Forum Discussion

SC_camper's avatar
SC_camper
Explorer
Mar 02, 2015

Wet grass tire chains??

I tried to get the camper out of the yard for the first trip of the year. We had some rain and ice earlier in the week. I first tried 2 days after any weather, didn't move the camper 4 inches. Had another inch of rain, waited another 2 days, put out 14 bags of drainage rock in tire paths. This time I got the camper to move 30 yards and then just spun in the grass. Now I have muddy ruts and couldn't go camping.

My Excursion is only 2wd and a 4x4 purchase isn't in the cards. I'm thinking about getting some type of snow(wet grass) chains for these situations. Will chains give me the traction needed or will I just dig bigger ruts?
  • As a former Yankee, I can swear the chains will make things worse or just as bad. Boards are the way to go, but you'll need quite stout boards.

    When you have the time bury thesethese in the grass They are often buried around office buildings so the fire trucks can drive right up to the building.
  • Will chains help - it all depends. I use chains a lot on my 4X4s. Usually I take three railer chains for dual wheels on semis, then take all of the cross members from one side and move them to the other side. This removes the third rail so that you can run them on single instead of dualed tires and gives you twice as many cross members for better traction. I have the tool to fix or modify tire chains. I usually run this type of chains when snow plowing in the steep hills and in the mud.

    Anyways, you don't have to go to that extreme. Borrow a set of chains and see what happens, you're got nothing to loose anything and the ruts won't be any worse than what you already have. The chains will deffenitly help unless the ground is just too wet. Then you'll just be stuck, but not worse than before. If your trailer axles are dragging bottom, then chains probably won't help.

    As mentioned, get a 4X4 to hook onto you, preferably from good solid ground or out on the pavement. Use a three or four inch tow strap and not one of those little two inch straps - you've got too much weight to mess with one of the little ones.

    Learned something new - I didn't know they even made two wheel drive Excursions, never seen or heard of one.

    Remember this post when some asks about buying a 4X4 vs a 2X4. You don't need them all of the time, but boy are they nice when you do.

    Bill
  • Did you leave the weight distribution off for the mud run?
    Need that weight on the tires.

    Put wood down to keep you on top of the mud. Worst case a rope to a second vehicle in the street.
  • Well thinking outside the box here. If you know anyone that has a wrecker or a winch you could hook up to the camper and have them pull you out.
    But the boards down on the ground would be the best answer.
  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    guidry wrote:
    Chains will just dig in deeper. It's like turning a tire in soup. They need something hard to grip into in order to move the vehicle forward. You will need boards, tree limbs or other solid material under the tires.


    X2
    Boards would be best.
  • Chains will just dig in deeper. It's like turning a tire in soup. They need something hard to grip into in order to move the vehicle forward. You will need boards, tree limbs or other solid material under the tires.
  • I got stuck in wet grass one time. Unhitched the 5th wheel and still couldn't move. A neighbor tossed me a rope and pulled me (2001.5 Cummins Ram) out of the grass with his Ford Courier pickup on the pavement. Two weeks later after the ground dried out I was able to pull the 5th wheel out. I think chains would have just dug deeper but I don't know. Seems like a good idea to try.
  • Best idea might be to get a friend that has a 4x4 to pull the camper out for you when you need it.
  • Chains will help a lot. Will you still get stuck? Maybe. Do you have enough lumber to board it out? It will make a huge difference. Air down your rear tires too.