Pepsi Challenge: Crazy driveway - Austin area
 

Hey guys! Seeing if any WW's out there in the Austin area could help me out...

So we just moved to Austin a few months ago. Was able to get a sweet place on the lake for cheap. I know why...the driveway looks like a double black ski run. I'm looking for a diesel 4wd (dually is too wide I think) truck to push my 2003 SANTE up the driveway into a spot so I can finish putting her back together.

I've uploaded a vid of my predicament...

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rGE1K_VUPMc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Boat is a 2003 Super Air on a double axle trailer. I was able to get it about 1/4 of the way up with a 2wd f150. I've used a Denali burb to push about a 3K load up it (single trailer with motorcycle and garage crap on it), and it was maxed out. I think it's gonna require some serious torque to push this thing up. Combine the fact that the driveway is narrow, and curved, and I've got a real challenge for anyone that is up to it.

If anyone can spare a few hours out of their day, and have a vehicle that can meet the Pepsi Challenger, then shoot me a txt or call....

Vehicles that I think will do the job: 4wd cummins, stroker, or chevy; v10tdi toureg, and the salesman at the BMW place claims an X5 will do it. I call BS, but if anyone has a v8 X5 and think their rig is up to the task, then I'd like to try. Been looking at X5's as a tow vehicle....

I'm off to change the head gasket on a e36...eff

Cheers!
Brandon
9792293543

where in austin do you live? i live in hudson bend lets shred

I live out in Briarcliff. You don't know how bad I need to ride. Your boat on the water right now? Hell, I'll even go no wetsuit if I have to.

Tell the BMW dealer you need to demo one.

my thoughts exactly. i would never buy a potential tow vehicle without knowing that it can 100% for sure do the jobs that I need it to. i did a couple of boat towing test drives at our local chevy dealer before i settled on the model i wanted. i'd think they'd let you do it no problem.

I'd think 4wd lo and a front receiver hitch will be your friend on that driveway. wow!

trust me. I asked. multiple times. they said they didn't have any that had tow hitches. he checked used car lot too. personally, I don't think it has the grunt to do it, but I'd like to see the guy try. I need to check local VW dealers and see if there is a v10tdi around. slim chance I know....

This reminds me of the hill I took my sunsetter up going out of a marina. Which at the time I had a 2001 Ram 2500 CTD. Starting from a dead stop as the prop guard brushed the gravel when the incline started. Did not use 4wd and this was on a road that was once paved, but the pavement was totally gone, so it was more like gravel. There should be no reason a "heavy half" or 3/4 ton truck, even a gasser cant get up this hill.

I would be very concerned about a short wheelbase suv like the X-5 to do that though.

didnt think about front hitch. good idea.

Bryce, not to be an ass, just trying to figure out your situation. were you backing up the hill, or pulling it up the hill?

This was pulling and I get that your saying PUSH, I left out needing 4wd, being a minnesotan I assume every truck has 4wd ;-)

oh nice your pretty close.

we trailer my boat i live on lake travis but since its so low we just put in on lake austin. we have been going out quite a bit this winter. we have slowed down a bit the past few weeks to save some hours on the boat to sell it and get an mb f21.

heres my facebook just hit me up
facebook.com/jboneill

I would think any V8 with 4wd LO range would go up that hill ok with a boat only 3k load on it.

maybe you should "consider" buying a 1/2 OR 3/4 ton w/ 4WD....at least for one day ;)

Test drive a 4WD F150 Ecoboost. That driveway is a beast but I'd bet it would have no problem. I love mine. I'd help but I'm in Houston.

Anything with 4 low and locking diffs would do it. My old Toyota SR5 with a 4 banger would haul 9800 lb parasail boats up the ramp. I wouldn't tow down the street but it would drag them out of the water when the F 250 2wd was smoking the tires.

Just a thought but you could get a wrecker to winch the boat up the hill.

all great ideas guys....thanks!.....yeah, I've called around and talked to the dealerships looking to "buy" a car. I did finally get the GM of a dodge dealer to call me, but still haven't talked to him yet.

I'm guessing boat, loaded is about 4500lbs-ish. didn't think about an ecoboost ford...might be a challenge for the ford salesman...ill give him a call.

JB...ill hit you up on FB

Cheers!

I found it.

This should do the trick, the custom wheels are extra..
Texas right? Y'all should know what this is.

nice...but I think it's a little wide

I agree you are going to need a 4x4, if the tires still slip you can air them down for better traction.

What about a tractor? That's what they use at our ramp and seems to work well.

I wouldn't tell them that you are going to test pulling your boat with it. Just tell them that you want to test drive one that has a tow package. I agree with the consensus that 4wd Lo will in almost anything will put it up that hill. Looks like a nice place! Congrats on the new home!

Another option is posting on pirate4x4.com or any diesel forum. Usually everyone on the pirate4x4.com is pretty helpful. I wouldn't post a phone number on the post. Have them send you a message or vesa versa.

Have you checked with Home Depot? I know the one by me has a few big trucks for rentals.

You can also try: http://www.longhorncartruckrentals.com/ if you don't come up with any other ideas.

If only you lived in the northwest...
http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/2821658615.html

Looks like Limecreek Road area

I'd be getting bids to widen that driveway 2-3' on each side. Any room on top to do a turn-around? Might make things easier.

something with a tall rear end ratio and a front hitch (greatest thing since the front opening bra) and maybe 4x4 on top of all that should do it. I really really loved my vehicle with the front hitch.

Holy F'ing sxxt!!!! just thinking about backing a boat up that driveway got me nervous.

Unfortunately, this is just a rental house. If it were mine, I'd grade the whole damn front yard and make a parking lot and turnaround. So making it wider isn't an option.

Backing something up it really isn't very hard. I've backed a trailer half a dozen times up it, just not one this heavy yet....cause I haven't found a rig yet :)

when you say the truck didn't have enough oomph, did you mean that the tires were spinning, or that the truck was beginning to rev, but not moving due to the torque convertor not locking up (assuming it was an automatic)?

also, what year f150? what engine? were you backing up the hill or pulling up the hill like it was a boat ramp (previous posts make it confusing)...

dont get mental, you just need any 4x4 with low range. pick a model and go for it. I have an ecoboost, have had many others. they will all do the job, you dont need anything more. Your just faced with the fact that you need to move slow and not spin tires, so to keep a tranny from popping, use the 4x4 low and take your time. No problems. i use to back up a 600ft dead end that my buddy lived on every weekend to load a 24ft cargo trailer to go road racing for years. there was no turn around and it was really steep. so steep that if it was raining you would spin up it. good luck

We add ballast to our boats, why not add some over that rear axle?

I wish I lived close to you.....I could back up that EASY...And I love a challenge!!!
I drink diet coke and live in Cali though....
I agree if the truck was spinning the tires put weight in the bed.

I live about 40 minutes away, I have a F150 4x4 ecoboost and a F250 with 7.3 diesel 4x4 with new 35in tires. If you are still stuck let me know and I can probably help you out on a weekend. I would think that either of them would probably do the job.

I've trailered up driveways that steep when I've been in the area ( unfortunately I'm in houston) but my escalde didn't have a problem. Good luck with it...they are scary going up...and down.

Good luck with that on an once a week basis, can you say a tranny a year at a minimum.
Nice view btw

My parents driveway is as steep as that and longer. With my dad's Tahoe or my Tundra we put it in 4lo and have zero problem pushing it up the hill. Even before we put prop cage rollers on the boat it would push it, scraping and all.

4lo is a beastly gear :D

try to air down your tires. you get something like 3x the traction area with 1/2 the air pressure. you can go down to 15 or 18 lbs without separating your tire from rim in most cases.

Looking at your driveway - two thoughts: 1. Almost any 4X4 with Low Lock will get your boat up the incline. 2. A 4X4 tractor with turf tires would do the job very well with the advantage of a short turning radius and the ability to manuver it easily where you need it. If you have the ball on a hydraulic lift, you can avoid scraping the trailer on the transitions.

As others have said, most true 4 wheel drive vehicles with a low range box will be able to do this.

I can also say with certainty that the VW Toureg V10 TDI will do this as I have a friend who has an even longer driveway (steeper in some places) that he has to move his 24ft Cobalt up and down).

Other thing I would consider would be a small tractor, not so much for it's moving ability but for the maneuverability of it's short wheelbase and turning circle....

Hope that helps,

Mike

Hey guys. Yall are awesome. Sorry for being MIA. Been swamped at work, and then the rest of the time has been spent getting the bimmer running. blown head gasket and cracked head. Eff me!

Still haven't gotten it up there yet. You guys are probably right though, any 1/2 ton 4wd in Lo should do the job. I just like the fact that with a diesel, I know it will do it. That's all I ever used to pull my boats, granted they were all bigger go-fast ones, but damn, they get the job done without hesitaton.

So really, any 4wd will work. There is one forum member that said he was coming up to Austin tomorrow, so hopefully that will work out.

Wish my Prius had a front hitch, lol...

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZXXJ9Jxo4x_030dO8kWDGKL-OPEj6Ldt-lrV7UpfhTg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-brzl8L_LDgc/Tywx-rKkVNI/AAAAAAAAD7U/5HWIacmHu7Y/s800/IMG_0043.JPG" height="800" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/BrandonMHolmes/February32012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMTt3JTh-8exnwE&feat=embedwebsite">February 3, 2012</a></td></tr></table>

Got a truck!!!! Sold the E36 and was carless, so I had an excuse to get back home and grab my dad's old Z71. It's a 99, but he's had it since new and maintained religiously. It's old and been through hell, but I've pulled a couple 30+'s with her. Gonna try tomorrow and see if I can get it up the hill. Then I can start with puting her all back together.

That's if I can get a 5-series that won't start into my garage first. I think that might be a bigger challenge than the boat. I wanted to wait to put the boat up there in case I needed the room to pull a truck into my boat spot to get the car partway up the driveway. I'm even considering some sort of cable system. idk, but I have to figure some way to get the car in the garage, preferably nose first. Any ideas? I'm thinking pulling it with a short chain as close to the garage as I can get it. Then chock wheels, turn wheel, and then.....idk

You know what the hill looks like. Here's the car...

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Xdz3hChIUMlDJx0twh1Me9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=e mbedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GNzWtzSMA6w/T0McY6L2OYI/AAAAAAAAD80/TpVZMtIsy6Y/s640/IMAG0009.jpg" height="383" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/BrandonMHolmes/February20201202?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Feb ruary 20, 2012</a></td></tr></table>

Any ideas?

I promise after I get the boat into the garage, I'll give yall all the pics you want of a super air being stripped and put back together. I've got all new interior that has to go in, the complete stereo needs to be redone, and general cleaning from 500+ hours of partying/riding since the last time I did it. Then it's going up for sale to the highest bidder....