Towing a motorhome across soft ground

[Sandie]

I'm just back from a very muddy festival. A lot of vehicles were having to be towed on. A couple in a large-ish hired motorhome were stuck and the tow eye supplied was bent. Much distress and the lady close to tears. I lent them mine. It was returned some time later, clearly having stripped the thread in the vehicle as the remains were still in the thread of the eye. The bar also looks slightly bent across the threads. I intend to purchase a new one, even if this will screw in ok, My question is, is this a common occurrence? Was it just down to the inexperience of the driver, or is the towing eye just not up to dragging a motorhome out of the mud? I've been towed twice in similar circumstances, but with my old small Chausson that had a fixed towing point. I'd like to know before I find myself needing to be towed. Observations/ experiences/ advice please.

 

[varaizian]

Out of interest what van was this ? Your current one ? Or rwd

It was a 2012 LHD McLouis on a standard Ducati base so FWD. The strap was attached near where the cart springs are attached. As I say he was impatient so I didn't see as well as I might have liked to. He did seem very confident though. The van started moving while I was still getting in the driving seat and nearly caught the door! His lorry was quite a long way back at right-angles with the cable around a pulley and he controlled it from nearby with a remote handset. The limited-slip diff facility was a switch on the dashboard that our current van doesn't have.

 

[Steve and Denise]

It was a 2012 LHD McLouis on a standard Ducati base so FWD. The strap was attached near where the cart springs are attached. As I say he was impatient so I didn't see as well as I might have liked to. He did seem very confident though. The van started moving while I was still getting in the driving seat and nearly caught the door! His lorry was quite a long way back at right-angles with the cable around a pulley and he controlled it from nearby with a remote handset. The limited-slip diff facility was a switch on the dashboard that our current van doesn't have.

On fwd Fiats the switch only electronically controls the brakes on the spinning wheel, so not a diff lock in that sens, I also have never found it very good in mud

 

[varaizian]

On fwd Fiats the switch only electronically controls the brakes on the spinning wheel, so not a diff lock in that sens, I also have never found it very good in mud

Thank you. I had to sketch-out the fundamentals of how a standard differential works for an interview a life-time ago so I wondered how a switch on the dashboard worked but was never curious enough to find out! By the time I tried the switch I had already made the mistake of digging 2 holes with spinning wheels and should have stopped earlier.

 

[Backlanes]

It is worth knowing that there are no standards in towing eyes between manufacturers or even between models of the same manufacturer.
They are predominantly left hand thread (ie not righty righty lefty loosey)
They may be one of several diameters.
The pitch of the thread may be coarse or fine, metric or imperial (old British or American models).

That is to say there are almost as many different designs as there are different places manufacturers hide them on the vehicle. (Under the seat, under the floor, under the bonnet, in the garage, etc)

So lending your towing eye to someone with a different base model vehicle has a fair chance of failure I’m afraid.

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[Sandie]

It is worth knowing that there are no standards in towing eyes between manufacturers or even between models of the same manufacturer.
They are predominantly left hand thread (ie not righty righty lefty loosey)
They may be one of several diameters.
The pitch of the thread may be coarse or fine, metric or imperial (old British or American models).

That is to say there are almost as many different designs as there are different places manufacturers hide them on the vehicle. (Under the seat, under the floor, under the bonnet, in the garage, etc)

So lending your towing eye to someone with a different base model vehicle has a fair chance of failure I’m afraid.

The people I lent mine to had a motorhome with an identical base vehicle. The eye was the same length, diameter and thread. It screwed in easily.

 

[Backlanes]

The people I lent mine to had a motorhome with an identical base vehicle. The eye was the same length, diameter and thread. It screwed in easily.

Well checked. In that case it was probably not adequately tightened and/or pulled at an angle.

It is common for the threaded hole in the front bumper in cars to become corroded due to exposure to road wet and winter salt, maybe less so in motorhomes due to their pattern of usage. This would make it hard to insert and tighten the eye correctly.

 

[Two Owl Ones]

I'm just back from a very muddy festival. A lot of vehicles were having to be towed on. A couple in a large-ish hired motorhome were stuck and the tow eye supplied was bent. Much distress and the lady close to tears. I lent them mine. It was returned some time later, clearly having stripped the thread in the vehicle as the remains were still in the thread of the eye. The bar also looks slightly bent across the threads. I intend to purchase a new one, even if this will screw in ok, My question is, is this a common occurrence? Was it just down to the inexperience of the driver, or is the towing eye just not up to dragging a motorhome out of the mud? I've been towed twice in similar circumstances, but with my old small Chausson that had a fixed towing point. I'd like to know before I find myself needing to be towed. Observations/ experiences/ advice please.

 

[Two Owl Ones]

I'm just back from a very muddy festival. A lot of vehicles were having to be towed on. A couple in a large-ish hired motorhome were stuck and the tow eye supplied was bent. Much distress and the lady close to tears. I lent them mine. It was returned some time later, clearly having stripped the thread in the vehicle as the remains were still in the thread of the eye. The bar also looks slightly bent across the threads. I intend to purchase a new one, even if this will screw in ok, My question is, is this a common occurrence? Was it just down to the inexperience of the driver, or is the towing eye just not up to dragging a motorhome out of the mud? I've been towed twice in similar circumstances, but with my old small Chausson that had a fixed towing point. I'd like to know before I find myself needing to be towed. Observations/ experiences/ advice please.

sounds like it has been snatched at the wrong angle

 

[Sandie]

Well checked. In that case it was probably not adequately tightened and/or pulled at an angle.

It is common for the threaded hole in the front bumper in cars to become corroded due to exposure to road wet and winter salt, maybe less so in motorhomes due to their pattern of usage. This would make it hard to insert and tighten the eye correctly.

Yes, it seems from other responses that the towing caused the damage. Also, it looks like these fitments are only reliable for straight tows on relatively easy ground. I hope I never have to use mine, but people's input to my original query has been very useful.

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[WIngNut]

We were towed out at Wickham 2 years ago which bent the towing eye (since replaced). We were not in that deep, but impossible to get out by ourselves hence the tow.

This year we took a shovel and wood planks (bread trays were no use last time), but fortunately didn't need either as where we were parked was flat and stoney.

 

[Tony50]

We have a couple of those yellow plastic mats, if I think it's going to be wet , I drive onto them when pitching I have found that a couple of foot traction has helped me get going .

 

[varaizian]

We have a couple of those yellow plastic mats, if I think it's going to be wet , I drive onto them when pitching I have found that a couple of foot traction has helped me get going .

Yes, me too. But useless if you try them after you are already stuck! The tyres just throw them out the back and dig a bit deeper.

 

[Landy Andy]

The tow socket may have already been compromised and I assume that the rental van will now be returned to dealer without them being informed of the new damage. Which will wait till the next incident for it to be discovered.

 

[Sandie]

The tow socket may have already been compromised and I assume that the rental van will now be returned to dealer without them being informed of the new damage. Which will wait till the next incident for it to be discovered.

Most likely.

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[Platelet]

Like Landy Andy I too have had years of experience towing vehicles on and off muddy fields at events, from minis to 32t horse boxes. A lot of people only screw an eye in a few threads, it needs to be fully home AND nipped up tight, with a breaker bar through it. Pulling/dragging a vehicle on mud will not bend an eye (acute angle excepted), however, it will if it’s being snatched. The number of drivers who insist on trying to steer away from the tow vehicle is unbelievable, all you are doing is acting like a plough. I was at the Royal Lancashire Show (Ribchester) last month towing horse boxes on and off the horse field for 3 days. They had 1 month of rain in 2 days.

 

[Blaydon]

Hi Folks, We enjoy going to Brands Hatch each November to watch the Truck Racing. A great side show is watching idiots sliding about on the south bank as the mud increases and the 'Boy racers' spin up their wheel and dig themselves in. You can tell the folks who have the skills as there is little fuss, no spinning wheels, always a pause and look before they start and usually a Land Rover badge on the front of their vehicle.
I did enjoy watching a Merc 4X4 sliding sideways down the whole bank with the driver helplessly pumping the brakes - once you loose traction - you slide.

D

 

[MaidinDevon]

I just experienced my first "pull" at Lakefest. Herefordshire mud is very sticky.
Very thankful to a Range Rover who got me moving without any fuss, and onto dry land. Turns out I don't have a towing eye but a solid loop under the front bumper. Which was a relief as I had looked for one internally without success.
And he had a Hymer of his own, so empathised with me, no judgement ab9ut my driving skills, or lack of.
Another motorhome adventure.

 

[AlunandFelicie]

I just experienced my first "pull" at Lakefest. Herefordshire mud is very sticky.
Very thankful to a Range Rover who got me moving without any fuss, and onto dry land. Turns out I don't have a towing eye but a solid loop under the front bumper. Which was a relief as I had looked for one internally without success.
And he had a Hymer of his own, so empathised with me, no judgement ab9ut my driving skills, or lack of.
Another motorhome adventure.

We were at Lakefest as well, we managed to get out on the second attempt at Teddy Rocks the inexperienced (and volunteer ) parking crew insisted that I parked up on a downward slope with a lamppost in front of me nothing I said made a difference so come Monday stuck but the local rugby team (Blandford) are great and managed to bodily push me back where the traction cut in and got me off the field
at Y Not we were on a pub campsite about 5 miles from the festival site and it hammered down overnight on top of frequent intermittent rain in the days before ,we said nope not going to risk it ,turned around and drove home ,we lost £600 but the stress of wondering if we’d have to be towed out would have ruined it anyway
down on the south coast atm and going to Beautiful Days festival on Thursday heres hoping for good weather