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Old 03-25-2022, 08:45 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by curver900 View Post
gravel road...
tractor....
hopefully with a loader...
scrape down the high points and fill in the low spots...

or just fill in the low spots and get it mostly level...

otherwise you need to figure out the worst of the low/high and use measurements which should be fairly easy... my bet is you looked at it and it is probably so close that it is going to hit somewhere...
Yes, I have looked at it fairly carefully, it will be close. I can't shave down the top of the hill as there is a heavy cattle guard, fencing, and level ground at that point but I can fill in lower spots further down the incline, part of what I am trying to determine is where are the spots of concern are and how much fill may be needed. Google Earth shows that it is about a 15' drop over the length of about 35'. I also have another possible path that is flatter that I will look at closer as well, however that option is not a wet or even slightly damp weather option as I would have to go through a cattle pasture that gets very slick and turns to mud when wet, so that option may work as a fair weather option when everything is nice and dry.

As JFlightRisk suggested, I have dirt I can use further on down the hill and a loader to bring it back up and last year I purchased a few loads of gravel that I can top the road with once I have it packed a bit. I likely will bring in some dirt and gravel regardless as I use the road for other purposes anyway.

I plan to take a closer look this weekend and check it out.

Thanks everyone. ~CA
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Old 03-25-2022, 08:56 AM   #22
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On a similar thought, does any of you know how much lift I could get if I installed air bags? I don't need air bags for the ride level as the RV already has hellwig helper springs which I adjusted just right to keep the RV level or slightly higher in the rear, but if I could get perhaps 4" more lift for the rear of the RV as\whenever needed that may be of value and that additional clearance could be useful in other situations as well. ~CA
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Old 03-30-2022, 11:56 AM   #23
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Considering our 32’ high centers going down the driveway skirt, I’d “almost” bet it will. Good luck.
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Old 03-30-2022, 12:36 PM   #24
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Can you make a scale model and do some testing? Perhaps you could trace out an approximation of the hill on a large piece of paper or cardboard and a similar cutout of the camper and do some trial runs.
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Old 03-30-2022, 12:43 PM   #25
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Okay so not meaning to be flip but i would suggest one of two things. First would be to change the slope of the approach to one less steep or second - relocate the quonset shelter. Problem solved.
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Old 03-30-2022, 03:06 PM   #26
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Grade

Steep slopes are legally defined as hillsides having a 15 foot, or greater, vertical rise over 100 feet of horizontal run, or 15% slope



Your slope is a 42.86% grade. (5' over 35') If you do manage to get down the hill I would think you will have trouble getting up the hill. As you go up the hill consider weight transfer to the rear wheels.
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Old 03-30-2022, 03:50 PM   #27
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What about putting wheels under your back end like some class A’s have under their bumper.
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Old 03-30-2022, 04:24 PM   #28
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Quote:
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Steep slopes are legally defined as hillsides having a 15 foot, or greater, vertical rise over 100 feet of horizontal run, or 15% slope



Your slope is a 42.86% grade. (5' over 35') If you do manage to get down the hill I would think you will have trouble getting up the hill. As you go up the hill consider weight transfer to the rear wheels.
No JNJ, I don't think that your math is correct. 5'/35' = 14.28%, which is less than your definition of a "Steep Slope"
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Old 03-30-2022, 06:26 PM   #29
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No JNJ, I don't think that your math is correct. 5'/35' = 14.28%, which is less than your definition of a "Steep Slope"
The resulting math JNJ used actually is correct as my drop is 15'/35' = 42.85%. Just a typo I suspect for the 5/35.

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts for sure. With the ~43% slope, and while I believe that the V10 and 4.56 rear axle has enough power to climb this, I am not overly confident that I would have enough traction to climb the hill.

In any case, short of moving the building which can't easily be done, I will be looking at lowering the grade down and see what I can do in that regard before trying other options... other than a model or similar which may be something I will check into. Even with lowering the grade, I am trying to do what I can in order to get a better understanding of how much dirt and gravel is needed and where best to place it, along with checking into how much "transition" angle at the top and bottom of the hill is required. My thoughts are that even with a very steep middle section, if the transition off and on that section of the hill is spread out further then I wouldn't drag anything.
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Old 03-31-2022, 10:30 AM   #30
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Re: geometry question

So I’ve got a bit of a different approach. First I’d give the driveway a good eyeball, if you have a box scraper or bucket dress up noted trouble spots. If equipped I’d put a ball mount in the receiver hitch that is flat with a ball mounted to it this will give a bit of drag warning and protection, as well as a place to strap to if needed! Sell popcorn and tickets and proceed with caution!
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Old 03-31-2022, 02:24 PM   #31
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As with anything, the answers can be found with Google if you know the search terms.
Terms: Approach Angle, Departure Angle, Breakover Angle.
There are numerous entries on how to calculate these for your rig. Note that virtually all of these discussions focus on 4WD off-road vehicles, but the math is the same.

There are also numerous types of "angle gauges" out there. I personally like the Lexivon protractor...simple and sturdy, and the arms are long enough to line up well with 2"x4"s.

One might get a couple of 12' 2"x4"s and lay them at the angle...one on the flat, and one on the slope, then use the angle gauge to get the angle. Note that any "rounding off" of the road surface effectively reduces the angle, but the distance that matters most is the wheelbase of the rig...and the distance between the rear axle center and the rear bumper of the rig...for butt dragging.

Of course, this is all too much monkey motion...and still largely guesswork. All you really need to do is BACK down the hill with a spotter on each side. The most vulnerable point is likely to be the black/grey water dump valves. If the spotter says stop...stop. Have the spotter take a pic with her phone...do NOT try to set the brake and get out and look. Pull back up the hill. But if these clear, everything else should clear...depending, of course, on where the dumps are located relative to the wheelbase. Dumps near the axles won't ground out, but if they are somewhere in the middle of the wheelbase, they might.

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: Eyeball the underside of your coach. Remember that you have a drive shaft from the rear of the transmission...not far behind the driver's seat...all the way back to the rear axle. In many cases, this drive shaft will be segmented and much of it will be carried high in the chassis, but not always. Other vulnerable soft points, like the fuel tank, exhaust system (including tail pipe), exhaust for your onboard genny, may also be down in harm's way. You can mark the location of these vulnerable points with masking tape on the side of your rig, and as your rig approaches the breakover point, your spotters can get on their hands and knees with flashlights to see if any of these soft points are in danger. (Give your spotters some throw rugs or floor mats to kneel on and to keep their hands out of the dirt...this will vastly improve their performance as spotters.)

Train your spotters well before you begin this experiment. Divorces have happened over much less than a bent drive shaft or punctured fuel tank or dump pipes cleaned off the rig.

If you BACK down the hill, weight transfer to the rear axle will give you all the traction you have available to "change your mind" and drive back up the hill if something is about to ground out. BUT HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. Bear in mind that it's one thing to be able to drive up a steep hill with a little head of steam, but starting on a steep hill from a dead stop demands a LOT from your engine and drivetrain and available traction. If you (or a buddy) have a 4WD pickup and tow strap or chain, have that equipment and a qualified operator on site to hook onto your rig and help pull you back up the hill if you start to spin. If you spin, you dig, and ground clearance disappears as you dig. Again, YOU do not get out of your rig...you MUST hold the brakes. Putting the transmission in park and adding the parking brake only applies brakes to the rear wheels. You want all 4 wheels locked tight until the rescue comes.

If you can't pull off the maneuver with things as they are, a small dozer or skid steer can probably recontour your driveway to make the transitions less severe...and perhaps "repave" with a material like crusher run (best) or road base (adequate) to give your rig solid footing if it's wet. If you "cut" into a slope leaving higher terrain on either side of your recontoured road, be sure to also cut in drainage on either side of the driving surface, and crown the road surface, or your newly contoured road will become a drainage ditch! You need ditches on either side of this roadway...if you reshape it.

I'm a big fan of math, but no amount of reasonable math will account for things like the dangling bits of the black/grey dump valves and other such soft points. Only several competent sets of eyeballs can handle this task.

You mention "driving" down the hill. Maybe. Once you are comfortable that you can back down the hill, you can perform the same experiment driving forward down the hill with spotters. But bear in mind that you have a very long wheelbase vehicle with low ground clearance. What works in one direction may not work as well in the other direction. The worst case scenario is that you always back down the hill. And with all due respect, if you plan on doing these maneuvers, you'd better be able to back down every time.

P.S. I imagine you thought of this, but watch your roof clearance backing into your "garage". Have your spotters on hand to make sure that you have plenty of room above the RV roof before you are going to make contact with the garage door or door header on your garage. Being wrong at any point in this process can get VERY expensive.

Good luck.
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Old 03-31-2022, 03:48 PM   #32
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Thanks Jim, I will have to re-read your comment later in the evening and check out the website(s) you referenced and other similar ones. Fortunately I have some equipment that will help me, skid-steer, tractor, and even a loader once I do some repairs on it. ~CA
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