80 Series Saving Somebody's Butt Thread

[atomicshawn]

Inspired buy events of the evening... Staying at a cabin near Bear Lake, UT., I succombed to peer pressure and tried to drive up to Bloomington Lake, ID in the 60... Ill prepared with open diffs, no winch, and only a crappy little aluminum mountaineering shovel. The 80 currently sitting at home with the radiator torn out.

Around 8000' we stared hitting heavy wet drifts 1 - 2'+. I ended up sliding off the trail into the rough. The two GM trucks I was with got stuck on the trail 200 yards back. After much effort we got them turned around and back down the trail, had to leave the 60 behind...

It Started snowing. With that God-aweful story about that cruiser that spent the entire winter stuck under the snow in the Colorado Rocky's ruminating in my head, we finally got cell service and I phoned my good friend ksj85. Without hesitation he made the 2+ hour trip over the mountains in bad weather to save my butt...

(the pic makes this look like no big deal, but doesn't show the massive bouldernext to the drivers door. So big I had to climb out the passenger side. There was no margin for error.)

Super big thanks to Kelbelicious (and his white, triple locked, sc'd beast!), a one of a kind friend, who is probably still driving home as I write this...

I'm sure I'm not the only one ever rescued by, or used their 80 to rescue someone. Post stories & pics here:

 

[Diggs84]

Wow. That sounds like a hairy night. You and truck made it though!

 

[McDowra]

Glad it worked out for you

 

[wagonteeth]

I've got no pics, but used my 80 and her winch twice in a week. first was to pull a stock Swtrangler out of a little bitty mud pit. It wasn't much, but he had stock 27" or so street tires and no lift. After he left, my son asked me if the 80 could get through it. I didn't even use the gas pedal- just idle and lo gear.

within two days, my neighbor was clearing some land with a pretty big skid steer. He came down my driveway to ask me to pull it out. He drove it into the run off from his pond and it sunk into about 3 feet of mud. I drove over and we put a strap around the bucket, attached a snatchblock with a shackle ran my cable back to my truck. At first try, it just pulled my ruck down the hill, so I tied the rear of the truck to a tree and it pulled the skid steer right out. It weigh around 11,000 lbs, the left track was buried under the mud, the right track was half buried, and he'd managed to push a two foot tall pile of mud infront of it, so it was a lot to overcome, but the M8000 didn't stutter.

 

[half k cruiser]

I'm going to have to start taking pictures when I go out. Basically every winter when we have snow storms and I'm not working I will load Moby up with recovery gear, first aid, a thermos of coffee and a shovel. Then, off I go to patrol the ditches and side streets. I've found early morning on a particular stretch of I-70 to be quite lucrative. The luckier of those driving too fast for conditions end up spun out or tapping the divider. The less fortunate often find some of the larger ditches and ravines off to the side of the road. Some of these drop offs could easily hide a semi, so I've learned to look for tracks in the snow leading off to the side of the road.

Last year I found a gal who actually got her car clear to the other side of one of these ditches in pretty much a flat spin. The front landing gear was in the stowed position and the car was going nowhere. Not wanting to wade down through that ditch I took Moby down the road a ways to an access road. I was able to follow a ridge line and come in just above her position. I went down and checked her out, busted nose and a bump to the head, let her clean up with some of my med supplies, then called dispatch on my cell to give them an actual mile marker for the medic truck that was responding. I saw the girl at the local mall a few days later, big aluminum splint on her nose and two black eyes, I don't think she even noticed me.

Tip: Always know your mile marker and cardinal direction. The department I work for responds to a lot of wrecks and car fires on that same HWY. You wouldn't believe how confusing it is for some people to tell you what direction they are traveling ( they can usually tell you from what city to what city ) or what mile marker they are at. If you don't keep track and you wreck off the roadway and can't see a sign, you are at the mercy of passing motorists to call you in. The last time we responded out there we had at least 4 different mile markers called in by good Samaritans. Its confusing and can lead to dangerous delays in response time.

 

[atomicshawn]

I've got no pics, but used my 80 and her winch twice in a week. first was to pull a stock Swtrangler out of a little bitty mud pit. It wasn't much, but he had stock 27" or so street tires and no lift. After he left, my son asked me if the 80 could get through it. I didn't even use the gas pedal- just idle and lo gear.

within two days, my neighbor was clearing some land with a pretty big skid steer. He came down my driveway to ask me to pull it out. He drove it into the run off from his pond and it sunk into about 3 feet of mud. I drove over and we put a strap around the bucket, attached a snatchblock with a shackle ran my cable back to my truck. At first try, it just pulled my ruck down the hill, so I tied the rear of the truck to a tree and it pulled the skid steer right out. It weigh around 11,000 lbs, the left track was buried under the mud, the right track was half buried, and he'd managed to push a two foot tall pile of mud infront of it, so it was a lot to overcome, but the M8000 didn't stutter.

Wow! Impressive.

 

[Irish Reiver]

Maybe it's time we started an international rescue team where people can register to offer help in their area. I think I saw a similar thing on a Land Rover fourm during my exile in England.

 

[Heckraiser]

Like most 80 owners, I carry a tow strap everywhere I go, and have in all my previous rigs. So far only one rescue in the 80 (college girl parked on a snowbank and couldn't get out at Regis University--my wife and I drove by and immediately thought of our daughter who recently transferred from Regis to MSU Billings).

More rescues than I can count in my little 80hp mini truck. One year in particular, I think I pulled close to a dozen people out of the ditch because we had a blizzard every week like clockwork.

One particularly harrowing recovery in my 60 in Moab-- a drunk guy had backed his brand new silverado half way off a cliff at the little parking lot on the right side of the road as you're heading out of Moab towards Kane Creek. Another foot or two and it would have been a goner. Yanked him out in 4 lo, lockright tearing up the road surface--that's when I really started to appreciate the 2f. It was just like pulling a stump with a tractor. Guy kept trying to pay me. I told him to get in the back of his truck and take a nap.

No recovery photos, but my old rigs for old time's sake.

 

[bloc]

Tip: Always know your mile marker and cardinal direction. The department I work for responds to a lot of wrecks and car fires on that same HWY. You wouldn't believe how confusing it is for some people to tell you what direction they are traveling ( they can usually tell you from what city to what city ) or what mile marker they are at. If you don't keep track and you wreck off the roadway and can't see a sign, you are at the mercy of passing motorists to call you in. The last time we responded out there we had at least 4 different mile markers called in by good Samaritans. Its confusing and can lead to dangerous delays in response time.

Folks, pay attention to this advice. (even if I'd guess it is less of an issue on this board than in the public at large)

Even working within a major city it is SHOCKING how confusing the given location of an accident can be, and how long it can take 2 fire apparatus, an ambulance, and 4 police cruisers to find it.

 

[Diggs84]

@halfkcruiser what part of 70? I'm KC native.

 

[FZJ80 in KC]

I'm going to have to start taking pictures when I go out. Basically every winter when we have snow storms and I'm not working I will load Moby up with recovery gear, first aid, a thermos of coffee and a shovel. Then, off I go to patrol the ditches and side streets. I've found early morning on a particular stretch of I-70 to be quite lucrative. The luckier of those driving too fast for conditions end up spun out or tapping the divider. The less fortunate often find some of the larger ditches and ravines off to the side of the road. Some of these drop offs could easily hide a semi, so I've learned to look for tracks in the snow leading off to the side of the road.

Last year I found a gal who actually got her car clear to the other side of one of these ditches in pretty much a flat spin. The front landing gear was in the stowed position and the car was going nowhere. Not wanting to wade down through that ditch I took Moby down the road a ways to an access road. I was able to follow a ridge line and come in just above her position. I went down and checked her out, busted nose and a bump to the head, let her clean up with some of my med supplies, then called dispatch on my cell to give them an actual mile marker for the medic truck that was responding. I saw the girl at the local mall a few days later, big aluminum splint on her nose and two black eyes, I don't think she even noticed me.

Tip: Always know your mile marker and cardinal direction. The department I work for responds to a lot of wrecks and car fires on that same HWY. You wouldn't believe how confusing it is for some people to tell you what direction they are traveling ( they can usually tell you from what city to what city ) or what mile marker they are at. If you don't keep track and you wreck off the roadway and can't see a sign, you are at the mercy of passing motorists to call you in. The last time we responded out there we had at least 4 different mile markers called in by good Samaritans. Its confusing and can lead to dangerous delays in response time.

That'd be a fun get together for some of the club. I like to do the same thing down here in JOCO, even if its just to get out and stretch her legs a bit in the snow.

 

[half k cruiser]

@halfkcruiser what part of 70? I'm KC native.

Take your pick, I run the area between Topeka and Lawrence, but Lawrence to KC is bad too. Before I got on with my current crew there engine got hit out by MM 208 during an ice storm. Car slid right into the PS front and took out the oil seal in the axle and bent up the steps going up to the back of the cab.

That'd be a fun get together for some of the club. I like to do the same thing down here in JOCO, even if its just to get out and stretch her legs a bit in the snow.

Lots of highways up there you guys could patrol. It would be pretty easy with the HAM, if you need backup you just call out on the radio. If you patrol 70 one guy can pretty much cover both directions for several miles as long as you know where the fire gates are. It may not technically be legal for civilian traffic to use them, but they are there, and usually unlocked during a big storm.

 

[half k cruiser]

Another tip: if you guys don't have maps of your county, i recommend them. I'm not talking about the crappy convenience store ones. You usually have to go to a city building to get these. The ones I'm talking about will show the city to an extent, but the county roads will all be clearly labeled along with surface type. Very handy during emergencies or if your just trying to find a buddies place or hunting spot.

 

[Diggs84]

I always carry a 50 state atlas in the truck and my tech industry buddy is always giving me s*** about it. I can't count the number of times that we've been wandering around somewhere in the middle of nowhere and he doesn't have signal.

That being said I've recently begun downloading USGS maps on my phone before I go out exploring. Cheap insurance and you can get hundreds of sq miles with all the FS roads and hiking trails for deep locations that are on hard to find maps.

Hijack over.

 

[half k cruiser]

@Diggs84 everybody makes fun of me for carrying a Rand McNally between the front seats. That is until we got lost on a FS road in Colorado, nobody's talking $hit now. I don't think most people know how to use them honestly. Where are you getting your usgs maps from, what app ?

 

[Diggs84]

I bought an app for my iphone called Maps 3d. I've used others, but this is my favorite. There's 2D and 3D views. You can download a very big area at once and then choose the type of map you want - 3 different topos, hiking map, classic OSM, 2 different Map Quest maps, USGS Topo, Ski Map, Open Sea Map and Commuter Transport map.

The best thing is once you pay the $2.99 or whatever for the app all the maps are free. Download in advance, and enjoy while in the bush. The only thing I'd advise is make sure you've got plenty of room to spare on the outsides. A few times I've thought I've got everything and missed a tiny component where the trail jutted one direction further than I thought and it's off map.

 

[rockstate45]

I bought an app for my iphone called Maps 3d. I've used others, but this is my favorite. There's 2D and 3D views. You can download a very big area at once and then choose the type of map you want - 3 different topos, hiking map, classic OSM, 2 different Map Quest maps, USGS Topo, Ski Map, Open Sea Map and Commuter Transport map.

The best thing is once you pay the $2.99 or whatever for the app all the maps are free. Download in advance, and enjoy while in the bush. The only thing I'd advise is make sure you've got plenty of room to spare on the outsides. A few times I've thought I've got everything and missed a tiny component where the trail jutted one direction further than I thought and it's off map.

Can you use this app to find trails that would be otherwise left off of, say, Google Maps? It's tough finding trails that are off the beaten path but still driveable in KC.

 

[LS1FJ40]

I've been pulling people out of the ditch with my 80 for 23 years. I've pulled hundreds of people out over the years. Most interesting experience was about 6 years ago when I lived in Indianapolis. We got about 13-14" of snow during the work day. I was pulling people out of the ditch all day. I got stopped in the middle of a pull by a police officer. He cited me for "Impersonating emergency personnel". Seriously. So I had to go to court. The lady I pulled out of the ditch said she had been waiting for 2 hrs for someone to stop. She didn't have a cell phone and was low on gas. The judge threw out the case and thanked me. He also publicly shamed the officer for being a dick.

In the winter I always carry two tow ropes, flares, triangles, two shovels, my Toro single stage snowblower, 2.5 gallons of gas, jumper cables, wool blanket, waterproof moving blanket, snow boots, parka, snow pants,and of course my GearPod filled with survival necessities (medical, fishing, fire starting, survival blanket).


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Qball]

I've been pulling people out of the ditch with my 80 for 23 years. I've pulled hundreds of people out over the years. Most interesting experience was about 6 years ago when I lived in Indianapolis. We got about 13-14" of snow during the work day. I was pulling people out of the ditch all day. I got stopped in the middle of a pull by a police officer. He cited me for "Impersonating emergency personnel". Seriously. So I had to go to court. The lady I pulled out of the ditch said she had been waiting for 2 hrs for someone to stop. She didn't have a cell phone and was low on gas. The judge threw out the case and thanked me. He also publicly shamed the officer for being a dick.

In the winter I always carry two tow ropes, flares, triangles, two shovels, my Toro single stage snowblower, 2.5 gallons of gas, jumper cables, wool blanket, waterproof moving blanket, snow boots, parka, snow pants,and of course my GearPod filled with survival necessities (medical, fishing, fire starting, survival blanket).


Sent from my iPhone

Wow that's total WTF! Ticketed for helping people? No wonder people hate police.

 

[atomicshawn]

Never heard of anyone getting cited. Seems totally ridiculous. Sounds like a judge with his head on straight though.

The lawman discouraging civilian recovery on public roads is pretty common practice I think, at least where I'm from. The gubment trying to protect us from ourselves. I suppose they figure "professional" tow truck driver, who's probably high*, is likely more safe and capable than a Good Samaritan with a winch on his truck.

I would say Cooter and his tow truck are likely better insured if something went sideways. I'd also say it's plain fact that more vehicles and unsecured bodies next to highway increases risk, especially in poor conditions. In our hyper letigit society, there's some liability there. Something gets damaged, or somebody gets hurt, everybody sues... I could see how it could get ugly. Something lawman is factoring in maybe?

Personally i think people should be allowed to assume some risk. If all parties involved understand and agree to the risk, and the likelihood of collateral damage is low, lawman should move on.

But I'm wondering now about Jonny law's liability. If he moves on, and doesn't stop it, or provide support with his pretty lights, and something goes wrong, is he liable? Is it an efficiency thing for Johnny? Does he have to stick around? If so, is he worried it might take longer, or fail completely with Good Samaritan and he'll have to call Cooter anyway? Or is Johnny just a power tripper? Or all of the above maybe...

*i had a buddy who worked as a tow driver through college. The company was on the HP's call list. He said it was common practice for him and his tow buddies to get totally ripped before heading out on a DUI call. He laughed as he told me he figured he was often more impaired than the drivers of the cars he was impounding.