Community Forums

Dutchstar411 · 08-23-2020, 02:27 PM

I never thought I could get stuck with one of my drive wheels spinning free but it happened in my storage facility where I park my coach. I was having it washed this morning at 8 am and while I moved my coach and was turning around a corner to line it up with where we have our coaches washed, my right rear tire went down into the drain angle which caused the rear end to scrape the asphalt with my mud flat and had the hitch support bottom also scrape into the asphalt. I heard a faint noise and thought maybe the mud flap was dragging but then the coach stopped and wouldn't move. First we tried to place a couple of plastic jack supports in front of the rear wheel and they just spit out. Then I lowered my rear jacks down to raise the tires and jack support off the ground and tried again with the plastic jack pads, once again they spit out. Finally the detailer has a 4" x 6" x 20" piece of wood he uses for his trailer stand and we once again raised the coach with the rear jacks, placed the wood under and center of the Right Rear Tires and also placed two of the plastic jack pads under the trailer support which was indented into the asphalt. When jacks retracted everything looked good and this time it worked, and the jack pads helped the trailer hitch support slide on the asphalt until the rear of the coach was totally out of the decline. Prior I also tried playing with the tag but dumping it actually put more pressure on the trailer support and didn't help with the rear tires slipping on the drain.
This was not a FUN thing to happen but it did turn out to be a learning experience for sure. So it this happens to you, don't panic like I did, relax, get a nice block of wood, (Home Depot here I come,) raise your rear wheels off the ground with the rear jacks and place that block of wood under the tires and if need be, also under the trailer support if that also is hitting the ground. Pull your coach out of the ditch/recess or drain and look like a pro in front of everyone that was watching.

Dutch Star Don · 08-23-2020, 02:41 PM

Glad you got it out.....very aggravating.

Don't forget, sometimes you can dump the tag axle pressure and give the duals more traction. That probably wouldn't have helped in your situation since you were dragging the skid bars, but something to remember.

twinboat · 08-23-2020, 03:26 PM

Once the chassis lifts a bit, from scrapping the gound and the axle drops in the hole, the ride height valve senses the chassis rising above the axle and dumps air out of the bags. Traction us gone.

Dumping the tag won't help in that situation since the chassis is being held up by the hitch.

The rescue is what you did, get the tire and axle up towards the chassis, causing the ride height valve to add air back in the bag.

azSkier · 08-23-2020, 03:49 PM

Everyone loves a success story where adversity is defeated. However, there are risks and I will share my story.

After storing my coach for the winter months in on a gravel lot, I needed to take my coach out in prep for a spring trip. The winter and spring had been very wet. My front tires were sunk into the mud and gravel about 4 inches while the drive axle tires were on dry gravel about 8 feet from the asphalt driveway.

Despite having dry ground under the drive axle, I could not back the coach out. Now, I had coachnet and a simple call and a few hours would have solved my problem. But, I decided work the problem and get out on my own.

I tried a variety of tactics to back my coach out. But I couldn't. The mud and gravel just piled up behind the front tires. I tried moving the coach forward and then get a running start while backing up.

THe mud and rocks were piling up and The front tires just sank deeper. At some point the whole effort ended when I started hearing metal on metal grinding noises.

Despite the drive tires being on dry gravel, I had busted the pinion gear. Now, I had no choice but to call coach net for an extraction. That they did for no charge. But, since I had damaged the coach, I had to pay full rate for the tow to a shop. That was $900. And then pay $4500 to have my 2 year old differential replaced.

I still haven't dealt with the scratched paint on the front end.

Most of us have towing insurance. Don't be afraid to use it.

tommar · 08-23-2020, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azSkier

Everyone loves a success story where adversity is defeated. However, there are risks and I will share my story.

After storing my coach for the winter months in on a gravel lot, I needed to take my coach out in prep for a spring trip. The winter and spring had been very wet. My front tires were sunk into the mud and gravel about 4 inches while the drive axle tires were on dry gravel about 8 feet from the asphalt driveway.

Despite having dry ground under the drive axle, I could not back the coach out. Now, I had coachnet and a simple call and a few hours would have solved my problem. But, I decided work the problem and get out on my own.

I tried a variety of tactics to back my coach out. But I couldn't. The mud and gravel just piled up behind the front tires. I tried moving the coach forward and then get a running start while backing up.

THe mud and rocks were piling up and The front tires just sank deeper. At some point the whole effort ended when I started hearing metal on metal grinding noises.

Despite the drive tires being on dry gravel, I had busted the pinion gear. Now, I had no choice but to call coach net for an extraction. That they did for no charge. But, since I had damaged the coach, I had to pay full rate for the tow to a shop. That was $900. And then pay $4500 to have my 2 year old differential replaced.

I still haven't dealt with the scratched paint on the front end.

Most of us have towing insurance. Don't be afraid to use it.

AXSkier, Sounds to me like the moral of the story is to swollow your pride and call for help--especially to prevent damage to mechanical components of your coach!

Good lesson for me; if I get stuck, I'll call for help.

azSkier · 08-23-2020, 08:55 PM

Tommar... Yes, that's why I shared this story.

Dutchstar411 · 08-24-2020, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Glad you got it out.....very aggravating.

Don't forget, sometimes you can dump the tag axle pressure and give the duals more traction. That probably wouldn't have helped in your situation since you were dragging the skid bars, but something to remember.

Yup and thank you. I did try that but it didn't help. Freightliner says leave in Auto for the most part. Dump the tag when you need to make sharp turns, forward or backward and for more traction, example sand, mud, etc. Disable leaves the tag axle pressured up and will not dump forward or backward when in that position.

When I picked up my used coach in September 2019 the salesman stated that the Auto portion of the switch was when the switch was in it's middle position, not rocked forward. He thought the "Tag Dump" at the top of the switch actually meant Tag Dump and not the switch name. I believed him at that time and always made sure it was in the middle position... until I read what it actually meant a couple of months later.

Dutchstar411 · 08-24-2020, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azSkier

Everyone loves a success story where adversity is defeated. However, there are risks and I will share my story.

After storing my coach for the winter months in on a gravel lot, I needed to take my coach out in prep for a spring trip. The winter and spring had been very wet. My front tires were sunk into the mud and gravel about 4 inches while the drive axle tires were on dry gravel about 8 feet from the asphalt driveway.

Despite having dry ground under the drive axle, I could not back the coach out. Now, I had coachnet and a simple call and a few hours would have solved my problem. But, I decided work the problem and get out on my own.

I tried a variety of tactics to back my coach out. But I couldn't. The mud and gravel just piled up behind the front tires. I tried moving the coach forward and then get a running start while backing up.

THe mud and rocks were piling up and The front tires just sank deeper. At some point the whole effort ended when I started hearing metal on metal grinding noises.

Despite the drive tires being on dry gravel, I had busted the pinion gear. Now, I had no choice but to call coach net for an extraction. That they did for no charge. But, since I had damaged the coach, I had to pay full rate for the tow to a shop. That was $900. And then pay $4500 to have my 2 year old differential replaced.

I still haven't dealt with the scratched paint on the front end.

Most of us have towing insurance. Don't be afraid to use it.

I had a friend a few years back that did the same thing, trying to rock back and forth and blew out his ring and pinion on his Phaten. Our diesel motors have just too much torque and can lead to just that. Back in the day when we got stuck in snow we did the same thing with our cars and sometimes we overheated the tranny, not too often blew out the rear end, so I agree with you and would never go to that extreme. If it was possible I would have tried to raise the front end with the jacks and place boards under the front tires to get them off of that hole they dug. But not knowing if that would have even worked I too would call Coach-Net, my tow company to get me out. Thanks again for your input here. Hopefully when people search for something this thread provides they can pick up on what or whatnot to do.

Dutchstar411 · 08-24-2020, 09:48 AM

tommar, how do you like your Tow Dolly, any draw backs? Any issues with towing a Prius?

R Bob · 08-24-2020, 10:09 AM

On the day DW and I picked up our 89 Holiday Rambler Imperial, and with her car on a rental trailer, attempted to get fuel in a large station off the interstate. As I started to turn into the pumps, we came to a crunching halt. I finally figured out I needed to unstrap the car, pull the ramps out about four feet, and back the car up, out on the ramps. This lifted the landing gear on the trailer, allowing me to slowly back out of the 'swag' going into the station. After putting, strapping everything back, I realized that was my introduction to RV travels with a class A. Now, we both look closely at any place when we want to get off the highway. But I'm still trying to convince her that there are some places you have to be aware of overhead clearances!

tommar · 08-24-2020, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutchstar411

tommar, how do you like your Tow Dolly, any draw backs? Any issues with towing a Prius?

No issues with towing the Prius and I like the Acme EZE Tow we bought, used, no drawbacks. Except when it's near 100 degrees, loading it is a PITA; just too hot to do anything!