Camper helping a camper... Stuck in Mub

[fpoole]

Just posting as a reminder, especially when Roaming Aimlessly around as I tend do, Solo, that things can change quickly, so be prepared as needed..

Flaming Gorge, WY in the Anvil Dam area, around the lake.

Cruising looking for a landing spot, pulled just off the road, looked dry and firm, got out, LR sunk 2-3" but with a dually, 4-wed-low, figured not a big deal.. went looking for sites 7-10 min came back to this



It was one of those... OOOooops... What to do, what to do....



Started unloading, unhitching etc, fellow camper strolled by asked if I needed help, "Yep, I believe I do..." went back, got husband, came over and hooked up his winch.

Initially, nothing happen, I was in 4-wd-low with the winch hooked up and pulling. He then started to back his truck and an slight movement, eventually getting out...

Moral of the story to me is, if I'm gonna play in the Boonies, I need to be prepared... so looking at the traction mats, Hi-lift jack w/accessories and eventually a 16.5 Warn winch with the "Sand Anchor" or whatever they're called.



And yes, I was lucky. Lucky it didn't roll, lucky someone came by and very lucky it was pulled out... Thank you sir for your help...
can't say enough...



Lessons learn...
Hope that helps the next person and I will certainly "Pay it forward" when I have the opportunity, equipment and chance...

Good to go now...

[2oldman]

This post has me thinking about how 2 people can call it mub.

[GeoBoy]

This post has me thinking about a tow strap and a couple of clevis to attach the strap. What length tow strap should I carry?

[fpoole]

Oldtymeflyr wrote:
I hate to say this but you had the solution, a good tow rope and maybe a shovel is all you really need. All the other stuff is for people looking for trouble, not that, that is bad. Besides all that equipment is too much work.

You were just in a bad spot --- unlucky and all the skill, planning and equipment cannot prevent bad luck.

In a reasonable amount of time someone will come along to help out and get things moving.

Yah, thanks Flyr...
Everyone agrees on the use of a winch, either on the truck or someone elses... I prefer to be self sufficient so I'll be getting the winch. I have a small 3500# winch for my buggy and have used it several times..
I think of Winches, like Fire Extinguishers, you don't need'em till you need'em...

With the winch, as in the above scenario, even with a winch, no place to anchor it... so the the Tow anchor, looks cumbersome will resolve that one. The TRED PRO traction matts would be use first as a quick and dirty escape try. Bottle jack and that's about it...
(I have the tow ropes, tree straps high rated, already from the buggy.

That and 3 snatch blocks and 3 shackles should do it...
Anything past that, heheh, Cell Phone...if I have coverage...

I figure you can only do so much and like noted, not going to carry a load of stuff that will never be used...

I do want to be able to help others so, I figure with my krap and theirs something should work.


Sab:
I'm pretty new at the Truck camper thing, 9 months full time now. Have had a Tear Drop before and never got stuck, but Apples vs Oranges, knock on wood.

While this time was a "Lessons Learned" and will be more careful/attentive from now own, Stuff happens... to me and to others and the above equipment should cover most of things as I see them for now..

Weight is not a problem, it's why I got the heavier truck, so the biggest bulky thing will be the winch anchor... and I'll find a place for that..

I have a small mini compressor for the buggy, but have had on the list 'Air bags' for the truck and an Firestone compressor for tires and other things. Had them on my previous truck. Winch has always been on the list, heheh, just can't afford it yet...

So, with all that in mind, I think I've realized the lesson and will plan accordingly...

One thing is for pretty sure... once I get set up....????
I'll never need to use it.. like insurance... but, I'll be able to help others, paying it forward as they say..

thanks all for the ideas, I've sorted through them and the recent 'Truck Camper" poll/survey helped too...

see you in the Mud.. heheh, on the dry side... with rope in hand.. heheh, fun... most of the time
Thanks All,

cheers..

[Oldtymeflyr]

I hate to say this but you had the solution, a good tow rope and maybe a shovel is all you really need. All the other stuff is for people looking for trouble, not that, that is bad. Besides all that equipment is too much work.

You were just in a bad spot --- unlucky and all the skill, planning and equipment cannot prevent bad luck.

In a reasonable amount of time someone will come along to help out and get things moving.

[sabconsulting]

How many years have you been RVing without getting stuck? I ask because now you have some experience of this situation you are probably even less likely than before to get stuck because you'll be more careful.

I mention this because it is easy to spend a load of money and add a load of weight adding recovery equipment which you might haul around for 5 years and not need to use, or then find that you can't use it because you have nothing to anchor your recovery equipment to, and you end up paying for a tow truck anyway. Or finally need to use your expensive winch for the first time in several years and find it no longer works.

So by all means, if you really want it, or you think you will really use it, then buy a winch etc. and get some training too, since winches, hi-lift jacks and kinetic energy recovery ropes can be very dangerous if used incorrectly - there is a lot of energy involved.

If not looking to spend thousands of dollars on equipment then here are some things to consider:

1) A high quality recovery rope as others have mentioned.
2) Making sure your truck has good strong front and rear recovery points.
3) Buy some appropriately rated and tested shackles to attach to your recovery points to ensure that if in future someone winches you out you know you have the correct shackles to attach their winch hook to your truck in case they don't and are tempted to attach it somewhere they shouldn't.
4) Gloves for handling winch rope, even if it is someone else's winch.
5) If you have tyres capable of being aired down then carrying a portable 12v compressor (one that runs off crocodile clips on your battery, not from your accessory socket).
6) A folding shovel.

No-one has mentioned exhaust jacks. I have heard good things about them as recovery tools - getting one sufficiently rated for lifting a heavy truck and camper might be a struggle or at least expensive. But I would be interested to hear other people's opinions.

Steve.

[fpoole]

jefe 4x4 wrote:
Poole,
Lucky you had a convenient, large vehicle around to pull you out of a stick. Some observations:
1. Good thing you have tow rings on the front. Smart move. On many trucks these are optional. It looks like the rear can use a clevis or 'D' ring into the receiver hitch; another winching attachment point. This is one issue that many fail to appreciate until the stick happens: winch or strap points.
2. With what looks like 19.5, 10 bolt wheels with, and high weight rated street truck tires you won't get much traction in mud or snow. Not that it would help with that much weight even on duals, especially at that angle. With deflatable tires I have gotten out of a mub bog or two by deflating down to about 32 pounds and engaging the sidewall biters.
3. Looking at the shoulder in the pic, I also would have pulled over as the surface looks dry and solid.
4. A 60" high lift jack is not as good a fit with a TC as one might think. It's only 7K pounds rated. You have a flat bed, and that might be a way to lift one side or the other, but most of us with p.u. beds are confined to the front end only as a lift point. Considering the weight; not worth it. A jack board and a 12 ton bottle jack is a down and dirty alternative.
5. a high capy winch IS the 100% effort.....IF you have an anchor to hook it to. For your heavy TC, i suggest an 18,000 pound winch and a custom built carrier. Why? The rule of thumb for sizing a winch to your vehicle is: 1-1/2 times the vehicle weight. Mine is 10K pounds, so a 15K pound winch.
6. Everyone should carry at least a 4"W, 20 foot, 30K pound tow strap (with end loops) with several size 'D' rings for solid connection to your tow hooks...or tow some other heavy TC out of the mub.
7. I"m not sure if you have a limited slip rear end on that truck. I upped the traction ante by installing a Dana 80 Power Lok rear and Detroit/Eaton torque biasing Dana 70 True Trac front limited slip diffs, and it has worked out very well in snow, mud, and sand.
You did everything right and got very lucky, for someone who covets solitude.
Thanks for posting.
jefe

Jefe,
Thank you so much for the tips...

That was really what I was looking for, as to what the "Options were" from the Pros... heheh, those who covet solitude, I am just good at getting "Lost"... I am a "Pro" at that, both buggy riding and camper driving, heheh...

I'll look into all the above, that's a great help. I was surprise that in 4-low, that the other 3 tires, dry surface, wouldn't be able to pull it out with help, but with the angle and surface 'slickness' (fine dirt, sand) not so surprised.
They didn't seem to make any diff that I could see. Correct on the 19.5 OEM upgraded to OEM traction, heheh, but they just spin and not what I would consider "Traction" types but they are on the list. No side Traction to speak of.

I had the tow straps, short and long, and that's what we used to hook up to the front ring. I do have have a D-ring? but not sure if it'd fit the back hitch, will look into that one now.

The Differential is OEM, but thought it was the limited Slip? I went with all the 'heavy duty' options I could then ordering the truck.

I thought the Warn winch cap was at 16.5k but I'll look for a higher one, non- Warn?

Recommendations would be appreciated.
Also, recommendations on the "Winch Anchors"

heheh, as having a winch, won't do much good if there's nothing to hook it to.. other than the proverbial "Skyhook", which are hard to find, LOL..

The traction boards/mates, noted above, look to have been about the only other solution that I can see. After much digging and "Hoping" that it didn't sink further (and tip over?) to get them under or close to other the affected rear wheels and then try a pull out... dunno...

Hi-lift jack, as noted above, would have be "Iffy" at best and dangerous at the least... not sure how that would have worked in this scenario, guessing it wouldn't and would have been dangerous to try to use. I'll put that on the back burner for now.

So, just to recap what "I am seeing" under this scenario, no real options other than a tow with an anchor or digging out and using mats and Hoping it would not sink deeper.

Traction mats might have worked, all 4 wheels, after digging out.

If anyone has any other thoughts that would help, me, but more for the community, would be helpful.

thanks all...

Shying away from those 'Way Outta the Way places' until I get prepped up correctly... although, this place, Flaming Gorge - Anvil WY, isn't considered "Way out places" which makes it more dangerous as one feels "It's all good".. hehheh..

Thanks...

[Nautique200]

Get a bubba rope tow strap.

[jefe_4x4]

Poole,
Lucky you had a convenient, large vehicle around to pull you out of a stick. Some observations:
1. Good thing you have tow rings on the front. Smart move. On many trucks these are optional. It looks like the rear can use a clevis or 'D' ring into the receiver hitch; another winching attachment point. This is one issue that many fail to appreciate until the stick happens: winch or strap points.
2. With what looks like 19.5, 10 bolt wheels with, and high weight rated street truck tires you won't get much traction in mud or snow. Not that it would help with that much weight even on duals, especially at that angle. With deflatable tires I have gotten out of a mub bog or two by deflating down to about 32 pounds and engaging the sidewall biters.
3. Looking at the shoulder in the pic, I also would have pulled over as the surface looks dry and solid.
4. A 60" high lift jack is not as good a fit with a TC as one might think. It's only 7K pounds rated. You have a flat bed, and that might be a way to lift one side or the other, but most of us with p.u. beds are confined to the front end only as a lift point. Considering the weight; not worth it. A jack board and a 12 ton bottle jack is a down and dirty alternative.
5. a high capy winch IS the 100% effort.....IF you have an anchor to hook it to. For your heavy TC, i suggest an 18,000 pound winch and a custom built carrier. Why? The rule of thumb for sizing a winch to your vehicle is: 1-1/2 times the vehicle weight. Mine is 10K pounds, so a 15K pound winch.
6. Everyone should carry at least a 4"W, 20 foot, 30K pound tow strap (with end loops) with several size 'D' rings for solid connection to your tow hooks...or tow some other heavy TC out of the mub.
7. I"m not sure if you have a limited slip rear end on that truck. I upped the traction ante by installing a Dana 80 Power Lok rear and Detroit/Eaton torque biasing Dana 70 True Trac front limited slip diffs, and it has worked out very well in snow, mud, and sand.
You did everything right and got very lucky, for someone who covets solitude.
Thanks for posting.
jefe

[brholt]

Just curious. In place of a traction mat would the "Legos" a lot of us carry work instead?

[kohldad]

Glad you got it out. Hope you learned another lesson, when it sinks - move immediately. This was especially true with the water so close by.

[fpoole]

Yah, not sure what could have been done.

Putting these on my "List" along with the bumper winch.

MAXSA Innovations 20333 Escaper Buddy Orange Traction Mat

Hi-Lift Jack HL604 60" Hi-Lift Black Cast and Steel Jack
with accessories, pad, wheel lift etc...

Hi-Lift Jack ORK Off-Road Kit

U.S. made PULL-PAL WINCH ANCHOR 14000 - Xtreme-Duty (from Billet4x4) (OFF-ROAD RECOVERY)

between all of those and heheheh, as a last resort, cell phone, should be better off than I was....

Knowing full well, that once I get all this 'krap" I'll never get stuck again... just seems to work that way, so insurance is more what's it's called...

thanks..

[Vinsil]

Your right, that was a dangerous one and I would not have used a hi-lift.

I do have a sand pad for mine, get one if you go with one.

[fpoole]

Thanks, good advice... it looks a little "Tricky" and I'm not sure it would have done any good, trying to lift anything at that angle.. but, a tool to keep in the tool box..
Thanks for the Heads up..

[Vinsil]

A bit of advice with a hi-lift.

Practice with it if you don't have much experience. Learning out in a bad situation like that is NOT the place. They are dangerous and will maim and kill. Seen a few close calls and had a few myself. Be safe!

Glad it worked out Frank!