Almost up to axle!! (1 Viewer)

[Dorwyn]

Following my thread about Orange Warning weather in Gascony ...

The next day I got bogged down up to the axle -- almost. I was in a right hole. But my son, with many more years of motorhoming than I, got me out of that hole.

For those who like me would be lost in this situation, here's how we went about it.

Jack the van up, with a plank of wood under the jack. Having jacked up the van so that the wheel is higher than the ground around (no mean feat with the standard Fiat jack), drop in a plank of wood narrower than the tyre. On top of this, another and so one until the ground level is reached. If you have the Fiamma yellow ribbed tracks slide that underneath the tyres, though I'm sure it isn't essential. Drop the van back down, in my case switch on traction control, and ease it out with minimum revs. Easy!!

I'm sure that there are more experienced than I who can recount better tricks, someone was telling me about oven trays, but this was in too deep for that ... In future, I will always carry three or more thick (60mm or so) shortish planks, with one or two just a little narrower than the tyre. Someone could easily make a comment about as thick as two planks!! They'd be right.

I hope this helps someone in the future

 

[GWG]

Wow, carrying 60mm thick planks, would make a good dent in most Payloads. Without stating the obvious better not to dig yourself a hole in the first place ? Carry a couple of sets of Heavy duty mats, very light compared to planks. We Always, always, park with all 4 wheels on mats. Even in dry sunny weather. Positioned so Rear wheels leave rear ones first, Then if it gets boggy, just drive (very slowly, so you don't spin the mats out) and put rear mats in front of front mats and keep moving mats alternately under drive wheels, until dry road is reached. Been in real quagmires and not stuck as long as you go slow so mats grip. Simples.

 

[PP Bear]

Yep, been there, done that, as lots of other Funsters have. Mine was a very wet year at the Dorset Steam Fair and no amount of wood, planks or heavy duty mats would have shifted me the 300+ meters up the hill to get out. A tractor was the only answer and did the job quite nicely

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[GWAYGWAY]

Sounds like you went to the Peterborough Show this year then, Where I was parked, everybody(except me) got their front wheel drive in the mud and the fleet of tractors were busy pulling vans out of the quagmire that was the general parking. My old Tranny twin rear wheel drive did get out OK.

 

[wizzer59]

Quite like those brown sidewall tyres

 

[DavidG58]

Good result, but bit confused why you 'turned on' your traction control, don't they default to on? Mine does. Maybe if on originally the hole wouldn't have been quite so deep in the first place, but from your description that might be wishful thinking

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[MichelleRyall]

Sounds like you went to the Peterborough Show this year then, Where I was parked, everybody(except me) got their front wheel drive in the mud and the fleet of tractors were busy pulling vans out of the quagmire that was the general parking. My old Tranny twin rear wheel drive did get out OK.

We are front wheel drive and tow a motorcycle trailer.......towed in and towed out on occasions

 

[PeteH]

AH!, What is needed is one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161819619554?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

And One of these

Job Sorted!.

Pete

 

[pyro]

I find that weedkiller and sugar will move most things

Pyro by name and by nature

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[Dorwyn]

Wow, carrying 60mm thick planks, would make a good dent in most Payloads. Without stating the obvious better not to dig yourself a hole in the first place ? Carry a couple of sets of Heavy duty mats, very light compared to planks. We Always, always, park with all 4 wheels on mats. Even in dry sunny weather. Positioned so Rear wheels leave rear ones first, Then if it gets boggy, just drive (very slowly, so you don't spin the mats out) and put rear mats in front of front mats and keep moving mats alternately under drive wheels, until dry road is reached. Been in real quagmires and not stuck as long as you go slow so mats grip. Simples.

Yes, it would have been better not to get in the hole in the first place. And the planks are short, only enough to fit the wheels. But, hey. After an errand I was returning to a spot I had previously parked in for a week or so, and was backing up on the chocks. The rest of the ground was very wet, but solid. I easily got up to the top of the steep field. Unbeknownst to me, the spot had recently been grassed over a well dug veg patch. Which had soaked up huge amounts of rain. I was watching the chocks, backing up slowly, wondered why I was getting there very slowly. I looked forwards, and realized the aspect of the van was wrong, down on one side. Dooh! Yes, I should have taken precautions, but... But thanks for the advice. I do not intent to do it again.

 

[Billggski]

I'm pretty sure that anti slip is on by default and pressing the button switches it off. Traction + is an extra, but both are for extra safety when driving, not for getting off muddy fields.