Any ideas on getting this out?

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nensha

nensha

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Dec 20, 2005
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Colorado Springs, CO
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Hey, does anyone have great ideas on how to get this stuck Ford Escape out of the creek. OBTW, it's frozen into the creek. At least the tires are and possibly some of the undercarriage parts are as well. Pfeiffer had Fred's Towing up there, and the tow truck couldn't budge the SUV. (not too surprising).

StuckSUV.webp
 
A lot of bags of ice melt and a little bit of time.
 
I thought of fire, but figured it might catch the forest on fire so that's not a good idea.

Ice melt might take an entire dump truck. I think the ice is around 9 inches thick (might be thicker by now).

Waiting for spring is probably the only real option. But by then, they'll need a tow truck to get it out. There probably won't be much left of it. The car is stuck in the middle of the route and blocking it. I did create a way around the vehicle (in the hopes of reducing the amount of vandalism). But people will probably trash it anyway.

You may get to see in on the January run.
 
nensha said:
I thought of fire, but figured it might catch the forest on fire so that's not a good idea.
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Honestly I wouldn’t worry about the forest catching fire. It’s in water with snow all around. That means all of the trees/grass etc is well hydrated even in winter mode. My concern was catching the ford on fire. But if you make a few small fires and keep a very close eye on them with large extinguishers in hand, it’d work. It would at least soften the ice up enough to get winched out. You could also in combination to fires, use a jack to raise it straight up.
 
Not sure if this would work but I'd try it cause it sounds fun. Take a drill, ice auger or chainsaw and put holes around the perimeter of the vehicle focus on the up stream side. Pack the holes with salt, sand, ice melt mixture get a propane torch heat up around the holes and let gravity work.
 
One thing’s for sure it needs to get lifted to break it free.

Is the creek completely frozen under the rig?

Can you chip enough ice to get low profile floor jacks under the frame rails? Perhaps use an axe, drill with a long bit and/or extra long pry bar with tip sharped like a spear.

Other thoughts: cover it with heavy tarps or rented concrete blankets. Run a portable propane space heater or 4 small “little buddies” near each tire. Use some 2x4’s, saw horses, short ladders to create some airspace around the vehicle.

Borrow a gas generator. Run a bunch of winter gutter wire around the tires, ect.
 
Reminds me of that pickup we dug out on a Christmas tree weekend years ago. Think it was an F-250 on 35s maybe. Broke through all 4 up to the frame rails in a swampy area off trail and froze in.

We jacked the back from the receiver until we could get some logs under the axle. Tried winches to no effect. Then someone hooked up a long strap on an 80 and took a couple of hard running pulls on it and broke it free.

That kind of treatment would probably pull that explorer in two, and there's no axle to slide a log under.
 
PWCO70crusier said:
so my million dollar invention is going to be heated tires...I mean we have heated seats, steering wheels...why not tires right?? :flush:
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Hmm. They have onboard air where you can inflate/deflate your tires already right? If you could warm the air in the system it’d prob work pretty easily I bet.
 
Be careful with that escape it's one of those disposable unibody type vehicles.
 
Can it start and spin the wheels free?
I would get that hilux reversed and tie it to the tree, then a long cable from the winch so it is pulled up, also a big log under the cable so it goes up, or an A frame.
Maybe some salt and window deicer next to the wheels?
Air lift? might rupture but has a lot pf power,
hilift maybe attached to wheels with a strap and try to get each wheel up and a log or better running boards under each wheel.
 
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Hire some Russians?

 
Drove around that thing last night. Lol. It’s more than just the tires frozen in, it’s whole suspension is frozen in. It was still completely in tact, amazingly. No bullet holes yet.
I’m betting you could get an electric jackhammer or chipper, and a generator, make quick work of getting it out.

Disposable unibody vehicles? Lol. My XJ begs to differ.
 
I would definitely hire some Russians. A couple 5ths of vodka and that escape would be out.
 
black95 said:
Drove around that thing last night. Lol. It’s more than just the tires frozen in, it’s whole suspension is frozen in. It was still completely in tact, amazingly. No bullet holes yet.
I’m betting you could get an electric jackhammer or chipper, and a generator, make quick work of getting it out.

Disposable unibody vehicles? Lol. My XJ begs to differ.
Click to expand...

No Bullet Holes?!?!?!!?!?

Wow, things sure have changed since we left...
 
Anyone with an onboard water heater and water pump? Or a portable one.
 
I like the hole drilling idea but I would substitute black powder and some cannon fuse..:hillbilly:
 
:poof:Work has a heavy duty hammer drill with up to 7’ of extensions for drilling through brick and concrete. If someone provides the generator, I’ll talk Ben into taking it up.:poof:
 
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