How NOT to get stranded (1 Viewer)
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Spare shocks, on the other hand are completely optional for HITR...
That was an awesome trip Matt!! More caddy style on the ride home after that trip.
That was an awesome trip Matt!! More caddy style on the ride home after that trip.
You were hauling the mail out of there man. David, Graham and myself were fully expecting a yard sale the way that thing was pitching and yawing at speed without that shock. That was an awesome trip though, I now own a cruiser as a result.
It's kinda funny because I drove like a bat going back outta HITR about 4 yrs back on another HITR when Alvaro had to head out earlier than the group... Iand I was thinking the shocks musta been taking a beating.
Well I'm really happy you came to Toyota Land Cruisers Matt considering where you work.
it's usually not the lack of tech that gets people stranded, it's the lack of common sense- just sayn'
Kettle!
Gray Rider
SILVER Star
Good question and good thread!
you do not need to be in officially declared wilderness to die just a few miles from your vehicle in the desert - in fact, that's how many "I'll just walk out of here" episodes end
- just search for calstyle2's Death Valley thread here on MUD . . .I have been wheeling in places in your backyard that one could not walk out of in a day
Okay, here's a simple one: Before you back up, get out and look at what's behind you.
Many years back, out in Jawbone Canyon (So. CA), I was blasting up a hill on a curvy trail and went around a corner a bit fast and missed the turn almost taking out a bush or two. No problem. Stopped, shoved it in reverse, backed up about 7 or 8 feet as passenger side rear tire dropped into a deep cut made by earlier-in-the-year floods as they ran off the side of the trail into a ravine below.
Now much of the frame is on the ground and no amount of front and rear locked up axles could pull me out. No winch. No high lift. Alone. Camp is 5 miles away and most are leaving as I'm taking one last blast around.
So I started to hike hoping I could catch someone before they left and grab a high lift and a ride back. Fortunately, I caught a ride with a passing ATV'r and caught that ride back with a high lift.
Jacked the back end of the truck up, threw some wood under the tire and drove out. Total recovery time, maybe 20 minutes. No damage other than to my pride.
You can bet that within days of my return to civilization I bought a new, shiny red high lift jack.
So two lessons learned. Don't back up without looking and don't leave home without your high lift. It's saved me a number of times since.
Many years back, out in Jawbone Canyon (So. CA), I was blasting up a hill on a curvy trail and went around a corner a bit fast and missed the turn almost taking out a bush or two. No problem. Stopped, shoved it in reverse, backed up about 7 or 8 feet as passenger side rear tire dropped into a deep cut made by earlier-in-the-year floods as they ran off the side of the trail into a ravine below.
Now much of the frame is on the ground and no amount of front and rear locked up axles could pull me out. No winch. No high lift. Alone. Camp is 5 miles away and most are leaving as I'm taking one last blast around.
So I started to hike hoping I could catch someone before they left and grab a high lift and a ride back. Fortunately, I caught a ride with a passing ATV'r and caught that ride back with a high lift.
Jacked the back end of the truck up, threw some wood under the tire and drove out. Total recovery time, maybe 20 minutes. No damage other than to my pride.
You can bet that within days of my return to civilization I bought a new, shiny red high lift jack.
So two lessons learned. Don't back up without looking and don't leave home without your high lift. It's saved me a number of times since.
maxamillion2345
Franken-80
you do not need to be in officially declared wilderness to die just a few miles from your vehicle in the desert - in fact, that's how many "I'll just walk out of here" episodes end
I have been wheeling in places in your backyard that one could not walk out of in a day
Agreed. And though I'm sure some of us are prepared and could walk out of most situations I still wouldn't advise anyone do so, especially when many of the questions around these forums indicate, to me, there is a large percentage of people who seem very new to all of this.
Yup.
I was a Boy Scout, and spent a lot of time deer hunting, hiking, and have been all over Baja surfing/camping, etc., but when I started wheeling I learned a whole new set of skills. Rigging, welding, how to repair a tire, and of course driving offroad. I didn't get this through a book, although I did read a lot, I learned it by going out with groups that knew what they were doing. I still pick up bits and pieces nearly every time I go out, but I now feel very confident in my preparedness.
IMO, the best thing any newbie can do is go on organized runs.
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I'll put in my 2c from many single vehicle trips into the oz bush where you can often be many 100's of miles from the nearest town or habitation.
You can plan as much as you want and take spares out the ying yang... Go out often enough and you will eventually break down. So, much more important than spares is having a plan on how to get yourself rescued prior to the dingo dragging bits of you off to snack on.
Often times breaking down AND being in real trouble is the result of the 'perfect storm'. It's generally not just one thing that strands you but a series of events that conspire to kill you.
Here's an example from a trip I did with a mate as co-pilot some 20 years ago...
We had gone into some fairly remote country, though only about 60 miles from a nearby highway. We camped and did some exploring on 2 little honda 50cc minibikes that we take on trips.
In this case we did some water crossings on the bikes that were over the intake and stalled them out (basically having fun and being idiots...). Anyhow, easy enough to pop out the spark plug with the tools on the bikes and push out water that was sucked into the carbi/engine. Then some push starting to get them running again, all good.
So, back at camp we figured it would be smart to change the oil on the bikes (only a couple or so quarts each) and with that all done we called it a night. Next day we moved camp and in doing so the u-bolts on the front axle on the DS gave way and we were nicely stuck.
We drew straws and I won the right to drive out on a minibike to the hwy and thumb a lift to the nearest town about 100 miles away to get some replacement ubolts while my mate jacked things up and got everything in place for the repair.
So, next morning I head out on a minibike, extra gallon of fuel on my back and a gallon of water and some food etc. Off I go, 10 miles, 20 miles, 30 miles, 40 miles - cough cough stall.... WTF... Look and see oil streak heading back the way I came - the drain plug on the bike's sump was no longer there. We never tightened the plug up properly... assuming that the other one had taken care of it. Let the engine cool a bit (no oil...), kick start it and it runs, ok, haven't killed it, turn engine off immediately. Ditch the minibike off the side of the track under some bushes and leave a few branches on the side of the track to mark the location. Start the hike out to the hwy... A couple of hours later another 4wd comes along from another track joiner and I hitch a ride (on the roofrack) to the hwy. Tell them my story of grief and they decide to make room in the vehicle and drive me down to the town since they were heading that way anyway.
Long story short, I made it to town in the early evening, slept the night in a caravan park on the ground and spent the morning collecting a new sump plug for the minibike, a spanner, a couple of quarts of oil, two ubolts fashioned from some head bolts at a local garage/workshop (this is a town with maybe 500 people living in it). Then off to the petrol station to hitch a lift back to the track junction and then start hiking back to where the minibike was left (off the track under some bushes). Fortunately about 10 miles in another 4wd was heading in and I caught a lift on top of the trailer. Get to the bike, install plug, fill oil, top up fuel tank and head back to where my mate and 4wd was waiting. Reached camp close to night fall.
Quite an adventure and taught me a lot about how things can fail and how a second failure can strand you on foot and having to then wonder if you have enough food/water/firemakings etc to last the night or two nights or ....
Of course I have a full set of spare ubolts in the tool box now (amongst many other things) and have never needed them again
Experience, common sense, level head, remain calm etc etc - these are what may prevent you becoming a statistic when you break down. Of course traveling with other vehicles is the safest option. Comms equipment to call for help is a good idea and not just one type. These days there's sat phones, epirbs, spot and HF radios to help you contact the outside world.
Anyhow, I could write for hours on the subject. There's no one simple set of spares that will guarantee you don't get stranded, so what is your rescue plan?
cheers,
george.
You can plan as much as you want and take spares out the ying yang... Go out often enough and you will eventually break down. So, much more important than spares is having a plan on how to get yourself rescued prior to the dingo dragging bits of you off to snack on.
Often times breaking down AND being in real trouble is the result of the 'perfect storm'. It's generally not just one thing that strands you but a series of events that conspire to kill you.
Here's an example from a trip I did with a mate as co-pilot some 20 years ago...
We had gone into some fairly remote country, though only about 60 miles from a nearby highway. We camped and did some exploring on 2 little honda 50cc minibikes that we take on trips.
In this case we did some water crossings on the bikes that were over the intake and stalled them out (basically having fun and being idiots...). Anyhow, easy enough to pop out the spark plug with the tools on the bikes and push out water that was sucked into the carbi/engine. Then some push starting to get them running again, all good.
So, back at camp we figured it would be smart to change the oil on the bikes (only a couple or so quarts each) and with that all done we called it a night. Next day we moved camp and in doing so the u-bolts on the front axle on the DS gave way and we were nicely stuck.
We drew straws and I won the right to drive out on a minibike to the hwy and thumb a lift to the nearest town about 100 miles away to get some replacement ubolts while my mate jacked things up and got everything in place for the repair.
So, next morning I head out on a minibike, extra gallon of fuel on my back and a gallon of water and some food etc. Off I go, 10 miles, 20 miles, 30 miles, 40 miles - cough cough stall.... WTF... Look and see oil streak heading back the way I came - the drain plug on the bike's sump was no longer there. We never tightened the plug up properly... assuming that the other one had taken care of it. Let the engine cool a bit (no oil...), kick start it and it runs, ok, haven't killed it, turn engine off immediately. Ditch the minibike off the side of the track under some bushes and leave a few branches on the side of the track to mark the location. Start the hike out to the hwy... A couple of hours later another 4wd comes along from another track joiner and I hitch a ride (on the roofrack) to the hwy. Tell them my story of grief and they decide to make room in the vehicle and drive me down to the town since they were heading that way anyway.
Long story short, I made it to town in the early evening, slept the night in a caravan park on the ground and spent the morning collecting a new sump plug for the minibike, a spanner, a couple of quarts of oil, two ubolts fashioned from some head bolts at a local garage/workshop (this is a town with maybe 500 people living in it). Then off to the petrol station to hitch a lift back to the track junction and then start hiking back to where the minibike was left (off the track under some bushes). Fortunately about 10 miles in another 4wd was heading in and I caught a lift on top of the trailer. Get to the bike, install plug, fill oil, top up fuel tank and head back to where my mate and 4wd was waiting. Reached camp close to night fall.
Quite an adventure and taught me a lot about how things can fail and how a second failure can strand you on foot and having to then wonder if you have enough food/water/firemakings etc to last the night or two nights or ....
Of course I have a full set of spare ubolts in the tool box now (amongst many other things) and have never needed them again
Experience, common sense, level head, remain calm etc etc - these are what may prevent you becoming a statistic when you break down. Of course traveling with other vehicles is the safest option. Comms equipment to call for help is a good idea and not just one type. These days there's sat phones, epirbs, spot and HF radios to help you contact the outside world.
Anyhow, I could write for hours on the subject. There's no one simple set of spares that will guarantee you don't get stranded, so what is your rescue plan?
cheers,
george.
Thats a good story to share.
I posted something a while back that the op might find interesting.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/663113-copy-print-keep-glovebox.html
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/663113-copy-print-keep-glovebox.html
great story, George 
Excellent story George. I can picture you on your 50 now.
BTW: I saw a white 80 pulling a trailer with plates from OZ today in San Diego. Any ideas who that was??? It had a snorkel, black steelies, and F. fender protectors coming off the F. bumper (like in your avatar pic). It was heading south on the I-5 this afternoon. I was in my sage colored 40th.
BTW: I saw a white 80 pulling a trailer with plates from OZ today in San Diego. Any ideas who that was??? It had a snorkel, black steelies, and F. fender protectors coming off the F. bumper (like in your avatar pic). It was heading south on the I-5 this afternoon. I was in my sage colored 40th.
084runnerltd
SILVER Star
From my experience...or lack there of I would say try to.....
1). Know your vehicles 4wd system. Seems basic but I had just bought my LX and wasn't quite dim iliac with the system...but had read that they can go through anything so, I drove through this....
In the middle of no where...and I mean no where...the middle of ND....where they don't plow the roads and drifts get as high as your truck.
I got stuck slowing down for a drift....in a panic...trying to lock the diffs. Had I just gunned it....I probably would have made it through. Once stuck I was able to get diffs locked but was to ignorant to know to drop it into low...none of my tires spun (I was frame deep in snow) I figured since I had just bought the truck that my 4wd system was bad.
2). Know where u have cell service. I was out if cell range.
3). Bring warm clothes in bad weather. I was driving home from work...wearing a suit and loafers. Luck had it I had a pair of LaCrosse Ice Lings in the truck for ice fishing. Other than that I had a "fashionable" thin worthless wool coat on.
4). Bring supplies to dig out/pull out/winch out. I had to dig for about 1.5 hours withy floor mats. A winch would not have helped me as, like much of ND it was a wide open field....not a tree for miles. I have considered those anchor type things that you attach to winch for just this scenario, but have yet to pull the trigger.
I know these are all VERY basic things....but that night I was scared for my life...actually filmed a eulogy on my phone. It was about -7 with 30mph winds.
Had I known my 4wd system, had supplies, known about cell service or had my Everest suit with me...I would have felt a lot more confident.
(No time to proof read, sorry in advance for grammar/spelling errors)
Sent with my sausage fingers on phone
1). Know your vehicles 4wd system. Seems basic but I had just bought my LX and wasn't quite dim iliac with the system...but had read that they can go through anything so, I drove through this....
In the middle of no where...and I mean no where...the middle of ND....where they don't plow the roads and drifts get as high as your truck.
I got stuck slowing down for a drift....in a panic...trying to lock the diffs. Had I just gunned it....I probably would have made it through. Once stuck I was able to get diffs locked but was to ignorant to know to drop it into low...none of my tires spun (I was frame deep in snow) I figured since I had just bought the truck that my 4wd system was bad.
2). Know where u have cell service. I was out if cell range.
3). Bring warm clothes in bad weather. I was driving home from work...wearing a suit and loafers. Luck had it I had a pair of LaCrosse Ice Lings in the truck for ice fishing. Other than that I had a "fashionable" thin worthless wool coat on.
4). Bring supplies to dig out/pull out/winch out. I had to dig for about 1.5 hours withy floor mats. A winch would not have helped me as, like much of ND it was a wide open field....not a tree for miles. I have considered those anchor type things that you attach to winch for just this scenario, but have yet to pull the trigger.
I know these are all VERY basic things....but that night I was scared for my life...actually filmed a eulogy on my phone. It was about -7 with 30mph winds.
Had I known my 4wd system, had supplies, known about cell service or had my Everest suit with me...I would have felt a lot more confident.
(No time to proof read, sorry in advance for grammar/spelling errors)
Sent with my sausage fingers on phone
084runnerltd
SILVER Star
FYI to clear things up...it wasn't a full blown eulogy....but I thought I would document what happened to me if they found me the next day frozen.
Sent with my sausage fingers on phone
Sent with my sausage fingers on phone
Totally agree with that statement and I personally would not explore remote areas alone, even on mild exploration in populated areas I still ensure there is planning and backup. When I go on trips most of the time is for camping so I usually have my bike and lots of water and food with me. I can cover 50 miles easy if it's somewhat flat in a day, I always carry 2 phone and handheld gps so I won't be lost. Yes if someone is not in shape and not prepare then stay with the car but I personally have no problem do a bit of trekking to get help if needed, preparation and know your limit is the key.
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