The TiogaRV Team, has a lot of experience getting stuck. We have been stuck on the Eel River
gravel bar, on a beach near Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, and in the forest in Northeast
California.
Call it inexperience, our "go-for-it" attitude, or that we boondock so much.
We have gotten stuck many times, and have been rescued several times.
We are really stuck in this mud.
Avoid getting stuck.
The best thing is to avoid getting stuck. Before driving off a dirt road and into the forest,
get out and walk the road. Poke into the dirt with a stick, to see if it is solid.
It the stick goes down an inch or two or more, forget about driving there.
A common situation, especially in the rainy season, is to come upon a section of dirt road
that is a hazard because of the mud. Don't try to bulldoze your way thru this mud. Better to
go back, rather than get stuck.
Be very cautious about trying to turn around. Check the shoulders
very closely. RVs are very heavy, and just one tire getting stuck in a muddy shoulder may
bog you down completely.
Better to back up a quarter mile, than to get stuck on the muddy shoulder trying to turn around.
Down to the chassis rails in the mud.
Getting Stuck.
When you feel yourself getting stuck, stop your engine and get out and look the situation
over. Do NOT try to make a run for it. Do NOT try to back out. Trying to move will likely
get your RV even deeper into the mud.
In the image to the right, I am stuck in the forest. I did not sink in all the way to the
chassis rails, because I stopped right away.
Stuck in the mud again!
Get a tow truck.
When an RV gets stuck in the mud, it is very rare to be able to drive out by yourself. The
weight of an RV usually just digs you in deeper. The average tow truck will have a very
difficult time trying to pull out an RV that is down to the frame rails in mud.
The tow truck in the image below pulled MsTioga out of the forest. This is a large tow truck,
with a big capacity for winching a stuck RV. Note on the boom the words, "RV Specialist."
Big tow truck for rescuing RVs.
Self-Rescuing your stuck RV.
I am in the process of purchasing several items to help me rescue myself, or others who get
stuck. These include a powerful hand winch with tow straps and snatchblocks. Sand ladders
and bridges to drive over the mud. A high-lift jack to lift a stuck wheel clear of mud.
When this rescue equipment has been bought and then tried out, another MsTioga Magazine story
will be published with the results.
Helping others who get stuck.
I've been blessed by helpful RVers, who came to my aid when I was stuck. I am now committed to
helping people who I come across, who have problems with flats, being stuck, or other
difficulties. Sharing tools and helping out, makes me feel wonderful.
