cycling sportives it's upto 33percent gradient on tight hairpin turns
Once caught up a corsa with a burning clutch too

View attachment 751087

That's the one out of Kettlewell - 80 miles in and my quads locked up. Had to walk to the top then had a gel I'd saved and flew the last 20 miles. At the post ride nosh, I was singing the praises of the gel. The Yorkshireman next to me laughed and said "that were to slap on your a**e" There weren't any gels in the race pack.

 

[Otter Spotter]

I did Hardknott Pass on my Police Traffic department advanced driving course in a 3000 Capri, at one point 3 hairy arsed bobbies were sat on the rear hatch opening to get traction. I suggested to the instructor that we might need to find another route such as a helicopter

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