Guest Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I have always scoffed at 4x4's with inclinometer in them especially the ones that have clearly never been off road in their life's and don't ever think I have seen one when off roading, I have always known when a hill is to steep or a slope is to much and if you need a little gyro on your dash to tell you this then something is very wrong and maybe you shouldn't be driving off road. With all of the above said I am just about to take my trailer seriously off road for the first time probably at the Shire day out at Slab next month when building the trailer I figured out the maximum and minimum angles of departure etc and would have to go pretty extreme to get close to clanging the two together my biggest problem would be around V type ground where the land rover was coming out of a shell scrape type hole but the trailer was still going down, although I have measured this on the PC but am not sure how I would judge it in real life. An inclinometer would allow me to measure this and find out the absolute, but do they actually work? Are they Accurate? or do they simply get stuck and bob around? Is there a better way of doing this (I am hoping to avoid listing for the clunk!!) Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just to add to your simulation have you thought of V type situation combined with a change in direction? I guess you have You could also have some twist going on to ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just to add to your simulation have you thought of V type situation combined with a change in direction? I guess you have Thanks, yes I have thought of that one and I get a fair bit on angle on that although it does narrow that angle I would however try to avoid that type of jackknife situation. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Inclinometers are ok if you know at what angle you will tip over, but otherwise - something to make you worry Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 IMO I don't think you can beat having a spotter or getting out to look. Doing that will build experience at reading the ground too. The inclinometer won't tell you if your chassis or axle is about to hit something, or how you are in relation to a cross axle, or take account of rocks or steps. The ground tends to be too uneven for an angle of body lean to be the definitive guide to clearance or a safety limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicks90 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 the only use my inclinometer has is to prompt the other half into screaming and hitting me when i;m on a sideslope or drop off that is getting close to the point of no return, the last thing i am thinking of looking at is a bloody gauge! You can tell more from the feel of the vehicle if its going over, than a guage can tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve King Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Instead of buying another bit of bling, you could try dangling a ball from a bit of string attached to the rear view mirror!! IMHO side slopes nearly always feel worse than they actually are take it slowly and you should catch it before you reach the point of no return (hopefully!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 To echo your own words, if you need an inclinometer are you sure you should be thinking of taking a trailer off-road? You can get free inclinometer apps for smartphones. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 You could dangle a metal ball on a wire inside a tin full of EP90 oil (for damping) with the wire insulated from the can. When you tip beyond a certain angle, it sounds a buzzer. You could even mount this remotely in the trailer! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 You could dangle a metal ball on a wire inside a tin full of EP90 oil (for damping) with the wire insulated from the can. When you tip beyond a certain angle, it sounds a buzzer. You could even mount this remotely in the trailer! Si Now that is a quality bit of lateral thinking! No need to take your eyes of what you are doing either, altering the length of wire would alter the alarm angle as well Quick patent that Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 If the oil was too thick, then by the time the buzzer goes off it might be too late. At least you could listen to it in the upside-down position - it'll help to drown out all the laughing from people that saw you go over. Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Maybe you could incorporate another connection to the lid which kills the engine if you become inverted! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 You could also have a 3rd connection to a cassette player or similar that slings abuse/taped laughing/insurance advice/sandbag moaning about more money wasted on 'that thing' Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 the only use my inclinometer has is to prompt the other half into screaming and hitting me when i;m on a sideslope or drop off that is getting close to the point of no return, the last thing i am thinking of looking at is a bloody gauge! You can tell more from the feel of the vehicle if its going over, than a guage can tell you. Over the years I have become a fair judge of slopes and yes Mrs S normally is the first one to be an alarm!! Instead of buying another bit of bling, you could try dangling a ball from a bit of string attached to the rear view mirror!! IMHO side slopes nearly always feel worse than they actually are take it slowly and you should catch it before you reach the point of no return (hopefully!!!) It's not the angle of my truck I was worried about, more wondering if whilst I got used to the trailer it would actually give me actual reading, more for the trailer than the truck. To echo your own words, if you need an inclinometer are you sure you should be thinking of taking a trailer off-road? You can get free inclinometer apps for smartphones. Chris Thanks Chirs, maybe wise but I have come this far!!!! To be honest although over the years I have driven thousands of miles off road in all types of conditions and thousands of miles with all sizes of trailers and would like to think I am reasonably skilled at both (wouldn't we all), However I have never combined the two and a little apprehensive I will apply my normally cautious approach hence taking it to play day situations first where although there are lots of people to laugh there are also lots of people to help and advise. As I have not done it before I was just thinking about how I would translate the computer theory about the angles the trailer and my Landy would come together until I got used to it. You could dangle a metal ball on a wire inside a tin full of EP90 oil (for damping) with the wire insulated from the can. When you tip beyond a certain angle, it sounds a buzzer. You could even mount this remotely in the trailer! Si And so the X-Ball/X-Alarm/X-broke-it is conceived Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve King Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 It's not the angle of my truck I was worried about, more wondering if whilst I got used to the trailer it would actually give me actual reading, more for the trailer than the truck. A small person in trailer with inclinometer/ball $ string/XBall and a CB radio then!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardAllen Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Jason, Just in case you thought of having an inclinometer app on the iPhone attached to your dash, don't bother. I have tried them all off road and found none of them any use at all. A pity really, because with a bit of thought to the damping one or two of them could be made slightly better than completely useless. Regards Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 How about a remote camera on the back of the truck looking down? It might also assist with parking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Range Rover Blues Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Mibe goes off the scale on a roundabout, I don't look at it any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 How about a remote camera on the back of the truck looking down? It might also assist with parking... Not sure that a camera would be that useful unless I put it near the hitch to watch for the trailer 'touching'. I have driven a few lorries that I have had them and I found it fairly distracting as I am used to driving with my mirrors and the image in the screen was the 'wrong way round' which I found off putting and I went back to just using my mirrors they were however good for looking at the road kill as it happened. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtail84 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Look it's quite simple.... if the wing mirror is broken then you have gone to far. Climb out the 'up side' then find some bods to roll it up the right way.. simples... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Just drive around a small area with a spotted you will soon work out what you can and can't do. I tow the club trailer on and off most of the sites we use whilst not really off-road the Shire shed isn't really designed for it. Trust me you'll soon work it out and I would far rather do it by feel. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Just drive around a small area with a spotted you will soon work out what you can and can't do. I tow the club trailer on and off most of the sites we use whilst not really off-road the Shire shed isn't really designed for it. Trust me you'll soon work it out and I would far rather do it by feel. Mike Cheers Mike, I normaly do things by feel/gut and experience I was just wondering if it would help me quantify that but guess by the feedback that they are simply bling, and not a useful aid. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Duct tape a bottle of water to the trailer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONKEYCOPPER Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Personally, there aint an invention in the world as accurate as yer bum cheeks, tighter they get the closer to roll over you are !!! And yer ar$e cheeks will warn you LONG before it gets dangerous lol, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Personally, there aint an invention in the world as accurate as yer bum cheeks, tighter they get the closer to roll over you are !!! And yer ar$e cheeks will warn you LONG before it gets dangerous lol, Paul Paul, It's not the rolling over bit I was worried about just trying to figure out the angles between the trailer and the Landy so they don't come together however from the replies I really don't think I will bother and just take it out and learn with it. Jason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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