People who like to take their campers off-roading must know what to do when their vehicle gets stuck in the mud. Knowing how to get yourself out of the mud can save you money on a heavy duty tow, and can help make your camping trip go more smoothly.

Step 1: Stop spinning your wheels.

The biggest mistake you can make when your camper gets stuck in the mud is to spin your wheels. The harder your wheels spin, the farther your vehicle will dig down into the soil, making it harder to get yourself out later.

Step 2: Let the air out of your tires.

Letting some of the air out of your tires allows the traction to dig deeper into the muck and mire. As you let down your tires, use a low pressure gauge to periodically check the air in your tires. You can take your tire's air pressure down to about 25 % of maximum air capacity, but you shouldn't go farther than that as letting your tires down too much could cause them to come off the rims.

Step 3: Give the accelerator a nudge and see if it works.

Turn on your vehicle and step on the accelerator just a little bit to see if your tires have enough purchase to move your camper forward. If your camper rolls out of the ditch, great. If not, stop pushing on the accelerator immediately and move on to the next step.

Step 4: Check the underside of the camper.

At this point, you may have driven your camper so far into the soil that it could actually be stuck on a root or something else on the ground. Get out of the camper and check to see if the bottom of the vehicle is dragging on the ground. If it is, then it's time to use a shovel to dig your camper out.

Step 5: Give your tires something that provides traction.

Lay down sticks, rocks or even a camping bag to give your tires something stiff and solid to drive over. This will stop your tires from sliding on mud and will help your camper get up out of the hole you're slowly digging for yourself.

Step 6: Try one more time.

Push gently on the accelerator one more time. If the camper moves, then it's time to put the air back in your tires and celebrate. If the camper doesn't move, then it's time to call for a heavy duty towing service. For more information about heavy duty towing, contact Parkway Wrecker Service or a similar company.