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Towing In Loose Gravel

rdonarski
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rdonarski Enthusiast

rdonarski

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On 8/3/2026 at 9:48 AM, diyer2 said:

I had a boat for many years, never had a problem even with a 2 wheel drive 93 Silvy for 20 years. Good tires, proper use of the gas pedal worked.

This landing is worse than most. Patchy blacktop with washouts, soft gravel/sand at bottom that washes out with every heavy rain. I tell everyone to put it in 4WD. A lot of them think they can pull out their trailer in 2WD. They end up digging a hole and then putting it in 4WD.  The lake is a pristine lake and has a lot of money on it. There are several wake boats and lot of large tritoons. The people with the money don't want it improved because they don't want more traffic. 

 

 

Edited by rdonarski
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rdonarski Enthusiast

rdonarski

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19 hours ago, asilverblazer said:

People are stupid.

"...I was a farmer..." Because that guarantees you're an expert? 

Sounds more like he was an indoctrinated idiot too dumb to try to learn something basic like mechanical advantage.

I respectfully have to disagree with you here. If I'm stuck and I have a choice between a farmer and a guy with a mechanical engineering degree, I'll take the farmer every time. IMO, experience trumps education and nobody has as much experience at being stuck as a farmer.

Edited by rdonarski
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chris21 Enthusiast

chris21

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On 8/2/2026 at 3:08 PM, JimCost2014 said:

If what you are doing works, keep doing it:

 

4LO (Four-Wheel Drive Low) should only be used in extreme low-speed, high-torque situations such as deep mud, heavy snow, steep rock crawling, or extreme inclines/declines, and you must follow the correct engagement procedure to avoid drivetrain damage.

Intended Use Cases

  • Deep mud or snow where traction is extremely poor and you need maximum torque to get unstuck Trucks Only+1.

  • Rock crawling on steep, uneven terrain forum.fullsizechevy.com+1.

  • Extreme inclines or declines where you need to control speed and maintain traction solutionsphere.blog.

  • Heavy towing in low-traction conditions (e.g., deep sand, ice) carclubsusa.com.

The AI response here is contradicting itself... torque and traction are different, more torque does not mean more traction. Too much torque will break traction.

Atlas Senior Enthusiast

Atlas

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I'm not sure I agree with "extreme" low speed, high torque sentiment here with regards to the prescribed use of low range. How about...whenever it's needed?

 

A 2.72:1 transfer case and whatever differential gears these Silverados have (3.42's, maybe?) aren't producing "extremely" low crawl speeds. Or insanely high torque multiplication. Even with the 1st gear in these newer transmissions. But it does provide mechanical advantage and potentially better control at slower speeds. And with extra weight or towing, I think it adds mechanical sympathy for the truck as well.

 

Plus, traction control and the other assists generally turn off when you shift into low range. Those aren't needed here, they'll work against you if you need wheel spin. In high range you'll need to figure out how to turn off the various modes those assists provide. Depending on the vehicle, those things don't all automatically turn off or turn completely off.

 

While I agree that a farmer might have some great practical experience, a recommendation to "always" using one gear isn't very informed advice. If the farmer had said WHY and could explain the physics behind his prescriptive "always" I'd definitely listen. The way he's described here makes it sounds like he could either be uninformed or is telling everyone what worked for him, not necessarily that there could be a more advantageous way about things.

Edited by Atlas
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asilverblazer Senior Enthusiast

asilverblazer

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5 hours ago, rdonarski said:

I respectfully have to disagree with you here. If I'm stuck and I have a choice between a farmer and a guy with a mechanical engineering degree, I'll take the farmer every time. IMO, experience trumps education and nobody has as much experience at being stuck as a farmer.

Using experience to justify bad advice is lazy and typical of someone incapable of articulating why their advice is prudent. 

 

This immediately sets off the BS alert and the advice that followed certainly qualified.

 

Asking an idiot for help getting out of dumb situations because he is an expert... at getting himself into dumb situations.

 

Unless I've been living in an alternate universe - the first thing everyone does when getting into a sticky situation is shift to a higher gear 🤨.

 

Of course not, the torque multiplication, mechanical advantage and finer control typically afforded by the lower gear is far better suited for this scenario.

 

There ARE scenarios where a higher gear MIGHT be appropriate determined more by the drivers ability to control EXCESSIVE wheel spin versus applying torque to the ground.

asilverblazer Senior Enthusiast

asilverblazer

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29 minutes ago, Atlas said:

If the farmer had said WHY and could explain the physics behind his prescriptive "always" I'd definitely listen. The way he's described here...

... I don't think he could.

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