# Stick in the Mud! Tips needed.



## fuzzyfreak (Jun 1, 2010)

Arghhh! Help, I am digging a huge hole with my van. Twice this has happened to me, once when I took a hire vehicle to Lampeter, Wales - frost thawed in the morning sunshine and left me stuck for an hour waiting for the site owner to come back and tow me out.

Then last Sunday, I parked up at the Ashridge Estate and got stuck again, front wheels spinning, digging a big hole. I couldn't reverse because of a muddy ridge which has already damaged my electrical input socket :evil: - luckily, I had my brother and his wife who pushed me out fairly easily.

This worries me, one day I might be wild camping and I'll be stuck forever! The van is a VW T5 and has anti-skid assistance where the drive wheels are controlled if they start to spin, but this didn't help.

I need a guaranteed fail safe idea - perhaps those chocks would do the trick - anyone else been in this situation?


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Bread trays.

Snow grips as supplied by outdoorbits.


Dave p


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## fuzzyfreak (Jun 1, 2010)

Oh dear! what an awful website  not only does it not work on Firefox, but when you type either of those into the search, it comes up with "Product not found" as it does when clicking on some listed products.

Perhaps, if you are sure they do these items, you would be so kind as to provide a direct link.

Thanks.


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

Pyramid Grip Kings, or if you're "careful" with your money cut up bread delivery crates.

Or more realistically, if in the UK, don't park on grass at this time of year. Place I was at over the weekend, _I _sank two inches into the mud when I stepped off the hardstanding....bet the motorhome would have been there for the next few months if I'd strayed off the gravel.

Paul


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## fuzzyfreak (Jun 1, 2010)

That's more like it! Thanks Paul. Have you used them before?


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hmm.

My old boss must be going on for 45 years ago had a Bedford camper van that we used to stay in when working away shop fitting, there were four of us staying in the van which we parked up on site.
My boss even though he was married with two kid's was always an the look out for woman and he picked one up at a local pub we were having a night out at and disappeared with her early on in the night.
Come closing time we go back to the site ready for bed but no van, hmm.

We stood around, then broke into where we were working to get out of the rain and waited for him to come back, 12am, 1.0 am this went on to 5 am when he turned up in a taxi covered in mud and blood. The mud from where he had tried to get the van out of the field he had took the (cough) lady, the blood from her husband when she rolled in at 4am and her husband caught them getting out of the taxi.

Oh and then we had to jump back in the taxi as the local taxi driver was the only one who knew where the van was, so we could push it out so we could go to bed.. :roll: .

I could write a book about my adventures while shopfitting.. :lol: :lol: :lol: 

So getting stuck in fields is nothing new. Who you get stuck with, well thats another thing :wink: .


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## fuzzyfreak (Jun 1, 2010)

That's what I'm worried about Ray!


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

Yes, couple of times.

First time on mud (when I'd slipped off a hardstanding that was so overgrown you couldn't see the edge)...did the job.

More recently on snow to get the van onto my drive when it got stuck half way up in December. Trashed them (when grip finally "bit", torque from the wheels drove them through the snow onto the underlying tarmac so shattered some of the slats), but it did give enough traction to get up the slope and I _think_ there's enough left of them not to bother getting a new set.

Can't promise they'll deal with everything, but they've got me out of trouble on the couple of occasions I've needed them. NB they roll into a bag which is cylindrical, approx 1ft tall by 1ft diameter...if you've got a camper you might want to consider where you'd store them before you part with your hard earned.

Paul


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## JeanLuc (Jan 13, 2007)

fuzzyfreak said:


> Arghhh! Help, I need a guaranteed fail safe idea


Not sure you will find one, as mentioned, cut-down bread trays, yellow grip strips (not so good) or sand ladders as used by the off-road fraternity. Once you are off the grip track though, there is still a good chance of bogging down. Perhaps the nearest thing to your failsafe requirement is something like the Unicat shown in the attached picture - start saving!

Philip

p.s. this website works perfectly well with Firefox; and Safari, and Chrome and (so I am told) Internet Explorer.


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## tramp (May 25, 2005)

first dont park on mud ..

I park on shortened scaffold boards and reverse off them ..

If stuck get bottle jack on said board enough to lift wheel and use snow CHAINS ... never fails even in sand. and we weight 3750kg


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## fuzzyfreak (Jun 1, 2010)

> first dont park on mud ..


thanks!


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

tramp said:


> ... never fails even in sand.


Que another stuck memory, this time in a brand new Triumph Spitfire sports car my shop fitting mate had just bought, and he decided he would run it in by driving down from Wakefield to our job in "Sarfend".

One night there were four of us went for a cruise round, the driver and me sat in the front and the two painter apprentices sat on the back on top of the folded down hood.
We saw a fire on the beach so my mate drove down to it thinking a beach party, we got there and everyone had gone. We jumped back in the Spitfire set off and the thing just sank in the sand, and the tide was only a few yards away and coming in.
We pushed pulled and the thing wouldn't move, so in panic I was delegated to run to the nearest telephone to call out the AA to pull us off the sand.
By this time it must have been 2 to 3 am, I finally got through and this sleepy voice came on, "what's up will it wait till morning" Aggh "No we are stuck and the tide is coming in", "Huh! the last time any plonker parked there the tide came over em twice before they got them off, OK Ill get dressed and pull it of with my Landi".

"Oh thanks mister I will wait here at the phone box till you get here, please hurry". I put the phone down and quarter of an hour later peep peep, " Hurry get in we've got it off"..

Another car with 5 lads in had seen them stuck and between them they picked it up and carried it off the sand, and who should be coming down the road but the poor AA bloke.

I feel guilty as hell still just typing this, I would love to say I am sorry, but the guy must be well dead now.. AA man if you are reading this thread through the ether "I'm sorry"  ..


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## fuzzyfreak (Jun 1, 2010)

Don't worry Ray, he probably relayed the story to his mates many times down the pub.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Prepare the pitch before you get on to it.

I use plastic temporary garden paths. Lay them on the ground and park the driven wheels on them. Do this when on grass and whatever the weather.

One pack of this does two six foot lengths, ample to get a bit of momentum going. They are plenty strong enough when used on grass as they sink in slightly and wont move.

click here


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

In my experience the problem is when starting having been parked on wet or soggy ground for a while. The very first time we used out MH we had exactly that experience at a CL near Evesham - we had parked there as they were "redoing the hardstanding".

When we came to leave three days later the wheels did a superb job of spreading the mud everywhere and digging for Britain! But we did not move.  

It took a pull from a tractor to get us out - we left quickly as we had left some good sized trenches behind us - all because it was dry when we parked but started to rain 48 hours later and then rained solidly for 24 hours.......

Moral;

1. don't trust a weather forecast,

2. don't trust a site owner who says "it's OK you won't sink in"

3. never park on grass in spring without ensuring the wheels are on a large flat surface.

We have adopted several tactics to avoid the same thing happening again;

1. we have two flat yellow mats to park on,

2. we park so that the driven wheels are up a small ramp so that when we move off we have a bit of momentum before getting to the grass surface, this has helped us several times, going downhill is always easier than uphill,

3. use second rather than first if you can - it is easy to spin the wheels on a wet surface in first,

4. reverse can also work well if space allows,

5. if you do have a dig in, STOP at once and try to get something like old carpet or similar below the wheels to reduce spinning,

6. don't keep going, ask for help, if you have snow chains they should be helpful but less strong items such as snow socks may not take the strain.

I hope that gives you some thoughts - based on our front wheel drive MH and our experience,

Dave


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## fuzzyfreak (Jun 1, 2010)

Thank you all for your excellent advice. I will be visiting Snowdonia this weekend, so hopefully I will report back that I have had no further "Grave Diggings"


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## JohnGun (May 15, 2009)

instead of twoing a small car behind the van, tow a tractor


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Sorry a bit late in replying, been out for some tyres on suzuki.

http://www.outdoorbits.com/jeko-universal-snow-belts-p-775.html

I have only used these once. In the mud.
Watch the video

DAve p


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Sorry a bit late in replying, been out for some tyres on suzuki.
> 
> http://www.outdoorbits.com/jeko-universal-snow-belts-p-775.html
> 
> ...


Video very impressive but....
Be interesting to see why this firm has withdrawn them from sale?

Jeko withdrawn

Quote on website
_"Withdrawn - too many issues with motorhome base vehicles"_

DAve seems to have used them with success.....

My brother lives in Norway and doesn't use chains anymore - system is to have a set of winter tyres and change them from summer to winter and vice versa. I've emailed to ask him if they have Jeko or similar in Norway.. I'll post any answer I get.

Steve


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## levoyden (Feb 25, 2008)

I purchased Grip Track. IN my haste to loose weight (Mh that is). I TOOK THEM OUT..

WHAT A PLONKER.

Took a wrong turning following my sat nav and ended up a narrow farm track near Grimsby, with a 3 ft ditch on one side and sank up to the tow bar. The site owner tried with his small tractor,but no good.

Slept in it over night on a very precarious angle..........

Next morning a humongous tractor pulled us out. How it didn't fall over God knows. Have pictures but unable at the moment to post them.

The moral of the story is.

Buy Buy BUY and carry them at all times    

PS this was the first outing for our new MH, visiting Towbars2Towcrs.


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## alicksuwd (Aug 12, 2008)

i went the bread tray route but in the sub zero temps i was in last years they shattered and were complete rubbish. i carry a set is grip tracks and snow chains now


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## kc10 (Jan 28, 2010)

I helped a very erratic French driver get unstuck while in France. After the boy made several attempts to hit me with his van he got out. I used an old pair of levellers which I kept bashing under the rear wheels of his Transit. It took a few goes but it worked. I still carry those old levellers just in case and have grip tracks too but I haven't used them for my van but have for others during the winter and they worked OK. His kids were standing at the back of the van and man did they get covered.


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

SNandJA said:


> DTPCHEMICALS said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry a bit late in replying, been out for some tyres on suzuki.
> ...


Perhaps for the same reason my son-in-law has thrown his in the garden shed.
He bought them for his Hyundai Santa-fe but they put so much vibration into the vehicle the driving experience was very noisy and uncomfortable, this was at low speed on hard packed snow. maybe they are only suitable getting you going and travelling for a few metres on soft mud or fresh snow.
He said they were not at all a pleasant experience.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

another point to think about, when you have decided what to use, tie them with string to the van, so that when you drive off they get pulled along with you, saves having to walk back over a muddy field to collect them.   

cabby


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Been there, done that, read all about it...

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-833367.html#833367

Yes, I'm a convertee to bread basket bases! :wink: :roll:


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Firrt thing is try to aviod grass if you can or at least get the driving wheels on or near to conctrete.

if this isnt possible then try not to go when raining or when it has been or is going to rain.

If this isnt possible and you have to park on grass then try to park so that your route off the field is downhill. Parking on ramps or blocks makes it better as gives you a run off and get a bit of speed up. If you park at the bottom of a field then this is where the water will collect so you will be buggered (metaphorically)

Carry a little spade to collect soil or sand to put under wheels if you get stuck. if poss use leaves twigs branches planks or whetever is to hand

Tequnique. Warm the van up before trying to move off. This will allow you to move off with min revs without haveing to rev too hard. Try starting in 3rd gear and just use min revs possible ie tickover.

You will be better if you reverese but this isnt always possible.

The back wheels are just as important as the front. if these sink into mud then the front has to drag these out or the hole before you move off so put something under these as well. 

If its a real worry only go on hardstandings and even then check as some of these daft commercail site put in a hardstanding which you have to drive over a feild to get at as they think we like being on gravel as it feels nice under our feet - idiots 

Phill


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

Snow chains work every time. No fun to put on but you will waste more time trying everything else than you would just putting them on at the first sign of trouble. Learned this lesson after I dug two big holes in my father in laws lawn. Snow tires are no help in the mud by the way as the treads just fill up with mud.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Having had that sinking feeling and got out of it, I invested in a cheap hand winch with a long cable. 
Somewhere in Wales followed, with heavy rain and bogged down wheels before I even started the engine. 
Using the winch and cable, I secured one end to the vehicle and the other in some fashion to a very stout five bar gate post. 
It was surprising how powerful the winch was. I did not quite uproot the gatepost but it leaned over, complete with gate at an interesting angle. I cannot for the life of me recall how this all ended except other people came onto the scene. http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules/Forums/images/smiles/redface.gif
Funny thing; memory! 
On another occasion in Portugal on some uneven soft sand, I used a fillable plastic ramp. I thought it said fill with water, which I did, but the weight of the van was too great for the stopper and I genuinely showered some people eating nearby with quite a forceful jet of water.http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules/Forums/images/smiles/redface.gif They found it funny thank goodness but in future I always filled them with sand.
Alan


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## Friant (Feb 10, 2008)

saw these (3in1 moster mats) had an excellent review in last months? or January's? MMM magazine. There is a video on youtube which shows them in action in very muddy coditions.

www.smartoutdoors.biz

The advice is to park your wheels on them whatever the weather or conditions thus giving you traction to get moving.Not a huge investment either.


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## ob1 (Sep 25, 2007)

Never been stuck yet after forty odd years motorhoming (touch wood) because, if not on a hardstanding, at the slightest hint of rain or softness underfoot we run onto boards. Sometimes it's a complete waste of time because the problem does not happen but it's worth it for the couple of minutes it takes. I hear of people laying in bed all night listening to the rain and wandering whether or not to get up and move!


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

drcotts said:


> . . . if this isnt possible then try not to go when raining or when it has been or is going to rain. . . .
> Phill


Well, that's most of our UK motorhoming gone by the wayside, then! :roll:

Sorry, Phill, couldn't resist that sarky response - seriously, several good tips you've given, mate - thanks. :wink:


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

jhelm said:


> . . . Snow tires are no help in the mud by the way as the treads just fill up with mud.


Sorry, have to disagree with that, having got fed up with not having traction even on wet grass plus getting stuck in mud and having to use Spider Claws to get out (effective but bliddy messy), I eventually got around to fitting Toyo H09 M+S ( that's Mud & Snow, not St Michaels!) on the front wheels. These do make a considerable difference and have got us off very muddy sites as well as being great on snow and ice. Yes, if you sit in first gear and spin the wheels like crazy, then no doubt they will clog up with mud, however using normal common sense techniques we have found the improved open tread very effective so far. Of course it's still wise to use sensible precautions to stop sinking down deep whilst pitched up on boggy ground - we've been using a couple of the (Fiamma?) yellow ribbed plastic anti-slip mats which are reasonably effective but are a bit flimsy and narrow, so have taken up Friant's recommendation and just ordered up the monstermat 3-in-1s and will demote the old ones for the rear wheels which Phill rightly points out can also sink in.

Enjoyed hearing Alan's story, we also firstly bought a pair of black fillable ramps which we also filled with water only to find the stopper and water shot out first time we drove on them! After filling with sand, we found them still not very effective as on hardstanding the whole ramps would often skid out and shoot off at some speed, mcuh to the consternation of any passersby who had to dodge the missiles. Also when filled with sand they became quite heavy so we upgraded to the Fiamma Level-Up (Jumbo?) system.


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

Jean-Luc said:


> SNandJA said:
> 
> 
> > DTPCHEMICALS said:
> ...


Jeko Update
One supplier stopped stocking them
_a) apparently fitting problems where calliper space is restricted
b) subsequent strap damage which is maybe associated with the weight and torque of a motorhome._I guess in answer to b) think about a higher gear if you use them....

Norwegian Equivalents
My brother (who lives in Norway) replied to my enquiry about Jeko
_"Not seen this version. Advantage seems to be that you can fit them without moving car, and one size fits all, but it looks as though fitting would be time-consuming - 12 belts to fit."_

(If you look at the video in DAve's link there is an example of getting out of a hole with just one strap fitted....)

My brother has considered sending a Christmas prsent in the past for us called "Snow Socks"! He has given me a old set of snow chains but the weight is a problem.

The socks he'd been considering sending are just stretched over the tyre, and are self-centring.
*Which? *has more on snow socks....
Which on Snow Socks!

Steve


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## vardy (Sep 1, 2006)

It was so nice in years gone by when one flap of the eyelashes would result in a screech of brakes and some hunk taking over and getting me out.

However, sadly it has all gone South. Just when I need it, what with the dodgy knees.....

After pricing facelift/boob package, I have decided that monster mats are my future and will be a little more affordable out of the pension. :lol:


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