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

[viento1]

Getting to the proper jack points... impossible!  use the lugs to fasten a home made bracket to the wheels. Use bottle jack to lift the wheel, fill in the big hole. Repeat on other side and tags... works like a charm.

Or

Buy  a kinetic rope. I have had the bus belly resting on soft sand and the tide was rising. Some crazy fool used a stretchy rope and pulled me out with a dodge pickup... amazing process. I now keep a kinetic rope on the bus at all times. Wish I were there to play in the mud with you.

[desi arnaz]

  this may sound stupid but what if you filled  the airbags all the way up then blocked the frame  then let all the air out? would that help/work?

[Jriddle]

Buy  a kinetic rope. I have had the bus belly resting on soft sand and the tide was rising. Some crazy fool used a stretchy rope and pulled me out with a dodge pickup... amazing process. I now keep a kinetic rope on the bus at all times. Wish I were there to play in the mud with you.

I have seen this was quite amazed wasn't a bus though.


John

[bobofthenorth]

  this may sound stupid but what if you filled  the airbags all the way up then blocked the frame  then let all the air out? would that help/work?

In short, no.

You'd get the body up but the problem is that the tires are sitting in holes.  If he's down so low that the belly is creating suction to the ground then he's really in trouble.  In that case raising the body is part of the solution but he still needs to get the tires out of their holes.

[artvonne]

  this may sound stupid but what if you filled  the airbags all the way up then blocked the frame  then let all the air out? would that help/work?

In short, no.

You'd get the body up but the problem is that the tires are sitting in holes.  If he's down so low that the belly is creating suction to the ground then he's really in trouble.  In that case raising the body is part of the solution but he still needs to get the tires out of their holes.

  I explained this earlier. You can either jack up the weight of the entire Bus, or only the weight of the axle. Raising the Bus and blocking it will allow you to jack the axle quite easily after blowing the air. One the axle comes up, fill the hole, and raise the Bus with air. A low profile floor jack should be able to be slid under the axle enough to lift it.

[jjrbus]

Usually once you are stuck there is no place to put a floor jack. Even if you can get it under the bus, without blocking the jack will only sink. Unless of course you are stuck on concrete I do like the lugnut jig idea sounds good?   JIm 0311

[wg4t50]

Seems getting the bus unstuck is not the issue, seems the issue is to get as much mileage out of such a stupid subject.
If getting the bus unstuck and under way, one would have a suitable wrecker, simply extract it.  Where am I wrong ? 

[JackConrad]

We carry a "snatch strap" rated at 40,000 lbs. Have not used it yet an hope we never do, but it is nice to have Just In Case.  Jack

[chev49]

Seems getting the bus unstuck is not the issue, seems the issue is to get as much mileage out of such a stupid subject.
If getting the bus unstuck and under way, one would have a suitable wrecker, simply extract it.  Where am I wrong ? 

Some of us would rather get out in the mud and jack the thing up...

[buswarrior]

Go back and view the original pictures.

Only through complete misapplication of efforts will that coach require anything more than some shovel work at the tires.

Getting to be a long winter, and we're bored and cabin feverish?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Len Silva]

Just hook a chain to the reindeer.

[bevans6]

I can't believe it's still stuck - it's been weeks!  Anyway, get a big plastic bag, connect it to the bus air system, pump it up and the bag will gently lift (or rip) the bus up out of the holes.  They sell them, maybe you can rent one.  Used in all sorts of industries for rigging things, and in accident response.  They used one to lift a train off someone in Toronto once.

http://www.hovair.com/products/matjacks/air-lifting-bag-index.html

A 5 foot diameter bag stuck under the bus would lift with a little over 2800 lbs of force per PSI of air inflation.  In theory.  

edit:  Ha!  I was right!  found this...   http://www.windsorfire.com/divisions-apparatus-equipment-extrication-tools-pneumatic-lifting-bags    apparently they have some made for buses that use only 7.5 psi, and other that use high pressure including from vehicle air brake systems...  so call your local fire department and get them to run a training exercise!



Brian

[Jeremy]

There are inflatable jacks which work of the vehicle's exhaust. Not perhaps much use lifting a bus though.

I claim no expertise at all in dealing with this kind of situation but my instinct is that what is really required here is a pull or push, not a lift. The bus is stuck on an icy surface, not up to it's sills in mud or sand. And is the push or pull required even that great? The bus is operational so it's not like you're trying to pull a dead weight. You can get hand-operated Tirfor winches which will lift 5 tons, and that's before using snatch blocks to increase the purchase. Wouldn't this be more than enough to help the tyres get a grip?

Jeremy

[robertglines1]

  Got a few chuckles out of this one. Doing what I did as a profession and being a hard headed do it myself type. I understand!! Will admit We have winch trucks sitting around and would not be a problem.  This is one best to spend a few bucks on if you don't have the T-Shirt.(been there done that).  Probably less than $75. Plus no one gets hurt.  I have seen your daugther!  Seams to me she could charm enough team members to push or lift the bus out .   Tuff to be a dad of a teenage daugther.  Bob

[buswarrior]

Those recovery bags do indeed run on only a couple pounds of air.

At the roll over recovery demonstrations I've been at, they bring volunteers out from the audience, whip off the hoses and tell them to cap it with their hands. Pretty good comedy when you add in some fake anxiety!

Well Phil, what's going on???

happy coaching!
buswarrior