Stuck in the Mud

I always carry a 12 volt compressor , if the ground is really slippery I will let the rear tyres down to gain extra grip and when on hard ground just blow them back up , never needed to tow may vw medallion ever in 15 years.

Avontourist wrote:I always carry a 12 volt compressor , if the ground is really slippery I will let the rear tyres down to gain extra grip and when on hard ground just blow them back up , never needed to tow may vw medallion ever in 15 years.

That's a good point but it also helps having the right tyre pressures in the first place.  My FWD Boxer's TPMS was set around the maximum possible load each axle could take plus a bit more.  This resulted in overinflated front tyres for their actual load and therefore reduced grip.  Eventually I persuaded Peugeot to adjust my TPMS so I could run my front CP tyres at 3 bar rather than the 5 bar on the tyre pressure label.  When the time comes I will replace my summer tyres with 4-season and I might also increase their width from 215 to 225.  I believe this is possible on the existing rims and that it will improve traction due to the increased area in contact with the ground and, due to the tyre's higher load index, slightly lower pressures for a given load.