Stuck On Wet Grass? FWD vs RWD??

[Tom MK6]

The other day I was happily taking my FWD 100ps mk6 across a piece of flat (wet-ish) grass when I turned a little and dug the front end in 20cm. A nice mildly embarrasing recovery operation followed in view of the general public using a couple bits of ply, heavy jack and some carpet and I was on my way again (towards the tarmac 3m ahead of the incident)

Anyway, the question is, would this have happened with RWD??

I am shortly going to upgrade to a MK7 MWB and can't decide which drivetrain is best. Most driving will be onroad but will occasionaly require to take a 1T trailer offroad.

I dont mind the van going sideways from time to time (730am frosty B&Q carpark) as I can deal with this, but getting stuck in the mud is no good!

I am leaning towards RWD but have read on here that people seem to think the FWD is better on said piece of wet grass??

Any thoughts?

Cheers...

[the gurns]

To be honest mate it would probably have happened sooner with rwd,don't get me wrong I own a mk5 rwd but as soon as the back wheels loose traction its all over,good fun in the snow as long as there is not a jot of incline!!

[Scotty86]

What about trying the mk7 AWD?

[ake]

If you dug the van in 20cm then the problem was soft ground rather than wet grass, a rwd would have been just as bad

[Muddy Trucker]

FWD would be favourable on wet grass , You can redirect the traction by steering , cant do that on a RWD

[sc_BK]

I reckon if you had a RWD with loads of weight in the back you would do slightly better towing the trailer across grass. You'll still get stuck if the ground's waterlogged though!
Buy a set of chains

[IRMA999]

I reckon if you had a RWD with loads of weight in the back you would do slightly better towing the trailer across grass. You'll still get stuck if the ground's waterlogged though!
Buy a set of chains

RWD empty, are just absolute pants in the wet,grass,mud,snow, you name it.I only know from experience

[Timbo]

Wet grass is one of the worst surfaces fo getting grip on. The problem is not the tyres gripping the grass, which they do, but the layer of turf sliding on the mud beneath. FWD deffo better as said above.

TIP:- If you have a RWD and get stuck with one rear wheel is spinning ease the handbrake up. It will slow the spinning wheel and help get drive to the other one. Works a bit like a limited slip diff. You may have to apply a bit more power to counteract the brake.

[Muddy Trucker]

Or fit a set of these aired down to about 8psi

http://www.devon4x4.com/products_a/p616 ... ekker.html

[stu0500]

id probs stick with fwd, we had excess of 5" of snow over the winter and my mk6 fwd was great! it never got bogged down, stuck,slid etc. i carry a little waight in it which is mainly over the middle and rear of the van. if i was you id stick with fwd.

stu

[datatek]

My 90/330 SWB RWD is totaly useless on wet grass and not much better on gravel or dry grass. I'm not sure if it's just the tyres?

[madmark]

fwd is the way to go!

[Geoffers]

I'd agree, if you are going off tarmac regularly, FWD is the only way forwards. I must say though, that your tyres will make a big difference. In all the snow we had over the winter my FWD van was rubbish, but that is because the front tyres are like slicks and in the end I stopped using the van as I kept getting stuck! I have to go off road regularly on mud and grass and have not got stuck yet.

[familybanger]

RWD for reasons two fold

1.Cos you can roost the band of merry helpers who are pushing
2.If your gonna loose traction back wheels sliding is much more fun

[ME]

I reckon if you had a RWD with loads of weight in the back you would do slightly better towing the trailer across grass. You'll still get stuck if the ground's waterlogged though!

Been there seen it done it got the Bollocking


Roundhay Park leeds with a 2600kg Exhibition Trailer in tow. It was fine under the trees on the grass then all of a sudden Van and Trailer both sunk upto there axles the 7'5 tn fridge with the job i was doing drove on to tow me out and sunk as well



The head of Parks and recreation for leeds had smoke coming out of His ears when he saw us both stuck

10 mins later a Tractor with Grass tyres pulled us both out. He got his own back by locking us in the park overnight