Owner's Manual

9-12 Driving and Operating
Driving on Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up,
down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding of what the
vehicle can and cannot do. There
are some hills that simply cannot be
driven, no matter how well built the
vehicle.
{
WARNING
Many hills are simply too steep
for any vehicle. If you drive up
them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you cannot control
your speed. If you drive across
them, you will roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt about the
steepness, do not drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, decide if
it is too steep to climb, descend,
or cross. Steepness can be hard to
judge. On a very small hill, for
example, there may be a smooth,
constant incline with only a small
change in elevation where you can
easily see all the way to the top. On
a large hill, the incline may get
steeper as you near the top, but you
might not see this because the crest
of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
Consider this as you approach a hill:
.
Is there a constant incline,
or does the hill get sharply
steeper in places?
.
Is there good traction on the
hillside, or will the surface cause
tire slipping?
.
Is there a straight path up or
down the hill so you will not
have to make turning
maneuvers?
.
Are there obstructions on the hill
that can block your path, such
as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
.
What is beyond the hill? Is there
a cliff, an embankment, a
drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know.
It is the smart way to find out.
.
Is the hill simply too rough?
Steep hills often have ruts,
gullies, troughs, and exposed
rocks because they are more
susceptible to the effects of
erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide it is safe to drive
up the hill:
.
Use a low gear and get a firm
grip on the steering wheel.
.
Get a smooth start up the hill
and try to maintain speed. Not
using more power than needed
can avoid spinning the wheels or
sliding.