In recent years, recreational vehicles have gained widespread popularity. Perhaps the most common recreational vehicle application is trail riding. Trail riding on a recreational vehicle allows the rider to travel through areas that are not accessible by ordinary automobiles. Modern recreational vehicles, can cover ground very rapidly and can cover great distances. Frequently, recreational vehicle enthusiasts ride their recreational vehicle for many hours straight and cover many miles. During such long rides, a recreational vehicle may be used to carry a rider through a wide variety of terrain. Terrain that may be encountered includes snow, sand, mud and swampland.
Part of the thrill of riding a recreational vehicle is encountering challenging terrain and, through the performance of the recreational vehicle and the skill of the rider, passing through the terrain. It is not uncommon for recreational vehicle riders to seek out large mud holes and attempt to traverse these obstacles with a recreational vehicle. The depth of some of these mud holes is actually greater than the height of the recreational vehicle. When passing through an obstacle such as mud hole, the recreational vehicle may become immersed in water, mud, or a mixture thereof.