All the technology in the world, beaten by wet grass. (1 Viewer)

Jul 29, 2007
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Been watching the tractors working flat out for two days now, dragging vans off the fields here at Peterborough. Seems a lot of modern vans can only cope with hard standings, go on grass and your stuffed.

Wonder why no one does caravan movers for front wheel drive motorhomes? Couple of them on the rear wheels would make a heck of a difference to off road ability.

Ian
 

vicwo

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Anyone with info on the traction plus on Fiat base. Does it help a little ?

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awg

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Anyone with info on the traction plus on Fiat base. Does it help a little ?
Didn't make any difference to me at Chester although previously I've felt it did make a small difference.

Allan
 

vicwo

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Thanks Allan. That will be OK then if I don't go to Chester lol

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GJH

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The secret (to some extent at least) seems to be having something adequate under the wheels in the first place. We were pitched with our front wheels on ramps and rear wheels on bread trays. I had another pair of bread trays behind the ramps to roll down onto. Once in that position (and having checked the firmest route to the road) I put the trays that had been under the rear wheels in front of the front ones. Jill then drove off steadily in first gear without a problem.

A nearby (heavier) van was pitched with nothing under the wheels (and in a slightly softer place) and just dug a trough with the front wheels when attempting to move. Luckily, shoving a couple of trays behind the front wheels enabled reversing onto them and then it was possible to drive off over a series of three more trays placed in front of each wheel.

In extreme conditions (especially with heavier vans) the standard trays are a bit lightweight and we could really do with something a bit more robust/less damageable without adding too much weight.
 

GWAYGWAY

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GLOAT! I was parked out at the back of the non booked swamp near the A1 and they were towing them into the bit where I was and then having to tow them out afterwards. I put my transit twin-wheel rear drive van in there and drove straight out when I moved places. The tractor driver was watching and waiting but I got across ALL the slimy bits and to the road with little trouble. The Twins on the back and the EWS system got it going and kept it going.,. The fiat base vans were ALL stuck, and the tags were the worst of all, even on the sloping bit with the Funsters were parked they needed a load of pushing to get going DOWNHILL.
GLOAT!

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mikebeaches

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The secret (to some extent at least) seems to be having something adequate under the wheels in the first place. We were pitched with our front wheels on ramps and rear wheels on bread trays. I had another pair of bread trays behind the ramps to roll down onto. Once in that position (and having checked the firmest route to the road) I put the trays that had been under the rear wheels in front of the front ones. Jill then drove off steadily in first gear without a problem.

A nearby (heavier) van was pitched with nothing under the wheels (and in a slightly softer place) and just dug a trough with the front wheels when attempting to move. Luckily, shoving a couple of trays behind the front wheels enabled reversing onto them and then it was possible to drive off over a series of three more trays placed in front of each wheel.

In extreme conditions (especially with heavier vans) the standard trays are a bit lightweight and we could really do with something a bit more robust/less damageable without adding too much weight.

GJH has the answer.

However, although 'wet' grass can be a problem, it strikes me April is very early in the year for the ground to be sufficiently hard (especially after such a wet winter) for heavy motorhomes to negotiate easily.

Mid-April seems to be asking for trouble unless the weather has been unseasonably dry for a month or so beforehand.
 

GJH

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GJH has the answer.

However, although 'wet' grass can be a problem, it strikes me April is very early in the year for the ground to be sufficiently hard (especially after such a wet winter) for heavy motorhomes to negotiate easily.

Mid-April seems to be asking for trouble unless the weather has been unseasonably dry for a month or so beforehand.
I think it's as much to do with overall ground management by the venue owners as the weather conditions.

We got stuck at Peterborough (like most others) in 2012 and put that down to the extreme conditions during and in the week before the show. The following year we were pitched in the same area and it was rock hard. In 2014/5/6, Fun has been in the same field and no problems previously. We have been pitched with Fun several times in other fields at Peterborough and had no problems (including the same as the 2012 area once or twice if I remember correctly).

The Fun field this year seemed worst around the road edges and in a couple of areas where there appeared to have been ground disturbance, which indicates to me that the natural drainage of the land has been interfered with and inadequately reinstated - which is bad land management.

Before going to Peterborough in 2012 we stayed at a THS at Epworth, which is owned by a C&CC member who is an experienced caravanner and farmer. The weather was similar but nobody had any problems with getting stuck because the field is properly managed.
 

Techno

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I was amazed watching the Autorail Arapaho at Chester just lift off the ground with the E&P's turn his steering where he wanted to go and put his matts under the wheels. :cool:
 

DBK

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Anyone with info on the traction plus on Fiat base. Does it help a little ?
Yes, a little in my experience. This was in sand and the result was both wheels span! However, two wheels spinning is a bit better than one wheel spinning and the other wheel doing nothing but there is no substitute to having the driving wheels on something solid or in my case, not having anything solid at the time, digging away at the front of the sand so the wheels rolled onto something smooth and didn't have to climb a hill.

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Lorryman100

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Wet muddy grass isn't just a nightmare in a motor home. In my experience I have had to fit snow chains to my daily drive to get it off a muddy field and that's with 4 wheel drive and mud tyres. :oops:

IMG_0307Large2.jpg
 

vicwo

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Nice one Brian. Still waiting patiently for our 866. Going to put a few miles on next week hoping June comes quickly. Vic
 

Lorryman100

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@vicwo, Not long to go now Vic, this is when you realise the days are getting longer. Out of curiosity and noseyness are you getting it up plated to 3850kgs as it will be close to 3250kgs empty when it arrives. If not, try asking through Brownhills before it gets plated in the UK, it may cost you nothing. Brian.
 

vicwo

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Thanks Brian. I will send you a pm with my plans. Unfortunately I have to go now
My beer is getting warm at the pub l
 

funflair

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Nah, probably good planning like us :D

By the way Martin @funflair I looked for N&B but couldn't find which watercourse you were pitched in :D
@GJH we were near the RV's and the gate out to the Harvester, I came to the FUN field to see you, Carol and Eddie told me where you were and on the way I bumped into @sillybug in their Flair and I didn't get any further, next time(y)

Martin
 

MattR

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GLOAT! I was parked out at the back of the non booked swamp near the A1 and they were towing them into the bit where I was and then having to tow them out afterwards. I put my transit twin-wheel rear drive van in there and drove straight out when I moved places. The tractor driver was watching and waiting but I got across ALL the slimy bits and to the road with little trouble. The Twins on the back and the EWS system got it going and kept it going.,. The fiat base vans were ALL stuck, and the tags were the worst of all, even on the sloping bit with the Funsters were parked they needed a load of pushing to get going DOWNHILL.
GLOAT!

I've been told that Fiats are generally very poor on grass, in mud or snow. Is this a big generalisation?
 

PAGR

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As Andy, @Techno, mentioned, we managed to move off at Chester by lifting the van with the E&P jacks and lay grass protection mats about 4 foot long which gives us enough room to get a bit of momentum going.
Had no problems just driving off the field at Peterborough though as it was downhill. We were parked near the top by the marquee.

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