backing a trailer uphill, bad for the transmission?

This post chaotuc approved.

 

trailer brakes (and controllers) work in reverse.. those pendulum kind may not, if you don't stab the brake pedal, but you can always use the manual slide on the controller

 

Yup, you're basically stalling the convertor and just driving all that heat into the fluid. If you backed up the truck faster (as in get it done faster) or had larger capacity/ better cooling you might be able to get it done safely, but like said, cooking fluid isn't going to help the fluid or in turn the transmission. Overheated fluid needs to be replaced. Think of the convertor as two fans set opposed to one another, one pushes air, the other receives and in turn spins, same with a convertor, except with fluid, and all that fluid friction and movement within heats it up super quickly. I'd venture you could overheat fluid in a matter of a minute in full stall, its how we heat up fluid quickly to check levels etc..

 

Thanks for all the replies. I took the truck to the shop this morning (not a dealer, a truck-only shop that does almost entirely Ford trucks) and their recommendation, like most of you have said, is just don't do it. It overheats and ruins transmissions, they overheat very quickly. He said roughly the same thing as Spitz above. The transmission is getting checked out today and the fluids replaced. I may go ahead and get it rebuilt, it has a lot of years and miles on it, and this truck is used almost 100% for towing.

Thanks for the info, I didn't realize reversing up a hill was so hard on transmissions and a DEFINITELY had no idea it could overheat so quickly, it was only 2-3 minutes and with that in mind I don't think getting it up our driveway is possible. A front hitch is a thought, but it would be so blind pushing that huge trailer up a steep, curving driveway I'm confident it wouldn't be worth the effort. We do have a trailer caddy and might be able to turn it around at the top, but it would be a lot of work and of course we'd have to unhitch/rehitch (stabilizer bars, etc.). Backing it down would be possible but a significant PITA and also probably not worth the effort. We'll just go with loading it at the bottom of the hill, using the truck or another vehicle to ferry stuff and ride the bikes up/down the hill.

Live and learn. At least we didn't try try taking the truck with a possible transmission leak to the track - when we arrived (in a different vehicle) we told the story within hearing of someone who chimed in and said he had a truck BURN TO THE GROUND because it leaked transmission fluid on the exhaust header while towing a trailer. Almost took the trailer with it, too, he was unhitching hurriedly while others were yelling at him to get away from the fire, but he did manage to get the trailer disconnected and saved it. That would not have been a good way for us to start our weekend. :/

 

May i suggest a fire extinguisher for cab sir. I carry one in all my vehicles.
Best of luck.

Steven Isenhower #52

 

Already done, I wanted one in there for my drive down to the shop, just in case. It will stay in the truck from now on. Thank you for this advice and also for your detailed response on page 1, lots of good info in there.

 

Why would it be any more blind than backing it up?

 

Because you're right in front of it, instead of 15ft away?

 

This, and also when backing it up I have mirrors that stick way out on the side that help create a sight angle down the sides of the trailer. Going forward I'm just looking right at the big wall that is the front of it.

 

Typically, transmissions have a deeper ratio (higher numerically) in reverse than first, actually making moving a trailer easier (as long as the trailer brakes don't come on). The steep grade probably meant the transmission fluid was pooled toward the front of the transmission high enough to get into the rotating clutch housings in the front, making the oil foam, overheat and spit oil foam out the case vent onto the exhaust. The answer is as someone suggested, a front hitch. The rotating parts in the rear of the transmision are turning much slower and won't cause the same oil foaming problem.

 

Get a wireless backup camera, mount it to the rear of the trailer with the display in the cab. Useful even when you're towing with the trailer behind.

 

I have one for my jeep, it's awesome for putting boats in the water without a real boat ramp.

 

There is no place for real logical answers here, please move along.

 

Man we really have to work on your haikus. 5-7-5!

 

The solution?

 

^^^^ That's something the millennials (sic) are murdering without any mercy.... (Sigh!)

 

How big is this hill?

 

The driveway is about 280 feet long and rises about 35 feet. It slopes gently at the bottom, steeply in the middle, and flattens out at the top. The steep part is curved, and a little blind because of large trees on in the inside of the curve. Because the slope is gentle at the bottom and gradually gets steeper there is no trouble with the trailer bottoming out. We have a secondary driveway that is shorter and straight but the trailer won't clear it, it is too steep, either the hitch or back of the trailer hits coming in off the road.

The area is hilly and we don't get snow or ice, and very little rain. Many of the houses are old and some of the driveways around us are pretty dramatic. Ours is not too crazy but most delivery trucks won't come up it, and UPS doesn't like it, only one of the local drivers will come up to the house.

 

Thought I had posted this before, but sure sounds like the trailer brakes are activating. Do you know that's not the case? Any brake lockout device in use?

 

And as an added bonus, it prevents most of the scumbags who use Grand Theft Auto as a bible from taking your shit. A manual is rapidly turning in to the best anti theft device out there...