Colin1325 Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Just on way round Cornwall in van bodmin thru dartmoor Sidmouth then headed over to minehead. anyone been thru porlock. Porlock Hill Lynmouth Lynton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Yes - you should have no problem in a motorhome B-) Its the combination of steep uphill, hairpin bend and front wheel drive that gets you - especially with a long whelbase. But porlock hill bends are not too bad.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 As a fit 14 year lad, myself and a mate cycled both Porlock and Countisbury hill. the latter being more scenic but a serious maul up to the top! I certainly couldn't do it now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 I've been up it in a Motorhome, but I won't be doing it again. If you get a clear run with noone in the way and nothing large coming the other way then there is no problem at all. But, if for any reason you have to stop on the steep bit then getting going again will be a smokey experience! I was fairly lucky but remember that the road can be fairly busy and some pretty large wagons will want YOU to stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 John52 - 2019-09-25 3:05 PM Yes - you should have no problem in a motorhome B-) Its the combination of steep uphill, hairpin bend and front wheel drive that gets you - especially with a long whelbase. But porlock hill bends are not too bad.. hi John I take it you've never been up there in a mh trust me it's slightly different to a few hairpins and a steep uphill.. Lol its the steepest a road in UK and positively life threatening and as the other person said once is deffinately enough lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Been going that way in a motorhome every year for twenty years or more. Good advise at the bottom, select first gear and don't be tempted to change up into second until you reach the top. lol Use your engine as a brake coming down no matter how much it screams at you. Or you could use the gentler toll road. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 Hi that is good advice keep in first and don't look down just keep going. The hairpins are terrible I used the outside lane to go round them. They look horrible as u approach them and worse wen going round them and they seem never ending.. Near the last few 2 cars came whizzing down as I was going round.. Woo how he never hit us I don't know.. To be fair I wasn't fazed as I was gripping on to wheel for all I was worth.. I wouldn't ever do it again as we weren't aware of the steepness beforehand, even though we live in Cornwall.. The steepness was fine it was the acute hairpins that were harendous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teccer1234 Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 breakaleg - 2019-09-26 2:32 PM Been going that way in a motorhome every year for twenty years or more. Good advise at the bottom, select first gear and don't be tempted to change up into second until you reach the top. lol Use your engine as a brake coming down no matter how much it screams at you. Or you could use the gentler toll road. Pete another tip put your heater and blower on full that will help to keep the motor temperature down, open the window if you get too hot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan k Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 If you've got the comfortmatic auto box, put in manual mode so it doesnt keep trying to change up. The auto function got into a right mess trying to change up and then changing back dow until I put into manual and stayed in first gear. Otherwise it was ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Colin1325 - 2019-09-26 2:21 PM John52 - 2019-09-25 3:05 PM Yes - you should have no problem in a motorhome B-) Its the combination of steep uphill, hairpin bend and front wheel drive that gets you - especially with a long whelbase. But porlock hill bends are not too bad.. hi John I take it you've never been up there in a mh trust me it's slightly different to a few hairpins and a steep uphill.. Lol its the steepest a road in UK and positively life threatening and as the other person said once is deffinately enough lol Porlock Hill is not the steepest road in England (Google it) I have been up and down it many times. Last time was in an X2/50 XLWB Van/Motorhome, no problem at all. But the same van wouldn't get up the Hardnott Pass which is steeper. It got stuck on a hairpin going towards Ambleside - its not so bad in the opposite direction. Look at the picture and imagine a long wheelbase front wheel drive van going up that. As the van slopes upwards the centre of gravity being above road height moves back, taking weight off the front wheels. Rear wheel drive would be OK as most of the weight is on the back wheels. The offside rear wheel is trying to get up the inside of the curve which is steepest - about 45%! And due to the twisting of the road surface over the length of the van the nearside front wheel has very little weight on it. No diff lock so wheelspin in inevitable. Could probably get up that gradient if the road was straight so weight was evenly distributed between both front wheels, and there wasn't the extra steep inside curve. Especially if you were able to take a run at the steep bits - but no chance of that on such a sharp bend. There are about equally difficult hairpin bends both sides of Milook on the coast road south of Bude. But still not the steepest roads in England according to Google. Compared to them Porlock is easy as its not as steep and the corners not as tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 breakaleg - 2019-09-26 2:32 PM Use your engine as a brake coming down Good point. LGV drivers are trained to use the engine as a brake on long gradients - its part of the Test. breakaleg - 2019-09-26 2:32 PM no matter how much it screams at you. 8-) Steady On 8-) keep an eye on the Rev Counter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 Some where on google it says porlock hill is the steepest A road in UK. Is this correct.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share Posted September 26, 2019 Somerset Live tackles the steepest A-road in England, Porlock Hill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Colin1325 - 2019-09-26 6:19 PM Some where on google it says porlock hill is the steepest A road in UK. Is this correct.? Ah Sorry, as it wasn't a capital letter I didn't notice you put a road. :$ Its a National Disgrace roads like that are classified as A roads, but they are. So Yes, it may well be classed as the steepest 'A' road. But, as I understand it, they measure the gradient at the centreline, and its the steeper bit on the inside of tight bends that stops you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Colin1325 - 2019-09-26 6:40 PM Somerset Live tackles the steepest A-road in England, Porlock Hill From: https://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/england/3473-porlock-hill.html "At 25%, is reputably the steepest A road in England." And Wiki also claims it is the steepest A road... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porlock_Hill BUT the A170 Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire is also 25% in places so competes, although it only has ONE hairpin (but does ban caravans!!!)... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Bank Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Don't know if you can see it from this Google Maps link https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.7714079,-4.5758057,3a,75y,261.76h,92.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saN3_-Lcl8DzGa9iWseqlcA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Millook Haven gets my vote for Britain's worst road in a Motorhome. Its like a trap. You would probably get down to it OK. But then there are only 2 roads out, both involving 30% gradient tight hairpin bends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmac Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Hi, if you want a bit of practice at hairpin bends try the L50 coming out of Piesporter on the Moselle . regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted September 27, 2019 Author Share Posted September 27, 2019 John52 - 2019-09-26 6:44 PM Colin1325 - 2019-09-26 6:19 PM Some where on google it says porlock hill is the steepest A road in UK. Is this correct.? Ah Sorry, as it wasn't a capital letter I didn't notice you put a road. :$ Its a National Disgrace roads like that are classified as A roads, but they are. So Yes, it may well be classed as the steepest 'A' road. But, as I understand it, they measure the gradient at the centreline, and its the steeper bit on the inside of tight bends that stops you.. My mistake mate I should of put capital as u say all I can say is the hairpins were awful unless i took bends on outer lane I thought I was going to turn the van over terrifying van is just under 7 mt long colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 This street in Harlech is listed in the Guinness book of records as the steepest in the world! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 Bulletguy - 2019-09-28 12:30 AM This street in Harlech is listed in the Guinness book of records as the steepest in the world! 8-) Interesting clip. But going by that the bends don't look as tight. So I think Hardnott is probably steeper on the inside curve, which creates the double whammy of making the weight on the drive wheels uneven, and the longer the wheelbase the more uneven the weight on the drive wheels becomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannick Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Another comment about the hill coming out of Millook northbound. Very steep off camber left hand bend which we nearly got stuck on as we had little or no grip from the tyres. Wet road didn't help. It took me seven attempts to get up and around the bend in our Ducato based 5.4m camper van. I didn't think we were going to make it and reversing all the way back down the hill didn't appeal. In the end with much banging and crashing of the traction control, wheels spinning and clutch control I finally made it round. Our is not a big van. envoy.switched.quilting if you use What Three Words as a location finder. A few days later we did the Porlock Hill with ease... I later found this comment left by another camper on a nearby campsite review so I'm not alone in having such difficulties. "BEWARE! Had to get rescued by the AA as got stuck in a valley on the approach from the South after having almost burnt out the clutch. 30% inclines/declines with very sharp turns, we ended up wheel spinning and rolling back. We drive a Renault Master. The man who rescued us has had to rescue many others and advised his own truck only just about makes it up and is rear wheel drive." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albertslad Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 SO, HAVING SEEN THE COMMENTS THat follow... Why would you go up it? Is it the view, the beer at the top, the campsite or is it a shortcut to somewhere? Ditto for going down, unless you got up it and nowhere to go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 hannick - 2021-09-17 12:40 PM Another comment about the hill coming out of Millook northbound. Very steep off camber left hand bend which we nearly got stuck on as we had little or no grip from the tyres. Wet road didn't help. It took me seven attempts to get up and around the bend in our Ducato based 5.4m camper van. I didn't think we were going to make it and reversing all the way back down the hill didn't appeal. In the end with much banging and crashing of the traction control, wheels spinning and clutch control I finally made it round. Our is not a big van. envoy.switched.quilting if you use What Three Words as a location finder. A few days later we did the Porlock Hill with ease... I later found this comment left by another camper on a nearby campsite review so I'm not alone in having such difficulties. "BEWARE! Had to get rescued by the AA as got stuck in a valley on the approach from the South after having almost burnt out the clutch. 30% inclines/declines with very sharp turns, we ended up wheel spinning and rolling back. We drive a Renault Master. The man who rescued us has had to rescue many others and advised his own truck only just about makes it up and is rear wheel drive." Welcome to the forum hannick :-D I had the 6.36m X2/50 - eventually got out by driving forwards into the farm track facing you in your pic. Then reversing the rest of the way up the hill. Thereby avoiding driving around the hairpin (impossible as no traction due to the twist in the road surface) , and going up the hill effectively as a rear wheel drive. To complicate matters it was the van with the over high reverse gear. I reversed up as fast as I could to minimise clutch slipping but there was still quite a lot. So it didn't do the clutch any good at all. I certainly wouldn't want to drive down there in it again. I think there is a warning sign there now, but there wasn't when I went down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Albertslad - 2021-09-17 2:41 PM SO, HAVING SEEN THE COMMENTS THat follow... Why would you go up it? Is it the view, the beer at the top, the campsite or is it a shortcut to somewhere? Ditto for going down, unless you got up it and nowhere to go? I wouldn't have gone down it if I had seen the comments before. But I hadn't seen the comments so went down it because I could see on the map its part of the coast road - a short cut through route and very scenic route to Crackington Haven - which I wanted to see because I had read about in John Timpson's book - he went there for family holidays every year as a child There is also a large lay by near the top on the Bude side that camper vans stay overnight in. (Ok to get to if you come in from the Bude side, then turn round and go back the way you came.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannick Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 We used to have a VW T5 California which would go anywhere. Our first year with a bigger van, but it is only 0.4m longer. My wife used to live in Crackington Haven so we came from the south, visited the village and then left to go towards Bude. Lesson learnt. I can’t help but think that the Michelin Agilis CP tyres that are fitted to the van don’t help in such situations as there have been other occasions where I would have liked more grip from them, indeed we nearly got stuck in a village in southern France a few weeks ago as one tire on a 90 degree bend up a slight incline in a small village just didn’t have any grip at all on the smooth paving slabs that marked an edge to the pavement. Luckily we were adjacent to a restaurant at lunchtime so lots of people came across to help us with a push to get us over this hurdle. I know we need to be less adventurous than in the VW but then we’re never afraid to explore, however we don’t want to be that party that gets photographed blocking a country lane due to stupidity, so I’d like to think that after 12 years of this that we know our limits but Millook caught me out. I too went up the little farm driveway on the right to get out of the way of others and an Amazon type delivery van came up the hill. It took him two attempts to get up, and he succeeded only because he clearly couldn’t care less if he broke the thing trying and he left long trails of rubber on the road after him and clouds of tyre smoke! We’ve got a Hymercar Ayres Rock 5.4m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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