Two weeks ago, I got the rig in my signature stuck in the mud. My wife's family home is several hundred acres in south Georgia on a red clay county maintained road. We have a full hookup site there. Their mile long driveway is gravel so it is fine, but the county road is trouble if a lot of rain comes. Over the years I have had to delay an arrival or departure, but this was the first time getting stuck.
This red clay is like grease. It is even hard to walk in without falling. You have to try and balance your vehicle exactly on the crown of the road and have your speed just right or you are in the ditch. The only good thing is that the ditches are not deep enough to overturn the trailer. I was on my way into the farm after traveling all day and it just slid to the right. The trailer wheels came to rest in the ditch where the red arrow is below. I thought I may have to spend the night with the rig on the road.
The trailer was resting on several tree limbs that would do a lot of damage when pulling it out, so those had to be cut first. I knew my tow service with standard tow trucks would be useless in this situation. A call to the family determined our best bet was to get one of my wife's cousins to pull us out. I was thinking maybe he would bring a large tractor, but the weapon of choice was a 5 ton surplus military vehicle that her cousin had converted to a water truck for his forestry business. It was raining hard during this whole episode and I did not get pictures of his vehicle, but it looked a lot like this one below. It had a cab over, Unimog look, and three axles. Just before he started to hook me up, he did some noisy shifting into a low low or multiple axle mode, I think all three axles were drive axles, I'm not sure. The tires were not like in this picture but were the traditional army agricultural looking tread.
This truck was amazing. We used a chain to my front frame hook loop closest to the ditch. It pulled my rig like it was a toy. This diesel truck was very loud and at one point I did not notice my truck had stalled (manual transmission) and it just drug my locked up rear dually wheels through the mud like nothing had happened. He had to tow me about 60 yards, through this stream and into the gravel driveway.
So, I'm thinking my next truck will be a 4x4 diesel dually crew cab. I have a lot to learn about it, for example, I understand duallys present some issues in sand and perhaps mud, they sell some spacers for this. Also, I noticed my highway tires were a joke in this environment. They were coated with a half inch of clay mud and had no traction. I will have to get an aggressive tread and forget about road noise, gas mileage and tire wear. It doesn't matter how much I save if I can't get where I'm going.
An issue 4x4 fifth wheel owners have often had in this forum is traveling with a nose high camper. I do a lot of one night stays and stay hooked up. To be level, my pin plate is 46" off the ground. Even with the 2wd I have and factory flipped axles I am a little nose high now. I have to solve this somehow. I have heard of flatbed solutions, but that kills all your bed storage. We have been conditioned to think of 4x4s as needing a lot of suspension travel, thus being set high. Extreme suspension travel is necessary if you're in a rough off road situation, but I am in a smooth road situation. I just need the traction, not the suspension travel. My plan is to get in touch with my inner Lowrider and see the beauty of a low 4x4. I'm sure my dog would appreciate a lower jump in and out as well.
OK, maybe not this low:
But this is a sweet ride. I found the picture on an Airstream forum. I have a Ford now, but don't have to get a Ford. Of course, primary concern is engine/trans performance and reliability, but I would also want to see how easily each of the brands could be lowered.
thanks for any ideas or experiences,
fred
This red clay is like grease. It is even hard to walk in without falling. You have to try and balance your vehicle exactly on the crown of the road and have your speed just right or you are in the ditch. The only good thing is that the ditches are not deep enough to overturn the trailer. I was on my way into the farm after traveling all day and it just slid to the right. The trailer wheels came to rest in the ditch where the red arrow is below. I thought I may have to spend the night with the rig on the road.
The trailer was resting on several tree limbs that would do a lot of damage when pulling it out, so those had to be cut first. I knew my tow service with standard tow trucks would be useless in this situation. A call to the family determined our best bet was to get one of my wife's cousins to pull us out. I was thinking maybe he would bring a large tractor, but the weapon of choice was a 5 ton surplus military vehicle that her cousin had converted to a water truck for his forestry business. It was raining hard during this whole episode and I did not get pictures of his vehicle, but it looked a lot like this one below. It had a cab over, Unimog look, and three axles. Just before he started to hook me up, he did some noisy shifting into a low low or multiple axle mode, I think all three axles were drive axles, I'm not sure. The tires were not like in this picture but were the traditional army agricultural looking tread.
This truck was amazing. We used a chain to my front frame hook loop closest to the ditch. It pulled my rig like it was a toy. This diesel truck was very loud and at one point I did not notice my truck had stalled (manual transmission) and it just drug my locked up rear dually wheels through the mud like nothing had happened. He had to tow me about 60 yards, through this stream and into the gravel driveway.
So, I'm thinking my next truck will be a 4x4 diesel dually crew cab. I have a lot to learn about it, for example, I understand duallys present some issues in sand and perhaps mud, they sell some spacers for this. Also, I noticed my highway tires were a joke in this environment. They were coated with a half inch of clay mud and had no traction. I will have to get an aggressive tread and forget about road noise, gas mileage and tire wear. It doesn't matter how much I save if I can't get where I'm going.
An issue 4x4 fifth wheel owners have often had in this forum is traveling with a nose high camper. I do a lot of one night stays and stay hooked up. To be level, my pin plate is 46" off the ground. Even with the 2wd I have and factory flipped axles I am a little nose high now. I have to solve this somehow. I have heard of flatbed solutions, but that kills all your bed storage. We have been conditioned to think of 4x4s as needing a lot of suspension travel, thus being set high. Extreme suspension travel is necessary if you're in a rough off road situation, but I am in a smooth road situation. I just need the traction, not the suspension travel. My plan is to get in touch with my inner Lowrider and see the beauty of a low 4x4. I'm sure my dog would appreciate a lower jump in and out as well.
OK, maybe not this low:
But this is a sweet ride. I found the picture on an Airstream forum. I have a Ford now, but don't have to get a Ford. Of course, primary concern is engine/trans performance and reliability, but I would also want to see how easily each of the brands could be lowered.
thanks for any ideas or experiences,
fred
For sure 4x4 with some good A/T tires will give you more of a fighting chance on that road. Instead of lowering the truck, think about raising the 5er. Easy to have a shop weld steel blocks between the frame and spring hangers to riase the 5er any amount.
I would pick your new truck first, then have the 5er suspension raised to match. A lot less work that lowering the truck.
Of course you don't want to over do it....
I would pick your new truck first, then have the 5er suspension raised to match. A lot less work that lowering the truck.
Of course you don't want to over do it....
