tireman9 Report post Posted February 20, 2015 Quick answer to this question is I bring this up for a couple of reasons. One is that I just read a RV forum post from someone that was stuck in mud and tried "spinning" their tires to get out. (it didn't work) The other reason is that with Canada and portions of the US that normally never get real cold in a deep freeze, there will be some vehicle owners experiencing frozen ground conditions and they may never have had that experience before. The reason the practice of spinning your tires is dangerous is that very few RVs have limited slip differentials so when they rev the engine and spin their tires in a effort to get going they may UN-wittingly be spinning their tires at speeds high enough to cause a tire failure and explosion. When you spin your tires the spinning tire is going TWICE the speed indicated on your speedometer. This picture shows what can happen to a passenger size tire. As you can see in this failure, not just the tread comes off and the sidewalls blow-out but the Hi-Tensile bead wire fractures in multiple locations which allows the complete tire to become a missile. When this happens with a small passenger car tire it may only "remove" one corner of the car. Sometimes a "free spin" tire failure ends up almost a mile away! Now for a moment think what a LT or TBR tire might do if it were to fail in a similar manner. If you are stuck, the best way to get out is to either use sand or gravel or to get some towing assistance. But please never simply spin your tires. The above post will be published on my blog next week but I thought this safety warning was time critical so FMCA gets an early look. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dickandlois Report post Posted February 20, 2015 We use kitty Litter sometimes, it absorbs moisture well; but some formulas will also get kind of gummy so you need to keep adding some and hope for the best. One may have to find a friendly farmer or call the tow truck for a little pull. Kind of remember Perry Ga. and Gillette WY. being a little slick! Rich. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmarq Report post Posted February 20, 2015 Drive as if you had an egg between your foot and throttle pedal never spin, it just makes it worse, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted February 20, 2015 Thanks Roger. Some good infomation as usual. For those that might get stuck, remember you have a TOAD. As stated, a little tug from the TOAD can help you walk out of a stuck situation. I remember one day a tractor trailer was stuck with on wheel in a ditch. He wasn't going anywhere as the tire was spinning. I had a small one-quarter ton truck at the time and a chain. Hooked up and he came right out of there. We live in a "port" town and there are fishing boat ramps all over the place. One day a boater was trying to get his boat out of the water but kept spinning his tires. Weight didn't help. A friend with him had a vehcile. I suggested hooking up his 1/4" braided line to the vehcile trying to pull the boat out. They did, and I directed them in tightening up and then both applying a little throttle. Vechicle and boat came right up out of the water with the little rope. It doesn't take much, and the best part - no damage - as Roger pointed out. I always carry a rope. Happy trails. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted February 21, 2015 Spinning tires simply digs you in deeper! I've seen this in mud conditions. On sand one time we mired down, the front tires of the toad swung to the side and were at maximum deflection to the side, snowplowing through the sand. I stopped, got out and assessed the situation. I straightened the tires on the toad, put it in four wheel drive and pushed on the motorhome, still connected by the tow bar, while Louise put the motorhome in drive and accelerated. Once the wheels of the toad were straight and the motorhome was no longer towing the load of the toad, the motorhome was able to escape under it's own power. Other techniques that may work include putting somthing under (in front or in the direction of travel) the tires to improve traction, a door mat, fibre material such as plant materials and sticks, These coupled with excavating the material in front to the tires (all the tires, drive and steer) so the tires aren't in a hole may free you without a tow. There are other times when the tires are too deep in the ground to move without assistance from a tow vehcile. We backed into a site one time whre there had been some recent trenching. That coupled with rain made a trap for the rear wheels. We sunk in to the frame. Coach Net and a tow truck were the only solution. We were easily extricated once we had the assistance of a pull from the tow truck. I much prefer a tow truck operator to the inexperienced farmer with a tractor. With an expensive vehicle, there is no substitute for training and experience. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aztec7fan Report post Posted February 21, 2015 Another solution if you think you might get stuck in this situation, or for extra insurance, carry chains with you. I picked some up the first year I purchased my motor home. I haven't used them yet, but i almost put them on when i woke up to 6" of snow on an easter weekend in a campground. I had to drive up several steep hills, and wasn't sure i would make it, but my old southwind dragged us out. Chris G. F3508-s Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
