My Xmas Eve trainwreck

[Kiwakwe]

It was just supposed to be a three hour tour....Glad you made it out ok and only suffered the kicks you gave yourself. One of the tools in the recovery kit that never leaves the Rover is a hi-lift jack. Can be used as a short pull winch (need the accessory kit) with more pulling power (5000lbs) than a Masdam (which is in there too) But the ability to raise the truck up and place rocks/logs under the wheels is awfully handy. Typically a bumper jack, there is a hefty attachment (lift-mate) that would hook right onto the spokes of your rims and lift each wheel out. Inexpensive, sturdy and dangerous if used incorrectly but could be a lifesaver. 

[gigantor]

2 hours ago, Kiwakwe said:

But the ability to raise the truck up and place rocks/logs under the wheels is awfully handy.

 

Yup, another solution is to use a short wheelbase vehicle such as a Jeep.

 

@norseman

 should have taken his Mahindra.

[norseman]

41 minutes ago, gigantor said:

 

Yup, another solution is to use a short wheelbase vehicle such as a Jeep.

 

@norseman

 should have taken his Mahindra.

I want a overland vehicle I can sleep in. But yah that Roxor gets around!

[SWWASAS]

I have a portable (not mounted on my truck) winch but the problem most of the time if you get in a situation like Norseman's  the cable on the winch is not long enough to reach anything that you can attach to to pull yourself out.   Since the winch has to be powered by the truck it has to be close to the vehicle.      This capstan can be used with a rope considerably longer than most winches cables.     Since it is self powered, you can just strap it to a tree or big rock to pull out your vehicle.    A bit spendy but might be worth it.       https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/Portable Winch Co. PCW5000 2,200-lb. Gas-powered Portable Capstan Winch - 633655, Logging Tools & Racks at Sportsman's Guide

Edited December 28, 2020 by SWWASAS

[norseman]

2200 lbs would have probably been to light to get me out of my fix. But a smaller jeep? Probably 

[BlackRockBigfoot]

Thanks for posting this.  

 

I keep meaning to add to our load out.  While I am not worried about getting high centered, I do worry about a tree coming down and blocking us in on an old mountain gravel road.  

 

I need to pick up a battery powered chainsaw to keep in the back of the vehicle

[SWWASAS]

1 hour ago, norseman said:

2200 lbs would have probably been to light to get me out of my fix. But a smaller jeep? Probably 

Hard to know about that but with some assist because of the lack of friction caused by the snow it might have been enough to get your truck to move.     We see a lot of people stuck on hills on ice that all it takes is a couple of people pushing to get them started by overcoming the lack of tire friction.     I think the main  problem on a vehicle mounted winch is that suitable anchors are often not in the right place or close enough to do any good.    A friend of mine has a remote controlled tracked thing that is capable of moving a travel trailer.    It is like a small tank with tracks.   Costly but capable of moving something heavy.    In the long run the cheapest solution is just to avoid situations in the first place.   

 

     I just had an inexpensive idea that might work in a situation like yours should it happen to me.  .      If you simply had a pulley and a long rope,   you could attach the pully to a tree as high as you can get it in the direction you want to travel,  hoist a rock or other heavy object like log up with a winch up to the pully,   attach the line to the truck if not already attached ,    and try to drive the truck towards the pulley.     The weight would likely overcome the lack of tire friction and allow the truck to move.   Lack of friction is the main problem when you get stuck in snow.     Even a manual come along could be used to hoist the heavy object if not on the end towards the winch.     I carried one before I got the winch.   1000 lbs of force in the direction you want to travel is probably as much as the vehicle can generate on dry pavement.   

[norseman]

8 hours ago, SWWASAS said:

Hard to know about that but with some assist because of the lack of friction caused by the snow it might have been enough to get your truck to move.     We see a lot of people stuck on hills on ice that all it takes is a couple of people pushing to get them started by overcoming the lack of tire friction.     I think the main  problem on a vehicle mounted winch is that suitable anchors are often not in the right place or close enough to do any good.    A friend of mine has a remote controlled tracked thing that is capable of moving a travel trailer.    It is like a small tank with tracks.   Costly but capable of moving something heavy.    In the long run the cheapest solution is just to avoid situations in the first place.   

 

     I just had an inexpensive idea that might work in a situation like yours should it happen to me.  .      If you simply had a pulley and a long rope,   you could attach the pully to a tree as high as you can get it in the direction you want to travel,  hoist a rock or other heavy object like log up with a winch up to the pully,   attach the line to the truck if not already attached ,    and try to drive the truck towards the pulley.     The weight would likely overcome the lack of tire friction and allow the truck to move.   Lack of friction is the main problem when you get stuck in snow.     Even a manual come along could be used to hoist the heavy object if not on the end towards the winch.     I carried one before I got the winch.   1000 lbs of force in the direction you want to travel is probably as much as the vehicle can generate on dry pavement.   

My 100 HP 4x4 Kubota tractor did not budge the Chev. In fact it picked up the rear end. I finally had my wife put the Chev in drive to help and that finally did the trick. 
 

The general rule of thumb when winching is that you want a winch rated for 1.5x the weight of the rig.

 

8000 lbs x 1.5 = 12000 lbs

 

Alot of guys with full size overland rigs are running the Warn 16.5. Thats probably what I’ll get.

[norseman]

[hiflier]

Nah, Norse, just skip the step and take the Kabota next time. It would also come in handy for hauling out 700 lbs. worth of Sasquatch

[wiiawiwb]

On 12/28/2020 at 4:21 PM, BlackRockBigfoot said:

I keep meaning to add to our load out.  While I am not worried about getting high centered, I do worry about a tree coming down and blocking us in on an old mountain gravel road.  

 

I need to pick up a battery powered chainsaw to keep in the back of the vehicle

 

Three years ago, I was on an expedition with a few guys. The access road was extremely narrow and ended where we parked. We backpacked in from there. On the way out, a tree, strangely enough, was across the road. A swamp on one side and a steep mountain on the other side meant we had to remove the tree. Thankfully, one guy had a chainsaw in his truck. Without that, it would have been a long walk out to humanity in an area with no cell service.

[Huntster]

What an absolutely great experience to share on this forum! For a bunch of outdoors people, this experience is inevitable. If I had a nickel for every time this type of thing happened to me, I'd buy Jeff Bezos. The Christmas Eve twist to it makes it even more memorable for your family.  

 

My favorite quotes of this thread:

 

On 12/25/2020 at 1:55 PM, norseman said:

Well I pulled a dumb one.........

 

Untrue. This is life.

 

On 12/25/2020 at 1:55 PM, norseman said:

......... Lots of texts of my wife freaking out. Uh oh. Concerned friends.... now I feel like a jerk right? My wife had called every one in the county looking for me.

 

She picked me up where the road meets hwy 20. My daughter gave me a big hug. My wife was mad but teary eyed.....

 

God bless your precious Mrs. Norse! She and Mrs. Huntster could sit by the fire and share great stories! Wives of adventurers have a special stock of prayers. Many of my misadventures were before the cell phone era. She threatened to call the Troopers upon tardiness, sometimes who were personal friends. I got real good at getting out myself before I was tardy.

 

On 12/25/2020 at 4:27 PM, BC witness said:

I have to keep reminding myself, the better I make my rig, the further off road I'll be stuck!.........

 

LOL! So true! And after setting up with the best self extraction equipment available, the rig will then simply break down, requiring parts or tools you don't have.

 

On 12/25/2020 at 1:55 PM, norseman said:

.......Merry Xmas!

 

That's a great ending to the story. All the best to you and your family!

[SWWASAS]

20 hours ago, hiflier said:

Nah, Norse, just skip the step and take the Kabota next time. It would also come in handy for hauling out 700 lbs. worth of Sasquatch

You know a front loader with a big bucket would be very handy if you had a BF body to move around.  Not a bad idea.  

[hiflier]

35 minutes ago, SWWASAS said:

You know a front loader with a big bucket would be very handy if you had a BF body to move around.  Not a bad idea.  

 

Yep, that came from my novel where some bad guys who were killing the Bigfoots used one to swap out a dead Bigfoot with a bear carcass. It was done to make authorities think there was only bear poaching going on near the Six Rivers National Forest.

[Kiwakwe]

On 12/26/2020 at 10:25 PM, norseman said:

I want a overland vehicle I can sleep in.

Here ya go:

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3oj2mB01/1989-chevrolet-suburban-2500-4x4