Towing Clarification with Van ESC

[gavinwibrow]

Just to check - I've read several times to turn off ESC when towing "off road", especially when pulling my 3.5T tandem brick with the D4.

Q1 - Apply to all off road scenarios, including gravel formed roads?

Q2 - This is the ESC in the van, not the tow vehicle, right?

Q3 - In my case, fitted with red and grey Anderson plugs and a 12 pin flat plug (of which I assume only the bottom standard 7 pins (including electric brakes) are used) is this just a matter of disconnecting the red Anderson plug?

With 1,100 km on the Great Central Road, and who knows what in far Nth Qld imminent, I'm checking with the experts. Done plenty of gravel towing in the past (car and semi) but this new ESC lark is more of an unknown kettle of fish.

Cheers

[justinc]

I'm of the opinion that stability control is a GOOD thing to have on dirt... am I missing something???

[DI5CO]

I work for Track Trailer and when we fit ESC to the vans (which we don’t do a lot of with our product) we use the Alko/Dexter ESC and they switch off automatically when they detect they are off road. Not sure on the official/actual reasons why, thinking along the lines of over dirt and bumps it may brake the trailer wheels brake when they aren’t required.
Dave.

[gavinwibrow]

I'm of the opinion that stability control is a GOOD thing to have on dirt... am I missing something???

I would have thought so too, but have read several comments to the contrary, so confused, hence this post.

My ESC is the ALKO system, but don't know if it has any relationship to the one in the above post.

[Graeme]

My tall, skinny van's ESC loves to apply the brakes on slower pot-holed tracks and on the occasional rough patch of bitumen too but so far I've ignored it. No problems on gravel roads to date so it stays connected.

[Geedublya]

Haven't had any issues on dirt roads and even a very slow tight tight track with plenty of ruts and side to side movement towing mine, Alko ESC installed.
I can understand why they recommend disconnection but have either forgotten or been to lazy and now after not experiencing any ill effects I'll leave it on.