Bus stuck again - more comic relief from Lyons Moose bus - tow question

[artvonne]

  I dug ramps when I was a kid and didnt know better, I don't screw around with that crap anymore. Just jack the dude up and get a plank under it. Easier, faster, better results.

  Besides the two dozen some Buses we hauled for ourselves, I contracted for $100 to $150 a tow (depending on distance), to use our wrecker to tow over 200 other junk Buses, mostly GM and AMGeneral transits for other guys to scrap, maybe a few Flxibles. While most were easy tows out of blacktop lots, more than a few were buried in a backyard somewhere with one or more wheels sunk up to the axle. Trying to drag some of them out was only going to bust my truck, and I didn't have all freaken day to be out there digging ramps or watching someone else suffer doing it, we tried that. All the digging I care to do is just enough to place a jack, get a plank under if needs and haul buns.

 The worst was dragging a 4104 out from in back of Lorenz Bus Co over in Blaine. It had sat out back 20 years while trees grew up around it. We had to cut over 40 trees down to clear a path. The Bus had no axles, so we made some rollers from a few trees and we rolled it out. We had to roll it almost 300 feet to where a lowboy could back under it. Lot of work for not much to show for it, and Al was .65 all that summer and gas was a buck. I could make more money in one day hauling them than we ever made wrecking even one of them damn things.

 

 
 

   
 

 

[jjrbus]

I ended up in the same situation, no way to get wrecker to it. Unless you consider taking down the friend's neighbors fence, tearing up their yard and reinstalling fence and restoring yard an option This is friends yard, friend and neighbor are feuding.

 Bus was in too deep to use jack.

 Any way with the help of  friend, and some cut up scrap 2X4, 6 and 8's, some gravel (crushed stone) I was able to dig a little bit in front and rear of the tires. I could move the bus a couple inches. In went some stone, was able to move just a bit more and the bus was a bit higher, added wood and stone,  back and forth add a little, painfully slow at first, but got bus to ground level. In reasonable amount of time.

 Cut some plywood in half lengthwise, 4 sheets,  put in front of tires. Rear tires spit plywood out the back!  Added 2X2 cleats crosswise to plywood. There is a slight grade and tires are full of mud and slide on plywood, need to put gravel on plywood. /Move bus a couple feet, move plywood, move bus, move plywood add gravel.  I could go cross country like this. Should have made a video.

                                                                                                                                  HTH                   JIm 0311

 ps,  Don't plan on using plywood for another project

[buswarrior]

jjrbus describes the activities in the Sahara during World War II, both of the Axis and the Allies.

Nothing glamorous, makes for a boring movie, inch by inch, it goes up and along a bit and then keep transferring the assisting materials.

Stay off the lawn. Park on planks. Bring a shovel.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Busted Knuckle]

My question is what are ya gonna do once it's back 10'?
It's still gotta come forward to leave right? 
OK now where is the driveway? I don't see it in the pictures.

And of course yes a good operator of a big tow truck will be able to get you out of that mess NO PROBLEM. There is the option of using a snatch block (block & tackle as referred to by someone) off the tree behind it.
But if it were me I'd just pull it back forward and onto the driveway and back it up the driveway where it needs to be anyway.

If you intend to park it beside the drive as it's normal parking place in the future, then you'll need to "build" a parking pad for it.
When building a parking pad it is best to get a back hoe and dig out about 6" of top soil for 60-80' and have about 1-2 loads of LARGE stone (when I used to drive dump truck we referred to it as #2 stone) hauled in. Put a layer of about 4 or 5" of #2 and level it. Then have about 2 loads (or more if needed) of #53 limestone hauled in and leveled to where it is about 2" higher then the surface. With driving and parking on it it will settle about to the same level as the drive. Make sure you make it long enough to have a good approach & room to swing the rear of the bus over where you want it and also to be able to swing the front either way to maneuver it to the exact spot that you desire to park it.

If you plan to go ahead and use it for the cheerleaders just have a wrecker get you unstuck and leave it on the drive for now. Once home from using it you'll be able to back it up the drive as far as you want if you stay on the drive and keep moving at a  steady pace until you are there. No riding the brakes or moving 4-6 inches at a time and stopping to check. (get a trusted spotter with either walkie talkies or cell phones put yours on "speaker phone" and leave it where you can hear it and follow your spotters directions by letting them do the talking!

OH and by the way don't even think you are close to being stuck! I'll try to post pics of a stuck bus later! BTDT HTTSTSFI! (been there done that & have the T shirt to show for it)
  BK 

[Lin]

Not to change the subject to much, but haven't there been some discussions about the legality/liability of dong things like transporting cheerleader groups?

[artvonne]

Not to change the subject to much, but haven't there been some discussions about the legality/liability of dong things like transporting cheerleader groups?

  From a liability standpoint, I wouldnt take anyone anywhere who wasn't a close relative or close personal friend. Your kids friends are not your personal friends, their parents have the right to sue you even if the kid doesnt want them to. Cheerleading is a school function, let the school contract for it, or let the other kids parents worry about getting them where they need to go. Thats why we put "private" on the Bus. You generous offer of a free ride could cost you a lifetime of financial grief if anything goes wrong.

[Scott & Heather]

When we got our MCI stuck, we took tire chains, wedged them as far as we could under the drive wheels. Aired down the tags, aired down the drive tires too if you can (trust me I've 4x4'd enough to know how much low tire pressure increases traction in these situations. I've run 15 psi before and gone places with my 4x4 toyota pickup you can't imagine). Chains and lower tire pressure work wonders. Try it...super early in the morning when the ground is most frozen...

[Van]

Reconnoiter the area.
Estimate the situation.
Calculate the resistance.
Obtain the ratio.
Verify the solution.
Erect the rigging.
Recheck the rigging.
You are ready.
 Well whadya know! that spells RECOVERY!

   All others, if you cannot perform those tasks, best to leave it to the pro's just to be safe!
             Van
 The mud diver man

[PCC]

If I had pulled from the back, I might have saved myself.

My drivers got stuck in mud the day after a good rain. The tow vehicle hooked up to my front tow hooks, and pulled. The chain decided to etch the inside of my windshield from the outside.

Got out of the mud when the ground dried (2 days later) and the new windshield arrived 9 days later.

[luvrbus]

Same applies to a bus as a dump truck always back in to a space from the road never head into unfamiliar ground " back" saves a lot of problems this advice comes from a guy who buried one on the Gulf of Mexico beach lol

good luck

[gus]

The tires on the ice are almost as important as the ones in the mud because they will providemost of the traction to move out of the hole.

So, they need something that will keep them from spinning.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

I got a vw bug stuck in a field once.

[Van]

I could just picture that ed ah ah ah

[Dave5Cs]

I use those brown with holes in them rubber mats they sell at Costco. They are about 48"X 36". I took my skil saw and split them in half long way I carry them with me. If stuck in mud or icey mud. Dig behind the front tire and in front as a small ramp. Just below the bottom of the tire. put some post hole concrete with gravel in it on both sides 1 bag per tire. Then lay the rubber mats tight to the rear wheels depending on which way you want to move ( foreward in front of the tire backward in back of the tire. if you lay a piece of 3/4 plywood down first make sure it is about 2 inches away from the tire so that the rubber is ontop of it but hangs over the edge toward the tire.

When you back up it will stand so to speak on the rubber into the dirt or mud etc. and then back up onto the rubber mat. It works every time. Go very slowly but steady. If it is really deep let the concrete dry over night or 2!

Dave

[Van]

 Bump

unfortunately have to leave bus now as is  for several days as must travel, handle day job, etc..

Kind Regards, Phil

 Surely you must be out by now , any luck Phil?