Community Forums

8TiresRollin · 07-11-2017, 07:39 AM

Was at a gorgeous little and very basic campground weekends of June 24 and left the coach there for Jul 1 weekend. First weekend the host said why don't you move here nice spot. Got in there, too many mosquitos and went to drive out. Soft ground and front wheels dug in. I know enough to not spin the wheels when there is no traction. 3 hours later we got the rear up on small portable rig mats using the hydraulic leveling jacks. Out she came with air off the tag. So we moved to higher ground and left the coach there for a week and returned last weekend. Hells bells the wheels settled into the grass only about two inches and she spun again

. Called Good Sam and in rural nowhere Alberta I had a tow 1-1/2 hours later. It only needed a 1 ton pickup truck tug and away she went.
My big gripe is (and I have driven big rigs before) is why can we not have diff lock standard in these coaches? Big rigs lock wheel to wheel and diff to diff so all 4 drive. In both cases (second case for sure) I would have gotten out with both wheels driving. Moral of the story: No more cute grass campsites for this boy unless it is green astro carpet over concrete.

Boy do I have good things to say about Good Sam. First time I ever used them. Thanks to all those people who helped.

BFlinn181 · 07-12-2017, 09:32 AM

Glad you posted, maybe others can learn that these rigs put a lot of weight on relatively a small 'footprint.'

I'm sure you could get the differential lock-up installed --- if you want to pay for it. After the first experience of soft ground, you could have parked on planks to spread the weight out a bit. Another option would be to put cable chains on the drive tires to get out of a 2" depression.

Gordon Dewald · 07-12-2017, 09:38 AM

One trick that sometimes helps is to dump the tag air. Adds a bit of traction to the drive.

Are the tires original? It could be the tires have oxidized enough to be slippery.

MRUSA14 · 07-12-2017, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8TiresRollin

3 hours later we got the rear up on small portable rig mats using the hydraulic leveling jacks.

What are "portable rig mats"?

dennis45 · 07-12-2017, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

What are "portable rig mats"?

I doubt you would find these in FL.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rig_mat

Rotten-Red · 07-12-2017, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

Glad you posted, maybe others can learn that these rigs put a lot of weight on relatively a small 'footprint.'

I'm sure you could get the differential lock-up installed --- if you want to pay for it.

I don't believe you can get a diff. lock on a single drive axle. I've only seen them on tandem drive axles.

BFlinn181 · 07-12-2017, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rotten-Red

I don't believe you can get a diff. lock on a single drive axle. I've only seen them on tandem drive axles.

I have no idea what differential the OP has, but auto locking, manual locking, and limited slip differentials are certainly available on single drive axles. As I said, you just have to decide to pay for it. He could also install solenoid valves on the rear brake cans that would apply the brake to the spinning wheel, transferring more power to the wheel with traction. All these strategies are used by off road vehicles all the time, plus some others I've not listed.

If you want to park on the grass in a region that is subject to heavy frost in winter, you can expect soft ground and settling of a vehicle parked on that grass, even for a short time.

twinboat · 07-12-2017, 12:21 PM

Tandem drive axle trucks have inter-axle locks, very common.

Between tandem axles are a differential. If in mud only one wheel would spin. The lock, locks the foward tandem axle to the rear tandem axle. With that locked, you still only had 1 wheel per axle spinning in mud.

Differental locks are avalable in single and tandem axle trucks but are not as common. They would lock the differential so both wheel of each axle would spin. Now you had some traction.

I once ordered a tandem axle Freightliner chassis with all wheel drive. Mack offered it also, but not with a drop frame. I needed to keep the load low.

It took 3 steps to lock it in. First you added the front axle thru the transfer case. If needed, you then switched the air control for the differential lock, locking all three axle differentials. Last was the air control for the inter-axle lock, locking the rear 2 together. Then you could spin 10 wheels in the mud. It rarely got stuck.

Gordon Dewald · 07-13-2017, 08:51 AM

Back in the day we had an old school bus converted a MH. We used to use it to go to ski hills. As a very low level aide we carried a length of 3/4 inch nylon rope. If we were "stuck" we would take the rope and wind it around the tire through the holes in the outside rims. We only used it once after being snowed in overnight. Worked OK.