4 Wheel Drive Capability and Limitations for extricating Trailer

[CharlesHoward]

Can 4 Wheel Drive on a Dodge Ram really pull through mud?

My situation is that my Fifth Wheel RV Trailer is stranded on a grass "hill" in Pensacola FL where it has been and keeps raining (over 10" in the past few weeks).

I arrived Friday and noted the Fiver made some deep ruts as I made my way down a slight "roller coaster" hill/field. I successfully got it parked/setup and was able to back it up onto my 2x6" leveling board (one side) on a "high/flat" spot, however that same side dually tires made a slight mud indentation.

Two days later with another 1-2" of rain I tried to approach (backing) my trailer from the nearby parking lot through the low end of the hill/field, avoiding the standing water areas.

However my unloaded 2WD Dually got stuck about one truck length onto the field with the front tires sunk about 4" into the grass (mud), and the Dually's spinning about a 3" deep hole. With just street tires (Ameritracs) on the dually's, they just became slicks and I had to be winched out the whole way back onto pavement.

Would 4WD, even with mud/offroad tires, be able to back uphill (just a very slight rolling incline) to my trailer given that degree of ground softness?

And if so, could it pull my 12. 5K Lbs Trailer (maybe 2250 pounds on each of 4 tires, plus the pin weight on the duallys), come back down the hill, given that the trailer tires would likely sink as deep as the dually front tires did or even deeper than 4" (maybe up to the axles, or even the belly!)?

A friend with 4WD would like to help me, but I don't want him to get stuck too with my trailer in mud.

I can always wait until Pensacola dries out (when will that be?) or maybe the Issac will necessitate removal.

Can 4WD really be expected to succeed under these conditions?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[AEdelheit]

Not a simple answer, a 4wd with street tires wont get far, a 4wd with somthing like 37" toyo M/T's and a posi will probably make it to the trailer but if the trailer sinks to the axles its done. Is there a bottom to the mud? I know some soils the first 4-6" is mud then gets hard, if that's the case then Id try it and see how it goes, if the mud is more then 6" deep id leave it parked. Good luck!

 

[jelag]

I used to spend each winter elk hunting in the mountains in almost rain forest conditions... annually about 70"... we're very careful about where we park the trailers and often have to use 2 trucks to retrieve each trailer at the close of the hunt... the ground is so torn up from all the traffic over the 10 days we're there... Often with 4WD were winching pulling the truck to a tree...

I'm now retired and leave the elk hunting to the kids and I head to AZ where its dry and warm... but after 40 something years in the pacific northwest I'd be very careful about what you describe to me... there was a time in my life when getting stuck was only a 1/2 case of beer from getting out... now its Ice Tea around the patio..... My answer is nope, don't try it... once you break through the sod layer your stuck with any tread full of mud in all that rain...

 

[RustyJC]

When 4WD first became available in the late 50s or very early 60s, the cowboys on the ranch quickly decided that they didn't like it at all. They said the only difference with the 4WD Chevy they used is now they got stuck farther from the bunkhouse.

Rusty

 

[fox]

It depends on how far the pavement is.
If you have to get it out soon I would do it this way.

Take two trucks.
Take many pieces of 3/4 plywood cut into 12" by 4 foot pieces. Have two helpers on each side who will leapfrog the plywood so the trailer is driving on it. At lease 3 pieces, maybe 4 per side.
The Dodge Cummins 4x2 will always sink the front quickly because of the weight per square inch on the front.
First think to break will be the hitch on the trailer.

 

[jhenderson]

I got my first 4 wheel drive when I was 17. To quote my fathers' best friend Elmer,' boy oh boy, brand new 4 wheel drive. Never been stuck so much in my life till I bought a 4 wheel drive'.

 

[Jim W]

I believe in 4wd and I always have one to tow with but you need to realize the limitations and what you are trying to do with the 4wd truck.

I would recommend the following points if you want to try this.

1. Air down the tires to say 20 to 25 LBS this will give you a larger foot print. Do not slip the tires, this means spin them in the mud you could shear a valve stem. Drive only to the hard surface and un-hitch and then air up tires to normal air pressure.
2. Set the transfer case to low range and drive slow, no jerking motion, staying in 1st or 2nd gear, just to keep the load moving.
3. Have a winch available with a tow strap not chains and a piece of carpet to wrap around the tree. The winch can be a manual type or a Come Along style. I have used this type of winch when I went off roading with my Jeep in the 70's on logging trails.
4. Use 3/4" plywood cut in 12"x8' lengths to go under trailer tires, have at least 4 pieces so you can pick them up and move them in to the front as you move the trailer.

Jim W.

 

[EGroeneveld]

It depends



I have 4*4 and just used it on Saturday moving my 14k dump trailer with 3 yards of 3/4'' minus in it. I was backing the trailer up when it started sinking into the clay (wet from watering) about where I was going to dump it. My rears where spinning pretty bad but as soon as I went into 4 low, it was a cake walk.



Also tires make a huge differnce. I've had my duallies in some pretty slick stuff but have not had much trouble with it, but I'm also careful. For a heavy dually its not so much the slick stuff that gets you its the sinking it into soft dirt up to the frame that gets you.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Hard to say with out being there. I would have him try it in 4 low range. Crawl slowly to get hooked up and then the weight of the trailer on the truck should give extra traction. What the heck you can always get someone with a winch to drag him out!

 

[CharlesHoward]

Thanks for all the advice!
We may try Saturday since it stopped raining Tuesday and try to beat Tropical Storm (or worse) Isaac.

 

[CharlesHoward]

Well, 4" of rain in Pensacola made it still a little soft when I returned Friday night. But by Saturday afternoon after a visit to the beach it looked doable. So with 4-Wheel Drive standing by, I got hooked up and using second gear got off the grass and back onto pavement okay, albeit the "outside" driver's side trailer tires made a sizable rut along the way. I suppose the trailer wieght on the dually and shifting some weight of the front axle made it more doable, just like pulling in/getting there was possible.
Avoided airing down any tires or using plywood which were good ideas!
Thanks!

 

[EMAC2]

Well, that is good news!