What do you drive? (1 Viewer)

Haloze

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Oct 16, 2014
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I bought our MH while dreaming of wild camping, after buying it I realised it is not really suitable IMO. It has front wheel drive and is very low to the ground. Years ago my one and only van was a very old LT45 convertible with 4WD and twin wheels at the back. I did not buy it because of this as I had no idea what I was buying it was pure pot luck.. I just assumed every MH would have 4WD.

Yes, silly.. I know that now!
 

Tootles

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Was a newbie, now a Middie.
got me out of a fair few slippery spots over the years by reversing out gently. mind you, the latest ducato/boxer slips on wet grass like it was ice
Always best to pull off sticky ground in 2nd, and reverse is two gears lower..........:)

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Bertie Bassett

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Jul 25, 2014
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or reverse out of trouble, making the van rear wheel drive


Got me out of a couple too..........and sorry Toots I'm with Big Yin on this it does work! SO THERE!!!!!!:D

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jonandshell

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Dec 12, 2010
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Tractive effort provided by a driven wheel relies on the coefficient of friction between the wheel and ground, plus the force being applied between the said wheel and ground.
More force equals more friction equals more tractive effort.
Coefficient of friction is increased by the suitability of the tyre to the ground conditions.
However, in soft ground, this is not the only consideration. Step climbing ability is of equal importance. A small diameter wheel will not climb out of a rut as easily as a large diameter wheel.
Therefore, regarding overall tractive effort, going backwards in a fwd vehicle makes no difference. However, retracing your tracks does not require any step climbing and the vehicles rolling resistance decreases considerably. This give the impression that going backwards in a fwd vehicle makes it a rwd one!

It does not, however, and the best vehicle for soft ground is one with very large wheels and with the majority of the weight on its driven wheels. In other words, a tractor!

In the absence of a tractor, a rwd dual wheel transit is a good compromise! The most weight is on the driven wheels, giving best tractive effort and the dual wheels reduce ground pressure, reduce rut depth and mitigate the need for step climbing ability!

Get a Fiat, get stuck!

Get a rwd Transit, don't!
 

Allanm

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Jun 30, 2013
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Driver skill and control, weight distribution and suspension play a large part here to.
I used to drive 4wd vehicles at lot in one of my jobs. Land Rover lent us one of their TD5 Discoveries once, it had quite worn low profile tyres on alloy wheels and an auto gearbox. It managed to get me up and down a mud covered chalk lane with ease when one of our tough Japanese 4x4's with chunky tyres got stuck.
I was so impressed, I bought a Discovery myself.
Allan

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Sunsets Unlimited.

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Oct 17, 2014
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Sounds like Tootles gets a lot of oooomff from the M&S voucher, me thinks I shall take some of those with us when next we go away.

Thanks for the tip.
Mike.P
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Sunsets Unlimited.

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Getting stuck in a previous life, even with cross-locks, diff-locks and 2 drive axles with 8 wheels at the rear, was once an occupational hazard.! So,,, I gave up the day job and went motor-homing.! Never looked back since.!

Now a days, If it looks sticky, I stay well clear.

Viva Fiat Ducato Auto-trail 840D.!!!!!!

Reminds me of a Lady I used to know. Lovely bodywork, "long legs" (that means it pulls well in top gear) and is extremely smooth when the going gets bumpy. (that's because of the 3 axles and weight distribution don't your know). (hope any lady readers don't find my evaluation of our bus sexist)

Mike. :wasntme:
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Sunsets Unlimited.

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In my estimation the 3 axle'd Auto-trails must be one of the best motor-homes on the market. Ours has the 3 ltr engine with the auto(electronic) box and drives extremely well. We "A Frame" a Matiz, and if it wasn't for seeing the towed vehicle shadow behind us occasionally, I would know it was there. Comfort level is good and as with most Buses of today, it has every thing on board Pauline and myself need.

Maybe I should put it like this,,, Space, Pace and Grace.! :wasntme: :happy:

Mike.
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DBK

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Jan 9, 2013
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Driver skill and control, weight distribution and suspension play a large part here to.
I used to drive 4wd vehicles at lot in one of my jobs. Land Rover lent us one of their TD5 Discoveries once, it had quite worn low profile tyres on alloy wheels and an auto gearbox. It managed to get me up and down a mud covered chalk lane with ease when one of our tough Japanese 4x4's with chunky tyres got stuck.
I was so impressed, I bought a Discovery myself.
Allan
That's interesting. It might be similar to why slick tyres work very well in dry sand. The weight of the vehicle pressing down on the dry sand effectively makes the sand go solid below the tyre. The tyre then just grips because of the friction between the smooth rubber and the sand. Tyres with tread also do this but if they start slipping the tread starts to dig a hole, which is why tyres designed for sand generally have radially grooves in them but very few going across the tyre as these just become spades.

Many a tourist has been rescued in the desert by being pulled out by a local vehicle with bald tyres. They are useless in the wet of course.

My Ducato has Traction+ which stops one front wheel spinning at the expense of the other. It works in that on a couple of occasions on my recent Spanish trip I had both wheels spinning together on sand instead of one!
 

CWH

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Reminds me of a Lady I used to know. Lovely bodywork, "long legs" (that means it pulls well in top gear) and is extremely smooth when the going gets bumpy. (that's because of the 3 axles and weight distribution don't your know). (hope any lady readers don't find my evaluation of our bus sexist)
Hmm... methinks this is the answer I've been searching for - I must be bumpy because of my faulty weight distribution!
[don't worry, maybe a bit sexist but not offensive]
 

Sunsets Unlimited.

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Me too,

My weight distribution is not what it used to be. Some-thing to-do with me age I think. Perhaps its a mis-spent youth, too much sex,drugs and Rock'n Roll. Or maybe just too much boooooooze. Hick.! :giggler:

Mike
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Sunsets Unlimited.

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Me thinks me could spend all day here, but me must be off. I have to finish the hoovering, have a tidy up, get dinner ready, have shower and shave, and all before the little lady arrives home. Hard life, but then somebody has to do it I suppose.! Phewwwwww.

Have a nice one.!

Mike.
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Mar 29, 2011
961
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MH
C Class RS
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2011
we use ours for our hobby and always on grass wet or dry and sometimes mud so it has to be RWD Iveco, Merc or transit
 

Tootles

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Sep 14, 2013
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Was a newbie, now a Middie.
That's interesting. It might be similar to why slick tyres work very well in dry sand. The weight of the vehicle pressing down on the dry sand effectively makes the sand go solid below the tyre. The tyre then just grips because of the friction between the smooth rubber and the sand. Tyres with tread also do this but if they start slipping the tread starts to dig a hole, which is why tyres designed for sand generally have radially grooves in them but very few going across the tyre as these just become spades.

Many a tourist has been rescued in the desert by being pulled out by a local vehicle with bald tyres. They are useless in the wet of course.

My Ducato has Traction+ which stops one front wheel spinning at the expense of the other. It works in that on a couple of occasions on my recent Spanish trip I had both wheels spinning together on sand instead of one!
Hence our old military sand tyres. Slide all over the place on wet roads, but great on sand. I did hear that cross ply tyres are more efficient in mud, radials coming a poor second. Don't know if there's any truth in that.

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Aug 6, 2013
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It isn't wise to assume there's more weight over rear wheels than front. My last MH (A class Tabbert FFB Classic) had marginally more on the front wheels than the rear. Any A class with a similar layout and very little rear overhang is likely to be close to 50/50. The Tabbert had fuel, domestic water, engine/gearbox, and three batteries all over the front axle - hence the close to 50/50 ratio. With a substantial overhang, fixed beds, and possibly a garage, at the rear the ratio of front-to-rear weights will change considerably and favour RWD but with an A class of around 6 metres or so drive at either end will perform much the same.
 

FJmike

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A customer of mine uses his motorhome to attend motocross meetings and he told me he had fitted slightly larger wheels and fitted Firestone tyres, he believed different tread pattern & larger wheels gave him far better traction when on a field. ????
 
Sep 10, 2013
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I go with the RWD, twin rear wheel option, but then ive got one, not so good when visiting the tyre shop, six tyres rather than four.!

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sdc77

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All this has reminded me I need a new towing eye... for the next time the grounds too soft... :whistle:
 
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Haloze

Haloze

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Oct 16, 2014
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Hi, thanks everyone! We wont do any wild camping in the one we have now but further research is required if we decide to change it. At least we have one that we can enjoy for now!
 

funflair

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An RMB does not have 4 wheel drive, but what it does have is twin rear wheel drive with dif lock. Just as good (y)

That's the same as we have(y) 4 driven wheels and diff lock not the RMB. I believe the diff lock is an option on all IVECO chassis but not everybody ticks it, I would. When it gets slippy you have twice the drive which is invaluable. Don't know if you can get a diff lock on the 5t Merc chassis, is it just ABD electronic jiggery pokerey.

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Sunsets Unlimited.

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Hi M&J,

All that for just 7/6p, Didn't you do well.? Christ that puts our old Auto-trail to shame but I still think Happiness is on 3 axles regardless of where the drive train ends.

Hi Haloze,

If it aint broken, dont fix it.! If it works well, keep it.!

Mike.
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Snowbird

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That's the same as we have(y) 4 driven wheels and diff lock not the RMB. I believe the diff lock is an option on all IVECO chassis but not everybody ticks it, I would. When it gets slippy you have twice the drive which is invaluable. Don't know if you can get a diff lock on the 5t Merc chassis, is it just ABD electronic jiggery pokerey.
I had the dif lock on the Merc 410 4.6 ton chassis and I also have it on the Merc Vario 814 chassis. I have no idea how much of an optional extra it was when new.
 

Sunsets Unlimited.

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Hmm... methinks this is the answer I've been searching for - I must be bumpy because of my faulty weight distribution!
[don't worry, maybe a bit sexist but not offensive]

Guys and Gals, are we sure all this talk of drives, locks, wheels and slippery surfaces really is motorhome fun. :eek: :frowny: Now where did I leave that Stanley Knife.? :worried:

Mike
Sunsets Unlimited. :coolest:

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