Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 12-19-2017, 01:09 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 66
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner MVP
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Trying not to get stuck

So I have cleared some land behind my house to park my bus during the conversion. Tried to get back there over the weekend and got stuck in the soft Florida sand. Completely underestimated the weight on the back axel. Was able to get it out with a quick pull from my neighbors f150.

Anyways, I am planning on Laying gravel or slab where the bus will ultimately sit for a year. Looking for suggestions on how to get my bus back there by dispersing the weight. Will not be moving the bus often.

Thanks for the help!

dspizzle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:27 PM   #2
Bus Geek
 
brokedown's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Weeki Wachee, FL
Posts: 3,056
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
Sand complicates it for sure! Gravel is great on dirt but I've got 0 experience with it on sand. These buses have a lot of weight on skinny tires and I've had to dig mine out once too.
brokedown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:32 PM   #3
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
I've driven in a lot of FL sand in buses.
Get open shoulder, meaty drive tires. They'll make a huge difference if you don't already have them.
Other than that, park on boards or plywood or something.
I've had mine sink down a few inches after a rain and they usually pull right out without much fuss.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:37 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 66
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner MVP
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
I don't want to necessarily want to purchase anything huge. We are simply trying to back it into the parking spot (~100 ft from the pavement). We will have the land prepped where we want to park it. Was thinking about using some planks and move them throughout the process.
dspizzle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:42 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 66
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner MVP
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Found that out real quick! Was super happy that a 150 was able to get me out and I now have a tow strap that I will keep on me!
dspizzle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:49 PM   #6
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,791
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
I would frequently get stuck in our clay driveway after it rained for a couple days before buying 4 of these:

Sailun S753


Haven't been stuck since! Even while driving through a mucky clay ditch. I've been very impressed. Not too loud on the road, either!
__________________
My build page: Armageddon - The Smell of Airborne Rust
jazty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:50 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Ooooooohhh...Knobbies!!!
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:50 PM   #8
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,791
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by dspizzle View Post
I don't want to necessarily want to purchase anything huge.
Ahh.. buy some 2x6s then. Doesn't come much cheaper than that.
__________________
My build page: Armageddon - The Smell of Airborne Rust
jazty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 01:54 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 66
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner MVP
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by jazty View Post
Ahh.. buy some 2x6s then. Doesn't come much cheaper than that.
Thats what I was thinking. Just wasn't sure if they would hold or just snap under the pressure.
dspizzle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 02:43 PM   #10
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Railroad ties.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 02:44 PM   #11
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,791
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by dspizzle View Post
Thats what I was thinking. Just wasn't sure if they would hold or just snap under the pressure.
double stacked if in mucky ground. singles usually work on sand, in my experience.
__________________
My build page: Armageddon - The Smell of Airborne Rust
jazty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 02:48 PM   #12
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
If you do use rock, try to get 3" so it doesn't sink so easily.

I like the railroad ties idea because you will eventually be spending time under your bus.
__________________
Robin
Nobody's Business
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 03:06 PM   #13
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,755
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
ive got uniroyal RD30s on my DEV bus.. ive driven in snow / black ice / yards, etc and havent put it down yet.. even pulled out tree stumps. with the back tires on dirt and they spun a little but didnt clog up and stop going..

tires.jpg

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 03:10 PM   #14
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 66
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner MVP
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin97396 View Post
If you do use rock, try to get 3" so it doesn't sink so easily.

I like the railroad ties idea because you will eventually be spending time under your bus.
Where does one get railroad ties and how are they used for spending my time under the bus?
dspizzle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 03:50 PM   #15
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
Use railroad ties are used commonly in landscaping, at least in some states. Those are generally #1 or #2 quality used ties. I get #3 or #4 grade ties at about $3 each. They are usually delivered in a bundle and dumped where you want them in your yard.

You want the bus weight spread out obviously because of the sand. You could use rock, but that's fairly uncomfortable to lay on under your bus. Ties would make a nice flat surface. I guess it just depends on how tough you feel. Another thing is the ties can be moved if you change your mind, while that's not so easy with the gravel.
__________________
Robin
Nobody's Business
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 03:57 PM   #16
Bus Nut
 
Defjr333's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Culpeper, Virginia
Posts: 302
Chassis: Step Van
Engine: Prefer Diesel
Rated Cap: 14'-16' Step Van
2nd on the RR ties. Had 2x6s snap doing that with an ambulance....Bus gotta weigh more.
Doug
Defjr333 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 04:15 PM   #17
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
Remember that full size bus tires are anywhere between 10-11" wide. Pine 2x6's simply aren't up to the task of keeping you afloat in soft dirt or sand. You'll want to get 2x10's or wider, or a harder wood such as oak. I would visit some local business and industries and see about getting scrap wood that was used for "dunnage".

For those who haven't heard that term, think about the oak 4x4's that separate iron pipe on flatbed trailers. Often they are not returned since the driver may be picking up something else, somewhere else. "Dunnage bags" are big paper air bags used in dry-van trailers to fill the empty space between pallets and trailer walls, to keep the product from shifting. Tractor dealers often get large crated tractors and the crates usually get trashed.
Brad_SwiftFur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 04:24 PM   #18
Bus Geek
 
Jolly Roger bus 223's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
DSPIZZLE. Railroad ties would be great if you bought enough to build you a runway down to the bus or had some real good help to help you keep moving them from under the bus stuck in the sand to behind the rear tires to go another 7'.
Trust me I have played the Egyptian style method before but in MUD?
If you buy enough to make a 100' runway down to where you want to park the bus for the build then you would have good start with using them as the pad for your bus to set on for the build.
If you do go that route?
Wear good gloves and depending on you and your manpower a good long sleeve shirt because a creosote splinter sucks and the tar used to need kero or gas to get it off?
That should have had cleaner by now that will do it but when I was messing with brand new ties you either wore it home or you smelled like a fuel jug when you got home.
Heck at robins price I want 40-60 of them delivered now.
They just tore up a track near me and when I stopped to ask about them they said not for sale and my local box store don't stock them but can get them for 8-10$ each like its a dang gum decoration piece or something?
Good luck.
Jolly Roger bus 223 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 04:51 PM   #19
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
In reality I'd suggest ties for parking the bus, but large gravel for the rest of the driveway.

It could be they're chipping the less desirable looking ties in your area. Yes, ties are expensive if you buy them inidividually. In bulk they come in bundles. It was about $500 for three bundles delivered.
__________________
Robin
Nobody's Business
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-19-2017, 05:54 PM   #20
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Greater Houston, Tx.
Posts: 589
IF you are considering building some type of cover, to store the bus under, you might consider getting some 4x6s instead of RR ties. After the bus is in it's place, you can use the 4x6s as your corner posts for the cover.
Good luck
1olfart is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:07 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.