If your vehicle has problems and you're in a place far, far away...

[norseman]

4 minutes ago, Huntster said:

........I had a satellite phone. I called the Argo dealer to verify that they had master links and half links on hand. They did. Mrs. Huntster was in Anchorage tending to grandkids. I called her to stop at the dealer that evening and pick up the parts. Then I started the walk. It took a few hours. I was slow going in the mud. On the way I thought about another party riding around in three Argos. I as betting one of them was a lot smarter than I am.......

 

When I got back to the trailhead (which is a big gravel pit), I changed clothes, then approached the other damp. I offered them $120 (which was how much Mrs. Huntster or my brother-in-law would burn in fuel to bring me parts) for a master link and ride back up the mountain. They were good with it. We'd leave the next morning. 

 

Good thing I didn't walk back in with a master link; we broke off another link trying to fix it. But the Doc (one of them was an orthopedic surgeon) had a length of fresh bulk chain, so we changed out the whole thing, and I followed them out. I gave him another $100 for the chain.

 

I always carry a few $100 bills and a couple of plastic 750 liter bottles of booze on trips. People are much more willing to help if you bribe them........

 

I ended up hunting with one of my rescuers fir the remainder of the trip from the gravel pit. I'll be better prepared next year.......

Time for a hydrostatic drive!

 

https://www.muddox.net/mudd-ox-hydrostatic-transmission/

[Huntster]

There was a mud ox up the East Fork. I saw him come out on Monday with a nice moose rack. They're a bit spendier than I can invest at my age.

[Madison5716]

On 9/13/2021 at 5:47 PM, wiiawiwb said:

I thought I would throw this out there and see what everyone else has in their vehicle to help themselves if some problem arises. What contingency plans have you made to plans if something in your vehicle fails? 

 

I have a solar battery charger, tire leak fix goop, a spare tire, and cables if someone helpful came along. We could use the Garmin InReach to call for help. Otherwise, we sit tight, have a meal and wait for rescue and prepare for the night. I carry plenty of overnight gear, as I drive an old truck.

 

I've gotten stuck in the woods before, and I just pulled out the sleeping bags and we waited. My kid was 13 at the time - he just watched a movie downloaded on his pad. Scary thing, truck dead in the woods 25 miles into the woods near Mt. Shasta. It was DARK. 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Madison5716

[Kiwakwe]

I carry the same Viair @wiiawiwb, it's a good little unit and always in the Rover along with the workshop manual and all tools and likely spares/recovery gear for most everything one could hope to fix in the field, on a 37 year old LR, that's a lot. Engine is an all mechanical and EMP proof diesel. I've rebuilt it from a Turner remanufactured shortblock, head, Injection pump/injectors and new turbo, so we're all familiar with one another. That gives quite a bit of reassurance when deep in the backcountry. Only issues I've had were what I'm assuming was a dust jammed starter, down a dead end logging spur about 70 very dusty miles N of the nearest bit of civilization. Luckily, I did as I will often do if it works out, parked facing downhill, after repeated raps to the relatively newly installed higher output starter, it remained obstinately uncompliant. I stayed another night hoping I had enough hill in the am. Roll started fine and never shut if off for the 6 hr ride home, refueled while running. Never had the problem again despite A LOT of dust.

 

The Viair and ARB tire repair kit has come in handy on a couple of occasions. I even checked them on a flight for exploring in the AZ strip, knowing the Jeep rental would have all seasons on it. Sure enough, holed a tire, heard the hissing and was able to get it plugged and rolling again within 15 min. They are great for the ease of refilling aired down tires too.

 

We were fully unprepared for a weekend jaunt into the desert in my girlfriend's 1 year old Ford Edge, great car for the most part but those **** electronics--something went haywire, clicking, lights flashing other oddities then seemed to sort itself but whatever it was it continued in our absence and drained the battery while we were hiking--couldn't unlock doors nor shift into neutral. I had NOTHING with me but food/water, not even cables. Lured into the trap of "new, no problems" Dumb! An at first curmudgeon-ey older gentleman had just finished his hike and as he was driving a jeep I figured he'd have the sense to have some cables, he did but they were junk, too tiny or otherwise compromised--wouldn't do it. He warmed up quickly and drove us the 45 min into the nearest small town parts store --small enough that the sign on the door said call if you need something after hours--it was Sunday. We called, owner showed up within minutes. We each bought the biggest, beefiest set of jumpers they had and we also picked up a new battery just in case. Can often meet some nice folks broken down in the desert/ed places.

 

Sort of an aside but good info--If the price of VDEG is too much for your requirements here's a good alternative, also by Tom Sheppard:

https://www.exploringoverland.com/overland-tech-travel/2016/12/12/4x4-driving-by-tom-sheppard-edition-4

Not on break-downs per se but technique and systems knowledge.

[Huntster]

11 hours ago, Huntster said:

.......I ended up hunting with one of my rescuers fir the remainder of the trip from the gravel pit.......

 

Interestingly, the couple who stayed the longest came by my camp the afternoon I had approached them and invited me to breakfast the next morning, which was the morning of the recovery operation. I graciously accepted, and they invited me to dinner the following evening, too. In turn, I grilled ribeyes for them one evening. Like me, they had a Bigfoot camper, although theirs was the large 2500 model. Mine has a framed color image of Frame 352 Patty inside, and a Sasquatch Country plate outside next to the door. When the man saw that, he told me that he was a member if an Anchorage group:

Anchorage

Sasquatch

Searchers

 

......or ASS. 

 

He's quite the character.

 

He actually cited a few reports that I'd never heard of for that precise location in Broad Pass going back to when the railroad was constructed there and transforming the wilderness in the early 1920's. 

[norseman]

14 hours ago, Huntster said:

There was a mud ox up the East Fork. I saw him come out on Monday with a nice moose rack. They're a bit spendier than I can invest at my age.

Maybe you could find someone to convert yours?

[bipedalist]

On 9/13/2021 at 5:47 PM, wiiawiwb said:

I planned on trekking out to a new location this past Friday to explore the area and then return yesterday and stay overnight. Friday was derailed by weather. Yesterday (Sunday), the forecast was gorgeous and I was in the car and en route by 7am. I wasn't a mile from home when the "low tire pressure" popped up on my car's screen. Uh oh.

 

I pulled into a convenient store that has an air pump. Front left tire was low as was the back left tire. The front right tire was low so I was batting a thousand when I looked at my left rear tire--it was a pancake on asphalt. I was able to add air to each of them, including the pancake, and limp back home. 

 

It dawned on me, what on earth would I do if this had happened miles from humanity where there is no cell service. It was time to get serious about emergency gear. I just ordered a battery charger (NOCO GB50) and an air compressor (ViAir 300P). Naturally, none of these were available locally so I have to wait for them to arrive. There are a few other things I need to have for emergency vehicle gear purposes that I will need to address. I don't ever want to be in this position again in the hinterlands.

 

I thought I would throw this out there and see what everyone else has in their vehicle to help themselves if some problem arises. What contingency plans have you made to plans if something in your vehicle fails? 

 

 

Not sure what kind of wheels you had, but I learned that alloy (nonsteel) wheels can get a corrosive coating around the bead area that will allow slow leaks, three at one time would be a little much but I have had a couple with the same problem, just a thought.  They can wire wheel and scruff it off and remount in most cases.  

Edited September 15, 2021 by bipedalist

[Huntster]

8 hours ago, norseman said:

Maybe you could find someone to convert yours?

 

I know guys who fabricated all kinds of stuff for the Army, but I think I'll just stick to the original Argo and be more careful about bringing my parts. I just pulled the Avenger into the garage, and sure enough, the chain parts I needed for the Response were under the seat.

[7.62]

That's a good compressor you ordered I carry the same one . I don't carry a full size battery charger but I do carry a Halo jumper . It's small and easy to store .

Another thing I carry is a folding shovel . basic tool kit , gorilla tape , fuses , tire plug kit , come a long and strap , rope , small first aid kit , drinking filter straw .extra ammo ,

blanket .knife . I think that's about it other than sometimes I will carry extra water in the hotter months .

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by 7.62

[BeansBaxter78]

I had a flat in a very remote area, I had the tools to change the tire but the ground was soft and not good for jacking the truck up. Luckily, there was a campground within spitting distance and I borrowed a piece of plywood to rest my jack on. Got the tire changed in no time once I got a stable platform for the jack. Like Hunster, I threw the guy I borrowed the plywood from a few bucks to buy himself an adult beverage. He protested but I insisted. He really saved my bacon.

 

Since then, I have added jack bases to my kit, plus some other tire related kits. Along with some beefier tires.

 

I always carry a Garmin Inreach with me. I've never used it for an emergency but my wife likes to get the occasional "I'm okay" text.

[Doodler]

My middle-aged-dad-mobile, a '16 town and country, came with a compressor/sealant combo instead of a spare. Toss the van and keep the device. It's been super handy over the years, for everyone else's vehicles too, knock on wood, haven't used it on the van yet.

 

It also came with a 120v outlet built-in. A $12 patch kit, some flares, a basic bugout bag in the under seat storage and some water filters and I'm good for weeks in this thing.

 

I know, it's no road warrior EMP-proof diesel 4x4 (and I'm envious of that rig, to be sure) but it's fine for deer hunting in the "wilds" of the southern tier of NY.