2 weeks in muddy field in Shropshire - what, if anything, would you put under wheels?

[Sibsbibs]

Hi there,

Our more ambitious touring plans have been substituted with a couple of weeks at a small farmer's site in the Shropshire hills. We're taking the car too, so will be parking the motorhome up for the duration, unless we want to take it somewhere to have its facilities on hand for the day.

Any suggestions for avoiding getting stuck in the mud when we move off, in anticipation of typical English summer weather? I'm wondering if strategically placed bits of cardboard, wood or cheap doormats from the pound shop under each wheel might be the way to go.

We're off today if we ever get the motorhome back from the garage - only took it in for a wheel arch repair and two weeks later, the cab has been gutted and a major damp repair attended to... We're on a promise for an 11am pick up - it's like one of those trips to the supermarket where you pop in for a pint of milk and somehow spend £200...

Thanks a lot for any advice

 

[Mark and Mindy]

hydraulic levellers, purpose made spreader pads under the levellers when setting up.

We also have the hydraulic levellers and for parking on soft grass I'm concerned we might see the pads sink down into the ground. What is the specification of your spreader pads? I'm thinking 18mm ply but how small to still be practical?

Mark

 

[two]

I always carry a piece of good quality carpet cut to about 2m long by 60cm wide.
KISS

Axminster or Wilton?

 

[PeteH]

I`ve put a 9tonne R-V on bread crate bottoms and got off Rally/Festival fields after a week or more,. I also have some track mats, which are useful too.

NEVER, put levellers down on soft ground without a spreader. Watched a guy at Hinkley football club spend half an Hour digging his out of the ground. In the end 4 of us went with spades and gave him a hand. He HAD been warned, and took no notice. you live and you learn.

 

[peterc10]

We also have the hydraulic levellers and for parking on soft grass I'm concerned we might see the pads sink down into the ground. What is the specification of your spreader pads? I'm thinking 18mm ply but how small to still be practical?

Mark

We have the E&P system. If you look at the size of the bottom plate they probably have a larger surface area in contract with the ground that the tyre does. So I have never had any problems with them sinking much, even in grass. The pads we have are made by Outrigger pads. They are IP72046 in this brochure. Not cheap, but then nor were the jacks!

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[Nanniemate]

Miles go were it's not raining

 

[Landy Andy]

.

 

[funflair]

We also have the hydraulic levellers and for parking on soft grass I'm concerned we might see the pads sink down into the ground. What is the specification of your spreader pads? I'm thinking 18mm ply but how small to still be practical?

Mark

The likes of E&P have good sized pads as standard now so they are very unlikely to sink, 18mm ply at something like 250mm square should be fine if you were worried, I have two pieces screwed together to give a bit of additional lift when required but didn't use very often even on a 6t van.

Martin

 

[LostOZ1]

I used to get stuck all the time and was towed out so many times. Then at rally I was stuck again. A guy came over and said put this under the wheels and straight out. Now if it looks like a problem I put them under the wheels when I park up and never been stuck again. I carry the four lengths in the roof of my garage so never in the way. It is the stuff they put on grass areas when there is likely hood of vehicles going on the ground and getting stuck or ripping the dirts up.

 

[Wardmobile]

If you can locate some old bread trays the bottoms out of them are ideal.
View attachment 409611

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[vectian]

I camp in loads of potentially muddy fields at folk festivals and at the Isle of Wight Steam Rally, which is the only place I have had to be towed out of at least twice.
I use scaffolding planks (cut down to about 3ft) under all 4 wheels, this also helps levelling, never had a problem getting off the pitch. The problem comes when you get to the mud roadway everybody else has used before you after the August Bank holiday downpour.

 

[mikeandmary]

I’m afraid I avoid wet grass like the plague. Got stuck once moving off tarmac onto wet grass to allow motorhome coming towards me right of way. I had to be towed out by 4 x 4. It will never happen again!! He was very courteous though, had a set of unused mats for under front wheels but vehicle was up to its axles by then, so no use at all. I like the look of those Amazon traction mats though, good to have just in case.

 

[grasscutter]

Managed to get some scaffolding safety mesh ( builders left it outside my gate ).
Replaced my old bread trays with this.

 

[Landy Andy]

I like the look of those Amazon traction mats though, good to have just in case.

I thought that, till I felt the weight of them.

 

[Landy Andy]

If you’ve got space and not bothered by weight.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=321916819530

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[Andy Gos]

I used to get stuck all the time and was towed out so many times. Then at rally I was stuck again. A guy came over and said put this under the wheels and straight out. Now if it looks like a problem I put them under the wheels when I park up and never been stuck again. I carry the four lengths in the roof of my garage so never in the way. It is the stuff they put on grass areas when there is likely hood of vehicles going on the ground and getting stuck or ripping the dirts up.

I have this stuff. Having been stuck in mud last winter in my front garden I invested in covering a section of grass with it. It's called grass reinforcement mess and was obtained from a company called green-tech. However it came in huge roles, depending on the size of the job and worked brilliantly. I was quoted £4000 to have 30smtrs of hard standing put down so was happy to spend £400 and do the job myself using this matting. The grass grows through and it looks like the rest of the lawn. I have stored the offcuts in the MH for use on wet grass. I haven't had to use it in anger yet but it's good to know it has worked for you.

 

[Brocksford]

Bits of timber about scaffold board width and depth. Cut them with a hand saw, 45 degrees one side and something shallower the other side so they are easy to get onto. As you come off them (forwards) you have that little bit of momentum that should see you get out alright.

 

[Katies-travels]

I carry 4 x 19mm x 750mm marine ply varnished

 

[pandas]

Touch wood we haven’t had any issues since we changed to all weather tyres.

 

[Duckato]

I own a field in Shropshire, just had Dogs in a Pickle (their name on Instagram) here for the week and they did not disappear overnight in the Bog..... unless they are still here!

However in March I did manage to get a 5000Kg Iveco belonging to Trace Blackwell (known to many as the Sticker man) stuck due to me not engaging brain and driving too close to the water logged bit by my pond

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[Delboyarapaho]

I bought two of these grids after having to be towed off last November. We tried carpet, wood etc no use! Cut them in half to give me about 1 metre length for each front wheel. Sods law haven't needed them since buying them.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=333378964228

 

[Duckato]

I have two of these in Yellow obviously on the top of my van just in case they are required, quite heavy things though.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=321619302102

 

[Colinyellowspanner]

Prevention better than cure. If there’s the slightest possibility of wet ground, rain overnight, or even a heavy dew, my cut down breadcrates go under all 4 wheels. Even overnight the ‘van can sink sufficiently (at both ends)to make exit difficult.