I store my MH, 35' Monaco Monarch, on a buddy's ranch next to his fiver. The spot we use is slightly higher then the surrounding ground, on dirt, but in winters past even after a good rain I have never had a problem getting the MH out. If you have been following the news, there is imminent risk that the Oroville overflow levi may breach. Yesterday he calls me to tell me that the mandatory evacuations for the Oroville - Marysville - Yuba City areas (N. California area) included his ranch and he was moving his fiver, and suggested I get my MH. As I started to move it, the rear wheels sunk, not bad, but sunk. We spent hours digging last night, and tried pulling it out with a tractor. Later, we discovered that the levelers in the back were in dirt. Against my better judgement with all the "experts" trying to help on the ranch, I tried extending the levelers to see if we could raise the wheels. And yes, they sunk and now won't retract. So the MH was left last night, and the danger of flooding seems to be decreasing. I plan to go back out tomorrow after the ground has another day of drying out. Our next rain is Thursday. My thought is that I need to get under the MH to dig out an area by the levelers in the rear so I can get a long crow bar under there to get the leveler back up. Then, if I can get a large board under the levelers to provide more surface area to distribute the weight, my thought is to raise the rear wheels up enough to get gravel under the tires. That's my plan, any other suggestions?

Honestly, I would call my roadside assistance provider to pull me out.If it took a while for them to get help to me, I might try to dig out and retract those levelers, but I would not try to lift the rear wheels off the ground with the levelers. At least for my rig the rear wheels are my drive and emergency brake wheels; my manual says to keep them on the ground at all times.Sorry to hear of this uncomfortable situation, but glad to hear flooding risk is decreasing.

I would suggest that you somehow lift the rear end of the coach, with a wrecker, or whatever, so that you do not drag the belly of the coach across the ground if you just tried to pull the coach out. A board under the rear levelers MAY work but you also might find that they can raise the coach for leveling but that they are not strong enough to raise the rear wheels off of the ground.

Being raised on a farm, and still living in farm country with farmers all around me, is there any way your buddy can use his tractor (hydraulics) and lift the camper from the end that sunk? If he has a bucket/scoop on his tractor, or a hay lift (like fork lift forks), maybe you could catch the bottom of the camper and lift it enough to get those jacks out of the mud and also something under the tires?Next time? Put lumber under the tires, especially on dirt and grass.

Yes your plan sounds good. May need some blocking to get enough height.Of course in hindsight the plan should have been executed as soon as the wheel first spun.

DutchmenSport wrote:Being raised on a farm, and still living in farm country with farmers all around me, is there any way your buddy can use his tractor (hydraulics) and lift the camper from the end that sunk? If he has a bucket/scoop on his tractor, or a hay lift (like fork lift forks), maybe you could catch the bottom of the camper and lift it enough to get those jacks out of the mud and also something under the tires?Next time? Put lumber under the tires, especially on dirt and grass.Yeah, hindsight is 20-20. We've had a drought up to last year. Once everything dries out, we are going to bring in a load of gravel for the RV pads. This year happens to be a record year for rain fall. We haven't seen this much for a good 20 years, maybe more. But I still haven't started on my Arc yet :).

Stuck in the mud, any tips? | Good Sam Community

46 Replies

10forty2
Explorer
Feb 13, 2017
If it's not too close to the ground, you can get some 3/4" plywood and put a bottle jack or floor jack under the axles to jack it up and get the stabilizers up. Then, you can put more wood planks under the wheels to get out of the ruts.

Or...you could call your roadside assistance like was suggested and have them do it. ;-)
Billinwoodland
Explorer
Feb 13, 2017
DutchmenSport wrote:
Being raised on a farm, and still living in farm country with farmers all around me, is there any way your buddy can use his tractor (hydraulics) and lift the camper from the end that sunk? If he has a bucket/scoop on his tractor, or a hay lift (like fork lift forks), maybe you could catch the bottom of the camper and lift it enough to get those jacks out of the mud and also something under the tires?

Next time? Put lumber under the tires, especially on dirt and grass.

Yeah, hindsight is 20-20. We've had a drought up to last year. Once everything dries out, we are going to bring in a load of gravel for the RV pads. This year happens to be a record year for rain fall. We haven't seen this much for a good 20 years, maybe more. But I still haven't started on my Arc yet :).
time2roll
Nomad
Feb 13, 2017
Yes your plan sounds good. May need some blocking to get enough height.
Of course in hindsight the plan should have been executed as soon as the wheel first spun.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Feb 13, 2017
Being raised on a farm, and still living in farm country with farmers all around me, is there any way your buddy can use his tractor (hydraulics) and lift the camper from the end that sunk? If he has a bucket/scoop on his tractor, or a hay lift (like fork lift forks), maybe you could catch the bottom of the camper and lift it enough to get those jacks out of the mud and also something under the tires?

Next time? Put lumber under the tires, especially on dirt and grass.
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Feb 13, 2017
I would suggest that you somehow lift the rear end of the coach, with a wrecker, or whatever, so that you do not drag the belly of the coach across the ground if you just tried to pull the coach out.
A board under the rear levelers MAY work but you also might find that they can raise the coach for leveling but that they are not strong enough to raise the rear wheels off of the ground.
Stormy_Eyes
Explorer
Feb 13, 2017
Honestly, I would call my roadside assistance provider to pull me out.

If it took a while for them to get help to me, I might try to dig out and retract those levelers, but I would not try to lift the rear wheels off the ground with the levelers. At least for my rig the rear wheels are my drive and emergency brake wheels; my manual says to keep them on the ground at all times.

Sorry to hear of this uncomfortable situation, but glad to hear flooding risk is decreasing.

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Stuck in the mud, any tips?

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