Well darn!

[George Schweikle]

Correct!.

Thanks to Mr. D for posting about the episode. Information like this can be added to our memory, and may help in a future situation.

Originally Posted by Mr_D

...One thing about the peanut gallery is that I was there you were not.....

[hypoxia]

Originally Posted by RRR

You might try to contact California Tow Truck Association. Home • CTTA

That's one I need to remember. I assume every state has one?

With a 45' coach it is very difficult to feel the drives spinning, especially if the tag is down. I've had a few times where I thought I was on fairly solid ground and realized it was spinning. Fortunately I realized it before digging a big hole and was able to lift the tag and back out of the hole to take a different track.

This story reminds me why I don't believe in insurance for towing or mechanical. I want to be in control and not wait for someone to make a decision. I'll gladly pay out of my own pocket and be on my way.

[twinboat]

With a tag axle, air ride coach, if the drive tires sink, even a bit, the ride height valve is going to release air, because they sense the chassis being high. That's opposite of what you want to happen.

That loads the tag tire with the weight, while unloading the drive tires. At that point, traction would almost disappear and you wouldn't know it unless you were watching the speedometer.

I suppose that if you suspect soft ground, dumping the tag before moving may help, but as Mr. D said, the ground had been fine.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by IASM

Raise the front as high as it will go and connect to the bottom of the center frame. Keeps all lines away from suspension.

Front tires continued to sink as we waited for the tow to arrive. I just had Active Air installed two weeks before and the front suspension was up as far as it could go. See earlier pictures.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by ga traveler

I am not going to fault you for getting stuck. It can happen to anyone. I have parked my motorhome in the same place for 16 years. No problems. Last year it rained for over a week straight. I went to bring the motorhome down to the house to get ready for a trip. As soon as I left the pad it went down to the axles in the ground. I did not want to call a tow truck. I was a RV service manager for 15 years and I knew tow trucks damage RVs about a third of the times they are used. I drove to Lowes and bought 2 2X12s. I put a couple of old boards under my jacks and lifted the coach out of the mud. I let the coach down on the boards and backed up 11 feet. Jacked it up again and another 11 feet and I was on firm ground. Worked for me.

No jacks, air leveling only.

[hypoxia]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I suppose that if you suspect soft ground, dumping the tag before moving may help, but as Mr. D said, the ground had been fine.

It's always a tough decision. You know the ground is wet but the coach has been an umbrella over the tires. You walk the track desired, jump up & down, it feels fine. If you're lucky you can get it rolling without breaking the surface tension. It's a guessing game every time.

This isn't Mr. D's first rodeo so I'm guessing we would have made the same decision.

[ga traveler]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

No jacks, air leveling only.

In that case, of course, you are correct. Without jacks you are out of luck. You had to call for help. You just got the wrong guy. Again not your fault. Glad you posted. If it happens to someone else, they can tell your story and refuse to let them hook to the wheel.

[RRR]

Originally Posted by hypoxia

That's one I need to remember. I assume every state has one?

That I do not know

[ThePowells]

NC has Towing and Recovery Professionals of NC.

[Ray,IN]

Mt. D, with my best intentions; for a JIC situation, look at what I just found on the Iowa 80 truck stop website.Truck Claws truck tire aids.

They aren't cheap @ $300/pr, but I consider them a solid investment. I think I will buy some JIC I wind up stuck in the mud at a rally or something. They claim they work better than, or injunction with tire chains for these muddy situations.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by twinboat

With a tag axle, air ride coach, if the drive tires sink, even a bit, the ride height valve is going to release air, because they sense the chassis being high. That's opposite of what you want to happen.

Not sure. I think that as the axle sank the frame also goes down so the ride height valve would not see the drop.

That loads the tag tire with the weight, while unloading the drive tires. At that point, traction would almost disappear and you wouldn't know it unless you were watching the speedometer.

I don't know how the RV is plumbed, but on the air ride trucks I have worked the tag picks up supply from the RHV, so when you load the tag it carries the load at the same height as the drivers. I would think that the RV would not use the same size bags, so the tag would carry less weight, but would carry at the same height.

I suppose that if you suspect soft ground, dumping the tag before moving may help, but as Mr. D said, the ground had been fine.

If you are on a loose or slippery surface, lifting the tag will transfer weight to the drive and improve traction. On a soft surface, the extra weight on the drivers will make your ruts deeper. Mud is both slippery and soft. Looking at the picture the only chance to drive out would of been before he tried to move jack up the front and put planks under the front tires. As soon as that front dropped he was done. Maybe he could spin and dig his way forward some, but as the front tires moved and sank he was chocked... Yes 20/20 hindsight, sorry OP.

Originally Posted by hypoxia

It's always a tough decision. You know the ground is wet but the coach has been an umbrella over the tires. You walk the track desired, jump up & down, it feels fine. If you're lucky you can get it rolling without breaking the surface tension. It's a guessing game every time.

This isn't Mr. D's first rodeo so I'm guessing we would have made the same decision.

Over a lifetime I have watched over-educated construction supervisors pull this kind of antics while trying to convince me to take a truck someplace I didn't think it should go. Almost as good as the "That clay is good and hard, just slick on top." Sorry I'm a dumbsnot, the top is the only part I can drive on! Takes a real fat guy to put the same PSI as even a light 50,000 vehicle.

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Mt. D, with my best intentions; for a JIC situation, look at what I just found on the Iowa 80 truck stop website.
They aren't cheap @ $300/pr, but I consider them a solid investment. I think I will buy some JIC I wind up stuck in the mud at a rally or something. They claim they work better than, or injunction with tire chains for these muddy situations.

I think I might study those before I dropped the coins; If the strap holds, but your front is sunk, you could dig holes in the ground pretty fast. If the strap did not hold no telling what they would put holes in...

[Mr_D]

Well, I'm on the road home. Alignment and resetting the steering wheel got me moving. However the drivers side front is wearing funny. No pulling, brakes are good so I suspect a bent spindle.
Had to use my emergency retract rods to hold the slide in since apparently the violent shaking when the first tow strap broke also broke something in the HWH mechanism. Put a call in to HWH on Wed but no call back yet.
Active Air was not affected and it's doing it's job.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Not sure. I think that as the axle sank the frame also goes down so the ride height valve would not see the drop.



I don't know how the RV is plumbed, but on the air ride trucks I have worked the tag picks up supply from the RHV, so when you load the tag it carries the load at the same height as the drivers. I would think that the RV would not use the same size bags, so the tag would carry less weight, but would carry at the same height.



If you are on a loose or slippery surface, lifting the tag will transfer weight to the drive and improve traction. On a soft surface, the extra weight on the drivers will make your ruts deeper. Mud is both slippery and soft. Looking at the picture the only chance to drive out would of been before he tried to move jack up the front and put planks under the front tires. As soon as that front dropped he was done. Maybe he could spin and dig his way forward some, but as the front tires moved and sank he was chocked... Yes 20/20 hindsight, sorry OP.




Over a lifetime I have watched over-educated construction supervisors pull this kind of antics while trying to convince me to take a truck someplace I didn't think it should go. Almost as good as the "That clay is good and hard, just slick on top." Sorry I'm a dumbsnot, the top is the only part I can drive on! Takes a real fat guy to put the same PSI as even a light 50,000 vehicle.




I think I might study those before I dropped the coins; If the strap holds, but your front is sunk, you could dig holes in the ground pretty fast. If the strap did not hold no telling what they would put holes in...

Many MH tag axle pressures are set by a simple regulator and don't adjust with the air suspension. The tag tire will hold the chassis up, leaving the drive axle unloaded or hanging. Seen it happen on charter bus' on steep apron driveways.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Well, I'm on the road home. Alignment and resetting the steering wheel got me moving. However the drivers side front is wearing funny. No pulling, brakes are good so I suspect a bent spindle.
Had to use my emergency retract rods to hold the slide in since apparently the violent shaking when the first tow strap broke also broke something in the HWH mechanism. Put a call in to HWH on Wed but no call back yet.
Active Air was not affected and it's doing it's job.

I don't want to stir up your ulcers, but I think you should hear about what has happened to a pro.
A quarry I was hauling for had a real unqualified manager. They sold a bunch of rock to a company putting is sewers for a new subdivision. First load, everybody got stuck. All the owner operators refused to go back unless they built a road. The manager called in company drivers to haul the rock. Each truck was pulled half mile across a field, dump the load, and pulled back to road. Out of 8 trucks, 3 had enough of a diamond pulled in the frames they could not get the axles lined up again. Now all the trucks where packing more than your gross, but store-bought Mack dump trucks, 22,000 steer, 24,000 lift, and 46,000 drive axles...
If a tire is wearing, something is not lined up. With your slide out issues, and knowing one side was pulled, I would want to look deep before I started fixing...

Originally Posted by twinboat

Many MH tag axle pressures are set by a simple regulator and don't adjust with the air suspension. The tag tire will hold the chassis up, leaving the drive axle unloaded or hanging. Seen it happen on charter bus' on steep apron driveways.

Thank you. On all my trucks that had spring on the drivers just set bag pressure with simple regulators, one adjusted underneath for the lift, and the other adjusted from driver seat to regulate the weight on the axle.
But as to the OP's original problem, would not matter it was the steering axle that stuck him....