Towing with a MT: Can I use L4 on a hill?

I'm fairly inexperienced with towing in the first place, but can get around alright. Last night was my first taste of an "oh shit" moment. I got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on a steep incline with my trailer mostly loaded. Made it up the hill alright but unfortunately got to smell clutch for the next 15 minutes.

My question to you more experienced haulers: If I find myself in a similar situation again, can I stick it in low 4WD and creep up the hill easier without smoking my clutch? I'm assuming Id need a little more foresight and not shift it into L4 on the incline, but is it a potential solution? Or at least any other towing with a MT tips that I'm not aware of?

Truck for reference: 2002 Tacoma TRD Offroad 4WD 3.4L with 5 speed

Thanks all in advance!

 

You can, but make sure you’ll be able to stop and put it back into high range before traffic starts moving and then you get stuck in lo. Ideally you’re not turning in that situation either or you’ll get uncomfortable binding.

 

Probably not a good idea on dry pavement.

 

Yeah, ideally no turning. Luckily out of the handful of times I have towed, I haven't encountered this situation before. Last night was just a straight incline so that's why I thought I might be able to get away with it if it happened again similarly.

Even if its a straight shot with no turn?

 

You want the 2lo mod for this purpose.

rats, 1st gen. Sorry. I thought I saw 2020. Oh well.

 

Give yourself more room to the car in front of you before you start moving. this way you can let the clutch all the way out in 1st gear and just give it enough gas to keep moving

 

Putting it in 4wd or 4wd low is not the remedy. I think the problem is one of a couple of things. It may be that you need a new clutch or pressure plate. Your clutch may be nearing replacement. Or your clutch needs adjustment . Maybe too much free play. Or it may be that you are not real adept at operating gears/clutch/gas. Or another possibility is that you have too much weight in your trailer, more than the truck can adequately handle.
I drove manual trannys for years towing boats or trailers in all terrain and conditions and never had any problems burning the clutch except if the clutch needed replacement.

 

What was the trailer weight? On any paved grade (dry), if you can't engage 1st gear without smoking the clutch, it was either an error in technique or it's too much trailer.

As mentioned above, give yourself enough room to launch and stay off the clutch for the remainder of the hill. Something is wrong if it won't launch in high range.

 

Out of everything, I'm guessing that the problem is with the weight of the trailer, or my technique in that moment. There has been zero issue with the clutch up until that one incident. The trailer weight is 2,000 lbs empty and I doubt I have even loaded it up with another 1,500 lbs. Total approximation of 3500 lbs. I have also towed this trailer before without prior issue. As for technique, I feel pretty confident in my abilities, but there is always room to improve.. On the bright side, driving it around town with no trailer the clutch isn't acting up.

The more I think about it, I think it was a perfect combination of stopping on a very steep hill, too much trailer weight when including gravity, and possible improper technique for that situation.

Also, I wanted to add for clarity purposes since I didn't in the first post, the truck had no problem pulling the trailer the rest of the way up that same incline. The problem was coming to a dead stop and then trying to take off again to get up to the top of the hill. Sorry for any redundancies, just trying to give as much info.

 

I'll admit that this scenario is one that I rarely get perfectly also. Last time I faced this I used the e-brake method to get me going. I'm not sure if that's what you used also, but using the handbrake helps open that window of error so that one doesnt need surgical timing to prevent a clutch smoking roll-back.

...There's been once or twice where Ive handbraked it with no cargo load.

 

It no big deal to use L4 to start on a steep hill, especially when towing. Just don't make sharp turns on dry pavement.

Might be easier to just use the hand brake tho, I do it all the time.

 

I will just say lack of experience !! Both the parking brake and trailer brakes to hold things do take practice.

Not being aware of traffic far enough ahead I have pulled many heavy loads @ 5000 pounds with my 22re 4x4 with no problems. I learned early on to drive in stop and go traffic and never stop by adjusting the following distance constantly .

I had a head start pulling hay wagons on rolling hills since I was 12 you soon learn the feel of every different clutch on each pick up and to never ride them.

Good luck in the future !

 

Normally I'm one of those who preaches to stay out of 4X4 on pavement. But for a short distance like this in a relatively straight line this is one of the exceptions. I've done similar things like this. Any time you're operating in 4X4 where traction is good it is putting excessive strain on drive line components. But sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do. Just try to limit how often and how far you drive in 4X4 on pavement.

It is the guys who try to get in their 10 miles/month and think that wet pavement is a reason to use 4X4 who are going to have problems down the road.

 

Your trailer brakes hold in the reverse direction? My trailer can't hold a backwards roll for squat. It brakes forward direction just fine. I don't think the magnets engage when traveling in reverse.

 

My 4 Wheel trailer brakes work in reverse just fine.

Being it was custom built maybe the brakes are different .

Now years ago thinking about this the design they would not hold in reverse

 

I don't see where using 4low will be that bad as long as you're driving straight and have a spot you can switch back to 2H (both of which you already know to do)

Was this a one off situation where you got stuck in traffic on a steep incline or do you see this happening more often?

The only other suggestion I could see being helpful is staying on the brakes while the traffic creeps up far enough ahead of you (maybe a few hundred feet) and then move up, that way you're not on and off the clutch as often as if you're staying up with traffic. It may annoy the people behind you since they're always impatient but at the end of the day, the traffic is there and they're not going to get any further faster whether you stay nut to butt or let a gap build up.

 

This was a one-off situation. I have only towed a trailer a few times, which is only when I'm moving. I was driving in a through a new area and took the wrong exit which landed me in late night construction traffic on a short but steep hill.

It was one of those where I had never anticipated this situation or problem but now I know it exists and what to look out for.

Well, I know what to look out for and how to potentially go about it thanks to everyone's suggestions .