Tow a car?

[MountainBuck]

I live with a 14 degree gravel driveway. The steep part is probably 50 yards long.

My Ventrac has been great grooming the gravel with the landscape rake and blowing leaves off with the blower, etc.

While no one has gotten completely stuck, many people have had to back down the drive and make multiple attempts to get out.

Last week a contractor came down in a Kia. I warned him that he would have to take a good running start, take off the vehicle stabilization button, keep it in first gear. But it took him 4 tries to get out. Which got me to thinking.

Do you think if something light weight like the Kia did get stuck, would my Ventrac be a better or worse option than my F150 in low gear to pull up the drive?

 

[CobyRupert]

Which one better to pull a Kia?
F150 is 4x4?

Usually weight wins
...but only if that weight can be used to get better traction.

This is where tires make a big difference, as does the angle of the tow rope (whether it adds down force (traction), or does it lift up the pull vehicle.

So you had them turn off traction control? It will be interesting to see what others think of this. (IMHO) Sometimes you should, sometimes you shouldn't.
One (sometimes) gets more traction when you're not spinning, but sometimes you'll just run out of speed if traction control keeps backing off throttle. Then again, with it turned off, sometimes the spinning tire (via the differential) is giving the non-spinning tire (with traction) more torque than it would otherwise have.

 

[zmountaineer]

I would say absolutely not with the Ventrac trying to pull up a hill. The ventrac is back heavy and you’d need a lot of weight on the front before I would even attempt it. If I had an f150 at my dispose when someone was stuck in that situation I would use it.

 

[LouNY]

I live with a 14 degree gravel driveway. The steep part is probably 50 yards long.

My Ventrac has been great grooming the gravel with the landscape rake and blowing leaves off with the blower, etc.

While no one has gotten completely stuck, many people have had to back down the drive and make multiple attempts to get out.

Last week a contractor came down in a Kia. I warned him that he would have to take a good running start, take off the vehicle stabilization button, keep it in first gear. But it took him 4 tries to get out. Which got me to thinking.

Do you think if something light weight like the Kia did get stuck, would my Ventrac be a better or worse option than my F150 in low gear to pull up the drive?

I'm surprised that so many people are having problems.
Is your gravel loose and marblelike?
I did see where you are grooming with a York rake,
I have a steep gravel/dirt driveway which I try to avoid using a York rake on,
as when I used one it tended to loosen the driveway and windrow stones on the surface.
On my driveway the more sand I use in the winter the better the driveway tightens up in the spring.
As far as turning traction control off, every vehicle seems to be different.
Most vehicles make mine in the summer, some will chew and dig a bit especially in the corners.
In the winter my wife's Equinox will just drive right on up most of the time,
whereas my fancy RAM you have to turn off the traction control or it will just park itself.

As far as pulling people out or up I would lean more towards the pickup,
rather then the Ventrac.

 

[johara1]

There is only one thing in stone that will work on a hill and that is modified, same sized stone will not work. Modified is sized from dust up 2 or 3's being the largest size mixed in. Mix some 1's and dust mixed in to what you have and end your problem... it will need to be mixed with what you have, or load it up mix it in a pile and re spread it, or take at least a 1/2 off and mix it with 1's and dust and re apply it 14 degrees isn't steep for modified it will pack like concrete

BTW when you use the term gravel, that is out of a river and graded like stone .... jim

 

[johara1]

I would say absolutely not with the Ventrac trying to pull up a hill. The ventrac is back heavy and you’d need a lot of weight on the front before I would even attempt it. If I had an f150 at my dispose when someone was stuck in that situation I would use it.

A ventrac is back heavy??? No way, why do you add weight to the back to keep it on the ground mowing? any way if he would fix the mess with modified instead of just stone he could go up the hill on his 10 speed bike. .... jim

 

[deezler]

If people are getting "stuck" so readily, you need to re-think your surface composition. It sounds like the gravel is very loose and people are spinning out. Stop raking the top! Get a road base mix with fines, lay it down with a proper crown to shed surface water, and watch it harden up into a nice grippy surface.

What kind of stone would you say you have on it now?

 

[johara1]

If people are getting "stuck" so readily, you need to re-think your surface composition. It sounds like the gravel is very loose and people are spinning out. Stop raking the top! Get a road base mix with fines, lay it down with a proper crown to shed surface water, and watch it harden up into a nice grippy surface.

What kind of stone would you say you have on it now?

Sub base is meant to be covered, modified doesn't have as much dirt in it. 2A modified is what he needs but if he has 2b down and it is kicking out, I would get a load of 1's and dust and mix it my self... jim

 

[zmountaineer]

A ventrac is back heavy??? No way, why do you add weight to the back to keep it on the ground mowing? any way if he would fix the mess with modified instead of just stone he could go up the hill on his 10 speed bike. .... jim

I beg to differ, without an attachment on, the ventrac is definitely back heavy (bare tractor with the standard weights behind the axle). There would be a difference in pulling with a power rake on the front compared to a 72 inch blade. I can pop a wheelie on flat ground sans attachment. Going up my back hill I cannot do it with just a blade on, but can with the mower.

 

[johara1]

I beg to differ, without an attachment on, the ventrac is definitely back heavy (bare tractor with the standard weights behind the axle). There would be a difference in pulling with a power rake on the front compared to a 72 inch blade. I can pop a wheelie on flat ground sans attachment. Going up my back hill I cannot do it with just a blade on, but can with the mower.

I can't believe you are saying this you have add weight to the back, to be even? Everything is in the front but the rear axle. That is the reason a loader has the engine in the rear that is the heavy end. The 3000 series VT. has the engine in the rear and it doesn't need weights without the mower deck on a 3000 it will not go up a hill forward but it will back up, try back a 4500 up a steep hill without weight on the back in reverse.... I have the weights on and it will pick the rear wheels up backing up a steep hill with the mower up and 4 weights on the rear.... jim