01422 396 769 
quotePOLL NOW CLOSED – Thanks to everyone who voted and commented.
Whilst, there haven’t been many April showers this year and no touring because of the Coronavirus lockdown, in this month’s community poll, we’d like to know if you’ve ever got your motorhome or campervan stuck in the mud?
February and March were pretty wet this year, so maybe some of you got in a sticky situation then, or was it a previous year of your motorhome or campervan adventures? Or have you got the mud-busting kit to make sure you never get into trouble?
Let us know by voting below and check out our top tips on preventing your motorhome getting stuck in the mud for when you can get back on your travels again. Now might be a time to check you have the gear to help you get out of a soggy situation and to check your motorhome breakdown cover.
We’d love to hear your stories of how you got out of a muddy situation in the comments section below.
We’ll report back on the results in May. And don’t forget when you’re back on the road, our breakdown cover included with our motorhome insurance policy has stranded in mud recovery when on UK campsites to help you get to firm ground.
We’ve been stuck a number of times. One of the memorable ones was in a my sister-in-law’s garden in Wales. When we drove in we made some deeps ruts in the lawn and once stopped the motorhome sank to the depth of the wheel rims. They only way we could get it out was to jack up each wheel put planks of wood under the wheels and then drive off the lawn over sheets of plywood. Took all morning.
A friend pulled us out with a four wheel drive. Always carry mud mats now, although avoid grass in the wet. On a recent trip before lockdown we pulled up at a CL to find grass pitches so we left and found another! Mud mats helped in France where it was raining. We parked on them and even though you could see wheels had sunk a quick reverse and then forward and we were off, alright with hearts in mouth
It was my first time out I went to see the wild daffodils and put into Car park. Did said I was worried but listened to them.’you will be OK.’ Well I wasnt. Lots of helpfully people all with different ideas. In the end some one from Ucrain came and got into drivers seat and managed to drive backwoods out of car park.
I got stuck in my front yard! I have a massive front yard and had to maneuver through a part of it to get my motorhome back on the road. It had rained quite a bit in the previous weeks and one wheel got stuck. I towed it out with my good old Galaxy.
The very first time out in our very first motorhome we got stuck in mud in a hilltop campsite near Bakewell: it was in the depth of winter, close to New Year’s Day and we were the only campers on the site! Fortunately a passing farmer in her Land-Rover spotted us and our predicament and towed us out.
Move on several years and in one year the rain at Bromyard Folk Festival was even worse than usual and even though the Festival had moved to a new site on higher ground (any readers familiar with Bromyard Folk Festival many years ago will recall the depth of mud in the old site!) it had got to the point that late arrivals were being towed ON to the site. The organisers set up a bus stop in the main camping field and recruited half a dozen local farmers and their tractors. We – motorhomers or tuggers – queued and one by one we were picked up, guided the tractor driver to our vehicles and were duly towed out. After a few hours of this the mud was almost up to our hubcaps when it was our turn, so liquid that it was that it was impossible to sense the steering and keep the front wheels aligned with the direction we were being taken!
I now have a set of Milenco grip mats which I fasten to my Fiamma levelling ramps. This not only prevents the ramps skidding away as I try to drive up them, they provide a very small but useful support for the wheels as I come down off the ramps and gather a little speed – but of course, this only helps if it is the front wheels on the ramps! If I’m really worried, I carry four 18″ square pieces of plywood to go under each wheel.
Many of my age will remember the wheel winches fitted to military Land Rover wheels – it’s a pity similar have not been produced as attachments for motorhome wheels.
We were the only people on a site in France in early April some years back. The site staff left as we arrived and left us to our own devices. We pulled onto a nice pitch which looked perfect until we tried to straighten up – wheels just kept spinning sending mud everywhere. Luckily some French construction workers were just finishing off their days work next to the site so in an impromptu game of charades – we didn’t speak any French and they didn’t speak any English – we managed to explain our predicament and they kindly brought their digger over, attached some chains and pulled us out. It serves us right really as the previous morning we watched on as a Belgium couple in an enormous motorhome got stuck in the mud and the site owner tried to pull them out by attaching the front of their van to the front of his small car. As he went into reverse – he didn’t manage to free them but he did manage to pull his bumper and half the front of his car off.
Nearly lost a Commer Dormobile campervan in the sands of Morcolme Beach, sunk to the axles whilst recovering a Laser dinghy … luckily an Audi Quatro driver from the nearby caravan park came to our rescue … not far away was the roof of car that had been marooned the previous week and not been so lucky :0)
Knew I was in risky area but had chatted to a friendly farmer who gave me a pulthru the 10 feet of soft ground
Got stuck in Northern France. The lesson I learnt was that if there is any risk of sinking, and the field is not exactly flat, park facing downhill. Easier for the tractor to pull you downhill, so gravity plays its part!
Agree had similar experience after overnight rain on a farm site
I’ve been a Motorhomer for some 15 yrs into our third Motorhome the first one funny enough which was lightest around 2800 Kg got stuck in a field attending Elddis Motorhome rally, still enough friendly members there and with some straw under the wheels and a light tow got out at ok. Second time Swift Bessacarr MH 3500+ Kg MH, arrived C&CC Site in heavy rain, had been for days, was down for hard standing (HS) their HS was a mat hidden under grass, went too far forward and literally went down to axils trying to get out, sites mini tractor eased us out, no harm done and yes I carried mud matts always do now and check out pitch beforehand. Ahh that’s the wonderful world of Motorhoming.
We were positioning ourselves on the hardstanding at a CL in February. We needed to turn round so that we didn’t need to reverse a very long way when we left the site. This entailed using the grass. I checked that the ground was hard. My husband checked that it was hard. We jumped up and down on the ground to make sure it was solid. We decided we could do it. We drove on – all was fine. Put the van in reverse and the front wheels sank. So we got our grip mats out and positioned them. These didn’t help. They got shot out in front by the spinning wheels! To cut a long (20 minutes or so) story short – with my husband pushing and me using 2nd gear and low revs we managed to move inch by painful inch onto the hard-standing. We’re never going to trust apparently solid ground in February again!
Had to be pulled off once – now if it’s even vaguely soft grass we always park with the drive wheels on heavy duty waffle boards (from Land Rover offroad suppliers). never had a problem since.
I put winter tyres on for a December trip to Sweden. I now leave them on all year round since I found that they work well in mud!
We were attending a vintage machinery weekend last October, although the organisers had tried to firm up the entry roadway due to the really wet weather we had to resort to the facility of using the tow tractor to get on & then off site
All part of the experience of generating memories
Ford Transit not good on anything slippy
Been towed off twice . If not sure back on so driving wheels stay on solid ground. We do tour for five months of the year in all weathers so twice is not bad. The best tip is do not trust someone else’s word that the pitch is “fine”. Frank W.
Camping on Chester Racecourse last year, most vans were getting stuck as the snow melted. Our 1969 VW took it all in its stride, the lack of torque enabling us to amble away without a hitch. Sometimes less is more.
If the ground looks soft do not attempt have a walk along the path first and do not take the word of strangers that the ground is right.
I want one, but not a new one with too much electronics. I have a Nuevo which is nearly the same but I would prefer the end bathroom
I had all the gear,tracks they sink.Tow rope.site manager got a farmer to pull me out,distance was only about ten yards.
Even on the slightest slope with a front wheel drive which began is lower than the rear you will struggle.
Always pick your pitch on grass so you can run off the grass area to a hard bit of the field.
Interesting