Yes, I know, brave indeed to mention the "caravan" word on this website, but I need some help.
I have a fwd car automatic car. It's usually okay when it gets a bit slippery as it has a winter mode which locks the car in to a higher gear when it gets slippery. However I'm going to start towing a caravan and reckon that a wet muddy grass field, courtesy of our exceptional summer may be too much.
I don't want to buy a 4wd just for this rare event. I remember seeing mats/grates that 4wd cars use when they get stuck and wondered if anyone knew of such a device for cars, or if any one had an idea for a substitute? Can you use snow chains in mud?
Cheers
WipeOut
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Look ahead when you're entering your field, so you don't get stuck on the way out!
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Reversing out may help, assuming you can see where you're going...
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Surely you could just take a couple of planks to lay under the wheels if the worst happens?
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Buy a Subaru. 4wd without the downsides.
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Sorry but Subaru does have a downside, it doesn't do 45mpg like my Volvo S60 D5. I looked at buying one, but couldn't stomach the lack of fuel economy. Nice car otherwise. As stated, I'm not replacing my car.
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Lowering the tyre pressures and hence increasing the footprint helps a lot.
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have a look in Land Rover mag small ads for a land anchor winch. Stick it in the ground, winch your caravan onto dry ground.
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(Queue safety lecture)
Sit any passengers on the front edge of the bonnet to maximise the leverage of their weight over the front wheels.
If still stuck, remove heavy baggage from car and caravan.
If still stuck, reverse a short distance and have another go.
I saw this technique used to great effect at a very muddy Spa F1 GP camp site!
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I saw this technique used to great effect at a very muddy Spa F1 GP camp site!
I saw this technique used to great effect to rip the entire rear-end off another car (that was stuck in snow) in one of those viral e-mail video things. Brilliant.
*grin*
Urm... would it be stupid to suggest bringing a couple of boards along to park the caravan on when you arrive, so it's nice and easy to roll off when you leave? Or can a caravanner here point out a reason why you'd have to be insane to try it?
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My old man was a keen caravanner and he used to stick on town and country tyres (I think that?s what they were called). They were very chunky and very cheap. I also remember being dragged to a caravan show as a kid and seeing a demonstration of a kind of snow chain. It was more like a tank track for one wheel which you drove over then wrapped and fastened it around your tyre. It was like a belt of big plastic blocks.
This is going back a few years now but it might be worth a visit to a caravan shop...
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Just to clarify, I was talking about laying them under the driven wheels of the car, not the caravan wheels, since they are the ones you need to be gripping.
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Hello wipeout
My parent's used to tow a caravan, so I can only comment from their experiences.
If you plan to travel on your own, then you will probably be only visiting recognised sites. It is in the interest of the site owner to ensure all visitors can enter and leave the site in almost all weathers. He certainly does not want deep rutted muddy tracks all over his site - its not good for business. If he has a problem on the site then he should have a vehicle to move your caravan if you get stuck.
If you are travelling as part of a club, you are more likely to use a field rather than a caravan site. When inclement weather makes a field slippery then either another member will assist you (unless you want to be the last to leave) or the farmer will use his tractor.
Being prepared for this situation is being wise but I feel that you are worrying more than you need to. By all means see if there is any thing you can buy, but if you do I bet you never used it. I would recommend you have a chat with other caravaners (or sales centre) to see what their experiences have been.
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I agree with Artful Dodger. There are so many things it is worth preparing for when caravanning (eg corkscrew and tinopener) this problem should be avoided in the first place.
I tow with a rear wheel drive, but I never go anywhere where I am at all doubtful about the ground conditions. If necessary get out and look carefully first.
If you are worried about the caravan sinking during your stay and being difficult to pull free, then the 2 planks idea is a good one.
Invariably the site will have a slight slope, and it is handy to have a few planks and blocks to hand anyway to put under the wheels to level up.
If you really want to go off-roading with a caravan then you need a 4WD and a winch with a long cable and ground anchors, but that sounds a bit extreme.
Most sites are firm, even the grassy ones.
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Carry a 6 meter tow rope. If caravan is causing you to get stuck, unhitch the van, move car to better ground and then gently tow the caravan out of the slippery area. I supose you could attach an old 50 mm towball to one end of the rope to attach to the hitch of the caravan, never done it, just an idea
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Thanks for the multiple bits of advice.
I'm travelling to a Mountain Bike Endurance event which is not on a formal camp site but in a field. These can become mud fests if the weather turns nasty and long term weather forecast isn't looking favourable. I'm hoping the field for camping will not turn in to a bog.
Thanks again.
WipeOut
PS Advice still welcome!
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PS Advice still welcome!
Snowchains??
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PS Advice still welcome!
Book into a nice B&B?
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Wouldnt it be nice if the caravan was left to sink in the mud?
One down.................
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