Supacat wrote:

Trundlebus wrote:

I well be told I do it wrong but: my puma is used with a demountable camper. When fully loaded it is 3500kg. We frequently go into mountains. When I have to start on a steep hill I stop the engine, engage low range (if it’s really steep). Put it into gear. Hold it on the foot brake, start the engine and let go of the brake. I do not touch the clutch. The truck just drives up the hill. Change gear as normal once underway

I won't say you are wrong, but I do wonder at the additional stress on the starter motor. You can move the vehicle with the starter motor but I've only used that on the flat and in an emergency.

Also if the vehicle is in gear before you start the engine, I would have thought that made use of the footbrake redundant?

JPE wrote:

I love hill starts since getting my puma. Hill starts are quite possibly my favourite thing. I never use the hand brake when driving, its just a parking brake. Technique: Hold the vehicle on the foot brake, bring up the clutch gently, only release the foot brake gently when you feel the engine pushing against the brakes. Take your time moving your foot to the accelerator, the anti-stall is amazing so there's no rush. Anti-stall is a thing of beauty & creates the calmest of hill start experiences, however laden the vehicle. My tip would be to relax into it, almost to the point of sleeping, & experience the full joy of a calm slow-motion hill start. The defender will take care of itself. Forget what you've learned to do in lesser vehicles.