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Post by jeepnut on Dec 2, 2007 20:03:06 GMT -5
As some of you know, I live near the pine barrens. Light snow, freezing rain, sleet, and rain today, perfect for the trails. We had a caravan of my unlimited, a wrangler, blazer, dakota, and a cherokee. I was the leader, drove around for about 2 hours, I recovered the dakota and that was it. Went down the trail about 2 miles, and I got stuck. I did everything right, went slow, checked the water depth, ect. Somehow I was in quicksand, yes quicksand! The dodge tries to pull me out, his plastic above his tow point broke up, strap broke. Next, the cherokee, with a 10K winch, the winch just pulled him in toward me. Now the wrangler, nadda. Last resort, 4x4 tow truck, and 3 hours later, along with 350.00 I was free. The tow truck barely made it back there. So today sucked, its fun getting stuck guys when someone can get you out, but when they can't it costs!!! ~Pissed...JN
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Post by moneypit on Dec 2, 2007 20:39:58 GMT -5
Sorry about the trouble you had. It makes the day end up sucking. Did you try a tree saver strap so you can tie off the winching vehicle . If there are no trees tie off to another vehicle behind the winching Jeep. Did your Jeep suffer any damage?
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Post by jeepguylj on Dec 2, 2007 23:01:51 GMT -5
Dude that sucks!
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Post by sylvanis on Dec 3, 2007 10:24:11 GMT -5
yeeouch. That's a stiff bill. I presume like money pit that the cherokee tied off or chocked the wheels? Did you guys try a double/triple line pull from the cherokee?
I'm putting another snatch block on my wish list.
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Post by sylvanis on Dec 3, 2007 10:26:00 GMT -5
P.S. I was working yesterday and remember the old addage....a bad day wheeling, is better than a good day working.
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Post by jeepnut on Dec 3, 2007 11:26:35 GMT -5
The area was where the forest fire was this past summer. Tried the tree thing, but all trees were small, and it seemed too dangerous. I decided, to get a winch. I want to set it up for the front and the back using a reciever hitch, with som e custom plugs an electrician friend suggested. Most of my recoveries need to be from behind, because water tends to be too deep. Any suggestions? Will this work?Thx~jn
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Post by sylvanis on Dec 3, 2007 15:06:26 GMT -5
It can be done.... Mounting a portable kit to the rear. wiring like this? www.warn.com/truck/mountingsystems/quick_connect_kit.shtmli can say that I've never seen anyone mount one in real life. It's a practical use, but if it's underwater, plugging it in could be a pain, as well as moving a 90 lbs winch when you're already stressed out about being stuck. It sounds to me like you were mired down pretty deep. The force of the muck holding you in was probably more than most winches put on Jeeps could have taken on. What would be sweet would be a custom rear bumper that mounted a winch in. If it weren't for that darn gas tank, you could probabaly drop one between the frame rails...  anyone seen a TJ or LJ with a relocated gas tank?  |
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Post by jeepnut on Dec 3, 2007 16:08:06 GMT -5
Well, it would be a couple inches lower with a reciever mount, compared to having it mounted in the front anyway. I'm not sure what I will do yet, all I know is that I was stuck real bad. Are winches submerssible?
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kb5xg
Trail Guide
Just Empty Every Pocket
Posts: 183
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Post by kb5xg on Dec 3, 2007 17:25:39 GMT -5
We had trouble winching the JK in this picture, He had 3 wheels in the air and was high centered on top of a rock. I tried blocking my wheels but he just pulled the block and me down the trail. The trail was slick and mossey. I next had an international scout hook to me with my tree strap and the winch still drug both of us down the trail. As a last resort I pulled my jeep into a tree and doubled the line to the stuck jeep and he came off easily. The double line doubled the pull produced by the winch and the tree locked me in place so I did not move. The tree where I put the bumper had about an 8 to 10 inch diameter.  Winches are submersible to some extent. But unless they are hydrolic I dont think it is really good for them but they will work. |
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Post by scrambler81 on Dec 3, 2007 18:23:46 GMT -5
Where did you go in at? There aren't too many trails with that kind of muck out there, but now that you've been in it, you better go through everything on that Jeep. That crap will get into all sorts of places where you don't want it. Did everyone in your group have straps and gear? It just seems like 4 trucks should have been able to come up with a way to get you out, without resorting to a tow truck. We run out there all the time, and we only run Jeeps, and we haven't left one yet.
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Post by jeepnut on Dec 3, 2007 18:50:55 GMT -5
This was my eleventh time out there. I spend entire days out there, and rarely hit the same trail or section twice. We had plenty of straps. When it was said and done 2 straps broke, had to enter through the window, base of door was submerged in sand, it was a swampy area, and the past forest fire may have contributed to the problem. I know the area well. I'm not one of those follow the usual trails type of jeeper. As my friends, we tend to hit the overgrown areas, barely impassible, but are fire roads. The pines is a bit dry right now, but get into the marshes, and its all peanut butter.Someone running 35+ big lift, probably wouldn't have gotton stuck. I did, didn't want to leave the jeep there over night and have it get stripped, or eaten by the Jersey devil. We tried everything possible to get it out, except for dig it out. Shovel is on the list from now on. Maintainance wise, after every trip to wherever, I go over it with a fine toothbrush. ~JN
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Post by sylvanis on Dec 4, 2007 17:59:49 GMT -5
As a last resort I pulled my jeep into a tree and doubled the line to the stuck jeep and he came off easily. The double line doubled the pull produced by the winch and the tree locked me in place so I did not move. The tree where I put the bumper had about an 8 to 10 inch diameter. Doubling the line was a great idea...also another thing to remember is how many windings or layers that you have spooled on the drum.  image stolen from: www.oramagazine.com/pastIssues/1207-issue/index.asp?article=manufacturer_profileMaybe giving the winching vehicle back further would have provided more pulling Umpf? Ther real thing to remember is if you were sunk in door deep in wet sand, that is exerting A LOT of additional pressure that you would need to overcome. Did anyone see the show Dirty Jobs, where the host worked with an Army recovery team? That was awesome, and gave some good insight into how much pressure and backwards "suction" muck can add to a recovery. |
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Post by jeepnut on Dec 4, 2007 18:51:39 GMT -5
I saw it. I love that show. A trucker friend, get this, got his 18 wheeler front end stuck in a ditch heading up to some coal mines. An old guy that worked there said, hold on, I'll get ya out. He came back with an ordinary stake body, with dull tires on the back, and had some cable. He tied off the stake body to a tree, got the cable connected to the big rig brought it over to his dual tires and connected it somehow to them. Got into his truck and pushed the gas. Believe it or not, the stake body's rear end completely lifted off the ground, but he pulled the 18 whlr out. Go figure!
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Post by sylvanis on Dec 10, 2007 15:22:11 GMT -5
I saw it. I love that show. A trucker friend, get this, got his 18 wheeler front end stuck in a ditch heading up to some coal mines. An old guy that worked there said, hold on, I'll get ya out. He came back with an ordinary stake body, with dull tires on the back, and had some cable. He tied off the stake body to a tree, got the cable connected to the big rig brought it over to his dual tires and connected it somehow to them. Got into his truck and pushed the gas. Believe it or not, the stake body's rear end completely lifted off the ground, but he pulled the 18 whlr out. Go figure! I wonder if the mine worker "tied" the cable to one of the wheels on the rear of the dually, using the heavy duty dually axle as a make shift winch? Maybe winding the cable between the dual wheels? that's all I can think of. |
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lynn
Trail Guide
ECJ5 Time
Posts: 113
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Post by lynn on Dec 19, 2007 13:48:37 GMT -5
Sorry to hear this cost you so much. There is some excellent info in this thread... following the info here can easily save you a tow bill. Tying multiple vehicles together to back up a pull is pretty common, we've at time had to have two rigs backing the rig with the winch! Good idea using that tree as a stop  Here's a pic from October, were my old '71 and it's new owner, backed up by another rig, are recovering a stuck Rubi. (BTW, the tcase on the '71 was grenaded in the pine barrens in a hole much like you describe, just a few weeks ago  )  I had a US Army recovery publication at one time... IIRC: Stuck to axle depth will take a pull of at least 1.5 times the weight of of the stuck rig, to extract. Stuck to the top of the wheel will take a pull of at least 2 times the weight of of the stuck rig, to extract Stuck to the top of the fender depth will take a pull of at least 3 times the weight of of the stuck rig, to extract |
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