So are you suggesting a 5,000 lb rated hitch? I was hoping the hitch would hold more than it's tow rating for an occasional emergency. They must build a pretty big safety factor into it, for instances like towing a 5,000 lb trailer up a steep hill, or to withstand the force of the trailer brakes locking up.
I don't have to attach it to the car. A fair sized tree would be best. I would only attach it to the car's hitch if I had no other choice. Just because the MH weighs 26,000 lbs doesn't mean I will need more than a couple tons of pulling power assisting the MHs engine to pull me out. I don't envision going into places that are dicey on the way in, but you never know when a bad rain will hit when you are boondocking down a dirt road that was solid and firm going in but now that it's time to leave, a couple weeks later, it has turned into mud.
I remember one time I was camping at a forest service campground in Georgia when I my current toad was my tow vehicle and my camper was a little Aliner. I had to ford a shallow stream going in - maybe 2-3 inches of water. But a week later when it was time to leave a little rain fell and the stream had swollen to a good 6-8 inches. I made it, thank goodness, but I can envision worse circumstances in the future now that I'm doing this full-time and not just a couple times a year when I get a vacation.
What does everyone else do, just wait for the road to dry, hoping it won't rain again and get worse in the meantime? That's what I did earlier this year when it rained while I was camping on FR-611 at a campsite overlooking the N. Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was absolutely awe inspiring, and free to boot. The road going in was gravel and washboarded a little, but not too bad, other than a couple of big low spots that when filled with rain water went all the way across. But the main problem was the ditch I had to cross to leave the campsite and get on the road. I ended up leaving a couple days early because it was supposed to rain again. I made it out OK, but probably would have gotten stuck if I didn't leave when I did.
I would sure feel better if I had a winch just in case - though it would have had to pull from the front to have worked in that particular scenario. Does anyone make a portable winch that has hooks on both ends so I could pull from the frame rather than a bumper or the hitch? Maybe even something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzDUpUDJm5Q
Chip
Hi Sushidog, I have been thinking the same for a while, it will be really nice to have a way to get out of that situation by yourself, and specially being in the middle of nowhere far away from a tow and remember usually they charge like $ 250 per hour of driving so it can get really expensive and not all the roadside assistance will cover it, if is to far.
what they said here about the tow hitch is true, but I will attach a base straight to the chassis, and check with a heavy rescue truck driver, to get some ideas,.... when they do a really heavy recovery, usually they look for the frame or chassis, axle, so it can be done no problem.
the other thing is , that you are not lifting the whole RV,... but for what i found ( didn’t like the news) you should multiply your gvwr by 1.5. In another site about winching they give you a calculator and when I put 26000. lbs it gave me 39000 to 50000 lbs winch (bad news) because a winch that size will cost a lot and it will be not electric , it will be hydraulic….
but I won't give up yet, because you can use a snatch block to double the line, so a 20000lbs winch or a 25000 lbs winch will work , and some are electric,...
Hope it helps, and I hope you can solve it, if i get any news I will let you know.
Winch on a Motorhome?
in Boondocking
Posted
Hi Sushidog, I have been thinking the same for a while, it will be really nice to have a way to get out of that situation by yourself, and specially being in the middle of nowhere far away from a tow and remember usually they charge like $ 250 per hour of driving so it can get really expensive and not all the roadside assistance will cover it, if is to far.
what they said here about the tow hitch is true, but I will attach a base straight to the chassis, and check with a heavy rescue truck driver, to get some ideas,.... when they do a really heavy recovery, usually they look for the frame or chassis, axle, so it can be done no problem.
the other thing is , that you are not lifting the whole RV,... but for what i found ( didn’t like the news) you should multiply your gvwr by 1.5. In another site about winching they give you a calculator and when I put 26000. lbs it gave me 39000 to 50000 lbs winch (bad news) because a winch that size will cost a lot and it will be not electric , it will be hydraulic….
but I won't give up yet, because you can use a snatch block to double the line, so a 20000lbs winch or a 25000 lbs winch will work , and some are electric,...
Hope it helps, and I hope you can solve it, if i get any news I will let you know.
Best wishes and keep on Rving...