1. Look for an alternate route.

2. Decide whether you really need/want to cross the mud. If so, determine what to do if you start to become stuck. Plan how you can recover a stuck vehicle.

3. Carefully survey/reconnoiter the mud. It does not hurt to stop your vehicle to study conditions and plan your attack. If necessary, do so on foot. You do not need to wade through it to evaluate the conditions.

4. If you are planning to cross the mud, accelerate to a moderate speed before entering the mud such that your momentum will help carry you through it without becoming stuck. Be sure that you can control the vehicle at that speed under such conditions. As long as it is safe, be sure to maintain your speed as you cross the mud.

5. After crossing significant mud, be sure to wash the mud from the underside of your vehicle at your earliest opportunity.

Good luck,

John

I've heard to always go into the bush in 2WD, so that you can use 4X4 drive to get back out.

I also like those bubble-level tilt indicators you stick on the dashboard, because if you roll over the vehicle you can also be "stuck" (and [email]Fv@$-d[/email] too if you are hurt).

Something to consider: my service manual prescribes quite a bit of extra maintenance any time the truck is submerged over axle level.

run
:-)

That's kinda oppisite of what I heard, and I can sorta prove it. Though, I do remember doing that a few times(with my rig, a tractor) and getting out to brag about it, I did manage to burry a 4 wheel drive John Deer 7810. I speeded up fairly good, but bogged down. I learned 2 things, avoid standing water in a field, and don't keep spinning the wheels if you do bog down, that only makes it worse, plus you really get a sickening feeling, and your leg starts twitching uncontrolably. It probly didn't help that I was carrying a fully loaded manure spreader. In retrospect, I could have probably gotten out if I unhooked, but that would have been tricky too. Anyway, it took another 4 wheel drive tractor and a smaller 2 wheel drive to finnally get it out. Fame is mine! I hope to avoid that with any truck I get.

Anyway, I heard that the deeper the mud, the lower the gear. Thats from the June '03 issue of Field and Stream. He also says not to floor it. But, I think I'll listen to youre Idea, it helped me more often than not.