Hi guys,
I have bought the Forester specifically to drive up a hill with the hangglider on the roof - beats carrying the stuff up on my back!
Last weekend I have miserably failed to take the upslope. Here's the story:
The farmer said he doesn't mind me attempting to drive up, but had seen the tires (half worn HT road ones) and doesn't think they will make it - so I should be careful to not end up in a ditch or upside down when I slip. On a chunky tires (points to his landrover) - no problem, if you know what you're doing. No problem if the ground is dry. But these tyres I have won't work with the half-saturated soil he has at the moment. And there are other challenges up there - a RangeRover had bottomed out with front wheels in a ditch a few weeks earlier.
So, cautiously I went for it, because just the thought of carrying 40kg of gear on my back for a mile and 500ft climb makes me tired!
Sure enough, I had a good start where the ground is fairly hard and the gradient not too steep - although no-2wd already, and hardly possible without Lo-ratio. Then it got a wee bit steeper and a wee bit muddier, and the wheels have spinned and I stopped for a moment and slid back down.
Backing down on the brakes has been a little "interesting" because I have somehow managed to engage a handbrake, but eventually I made it. And then - AGAIN - carried the gear up on my back, to have a lovely day's flying.
Still, that "going up the hill with the glider" was the primary objective of buying an AWD vehicle with a locking central diff, Hi-Lo ratio, half-decent clearance and less-than-ideal mpg. Ok, I love Subarus since I had the Impreza Turbo, and I do love the Forester, but with my current budget I do need an excuse to have a 4x4! Vast majority of my driving goes on tarmac and I love the handling and fun, but every once in a while I do need to drive up and down that freaking hill - that's my excuse!
So, started to think what I can do, how much a set of mud-throwing tyres would cost, whether they will be worse on road, whether I want to have them just for the flying days and swap over every time I go flying (and they'd need to be on their own rims of course)....
Then, last night, I've had an idea that seemed brilliant at 2am:new_multi:
WHY DON'T I BUY A SET OF TYRE CHAINS TO PUT ON WHEN I REACH THE FARM?! Ok, these are called "snow chains" and I'm dealing with mud, not snow - but it seems to eliminate most of mud tyres problems - expence, compromised(?) road performance, noise...
Now, the question is - any problems with the chains on the mud?
Has anyone tried it?
And which chains are the ones to buy unless you're talking me out of it?
...apologies for making you read so much, take your revenge in lengthy replies if you like :icon_rolleyes:
I have bought the Forester specifically to drive up a hill with the hangglider on the roof - beats carrying the stuff up on my back!
Last weekend I have miserably failed to take the upslope. Here's the story:
The farmer said he doesn't mind me attempting to drive up, but had seen the tires (half worn HT road ones) and doesn't think they will make it - so I should be careful to not end up in a ditch or upside down when I slip. On a chunky tires (points to his landrover) - no problem, if you know what you're doing. No problem if the ground is dry. But these tyres I have won't work with the half-saturated soil he has at the moment. And there are other challenges up there - a RangeRover had bottomed out with front wheels in a ditch a few weeks earlier.
So, cautiously I went for it, because just the thought of carrying 40kg of gear on my back for a mile and 500ft climb makes me tired!
Sure enough, I had a good start where the ground is fairly hard and the gradient not too steep - although no-2wd already, and hardly possible without Lo-ratio. Then it got a wee bit steeper and a wee bit muddier, and the wheels have spinned and I stopped for a moment and slid back down.
Backing down on the brakes has been a little "interesting" because I have somehow managed to engage a handbrake, but eventually I made it. And then - AGAIN - carried the gear up on my back, to have a lovely day's flying.
Still, that "going up the hill with the glider" was the primary objective of buying an AWD vehicle with a locking central diff, Hi-Lo ratio, half-decent clearance and less-than-ideal mpg. Ok, I love Subarus since I had the Impreza Turbo, and I do love the Forester, but with my current budget I do need an excuse to have a 4x4! Vast majority of my driving goes on tarmac and I love the handling and fun, but every once in a while I do need to drive up and down that freaking hill - that's my excuse!
So, started to think what I can do, how much a set of mud-throwing tyres would cost, whether they will be worse on road, whether I want to have them just for the flying days and swap over every time I go flying (and they'd need to be on their own rims of course)....
Then, last night, I've had an idea that seemed brilliant at 2am:new_multi:
WHY DON'T I BUY A SET OF TYRE CHAINS TO PUT ON WHEN I REACH THE FARM?! Ok, these are called "snow chains" and I'm dealing with mud, not snow - but it seems to eliminate most of mud tyres problems - expence, compromised(?) road performance, noise...
Now, the question is - any problems with the chains on the mud?
Has anyone tried it?
And which chains are the ones to buy unless you're talking me out of it?
...apologies for making you read so much, take your revenge in lengthy replies if you like :icon_rolleyes:
