There are times when Nature comes on as an irresistible force. There is a violence to it. It is relentless. Only a few North Americans experienced the volcanic event of Mt. St. Helens. More have experienced floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wind, or ice storms.
Recently I experienced the weird Trickster-God of nature: wet clay. You can't necessarily see it coming from a distance, unless you see the deep tire ruts that somebody else put in it. But the second you touch it with your feet, you just can't believe it.
For one thing, your motor vehicle is stuck. You get out to work on the situation, and you immediately have 3" of mud stuck on the bottom of your shoes, which you then track into your RV or motor vehicle.
That happened to me recently with my RV. It required a call to the towing insuring company. It helps to remember that your insurance company might not cover you unless you are just off pavement or a maintained, gravel road.
1. So when rain is expected, you need to relocate to someplace closer to a paved or graveled escape route. Raw dirt and jeep roads are not where you want to be.
2. You need cellphone service there.
3. Think ahead to a tow truck's position. Can it access you or get turned around? Your exit should come from driving forward and slightly downhill. Tire traction in the first few feet is crucial.
4. Do not stop once you get going. But do not plunge forward into the unknown, thereby digging a deeper hole for yourself. Yes, these two statements seem like a contradiction.
5. Before any of this happens, you should have certain necessary equipment purchased and practiced with: tire chains perhaps, tow ropes, towing hooks, and soft shackles.
6. Work out in advance where the right spot is for attaching to your vehicle or trailer.
Rearward towing is less straightforward. The tow truck driver did not want to pull directly on my trailer because it isn't as strong as the van (or pickup) that pulls the trailer. The photo shows how we attached to the towing-receiver on the back of the van.
Starting on the right side of the photo, the metal thingies are "RTJ Cluster Hooks." Easy to buy and not expensive.
The short nylon green thing is called a "soft shackle." Again, not expensive and easy to buy. Hell, buy a couple of them.
Finally the yellow tow rope is on the left of the photo.
In reality, the trailer can still be hitched to your motor vehicle (pickup or van), so both are towed out at the same time. You jump into the driver's seat, turn the engine on, shift into neutral, and do a little steering, as the tow truck and winch pull you backwards.
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