The "ROLNFJ!" The rest of the story!!

[TommyGuns]

Hello all!

I have attached pictures of my FJ Cruiser on its side AKA “ROLLN'FJ!” This happened around 5pm on Sat. coming back down a very sandy rocky chute at the very top of the Eureka mine. I went with Aaron AKA “ttFJC,” Johnny AKA “JohnnyOshow22” & Justin AKA “Always Breaking Nissan!”

Now as to what happened, it happened VERY FAST! I was coming down very slowly and my left front tire pushed a somewhat large roundish boulder out in front of me to the middle of the trail. I just saw it and started to roll over it when my front skid went over and high centered the front end. My front wheels were now off the ground as I tried to brake, it shot me to the right. It was the perfect storm. To the right was a very large boulder, which my right front tire hit, and flipped the ROLLN'FJ on its side. Like I said this HAPPENED VERY FAST! The next thing I see is total chaos in my cab and side air bag curtains! All the stuff that I keep on my passenger floor and seat was pretty much on me or on the front dash! THE PASSENGER FLOOR AND SEAT ARE NOT A GOOD PLACE TO STORE STUFF, which I already knew. I have been looking to buy a Baja roof rack and Pelican hard cases to place in the roof rack to hold all the stuff that hit me and broke the front windshield. Next trip I definitely will have both! THANK GOD that the ROLLN'FJ STOPPED and did not roll down the chute.... and I do whole heartily mean that, THANK YOU GOD!!! What happened was the very BEST case scenario for a side flop! I have some bruising, a headache, and stiffness... but at 59 years old, pain is an old friend that I can live with, DEATH is not!

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to Johnny, Aaron and Justin. They did a great job from the start yesterday to the finish today. I can’t say enough, THANK YOU!!! Also, A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU to Jason from Manhattan with the pretty red Jeep. Thank you to his friend Justin as well, the owner of Black Stack Diesel and Towing in Belgrade who did the recovery! I would highly recommend Justin at Black Stack Diesel and Towing in Belgrade (406) 209-3893 for any recovery you might need! Justin was ready to come out Sat. night in the dark and do the recovery!

The ROLLN'FJ goes to “Auto Body Experience” tomorrow to see if it can be put back to whole or is totaled.

TommyGuns AKA “ROLLN'FJ”

https://goo.gl/photos/gJniYCMxj8yWGkvt9

[URL]https://goo.gl/photos/t5KZq7hrNmsTsnPGA[/URL]

 

[80 Sack]

I'm so sorry this happened to you Tom! But isn't God good?? I'm glad He was with you and kept you from something worse. Were you able to get it started? What are your plans with the truck at this point?

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

As a first run for me in Montana this did not go exactly as planned but I was glad I was there to help you get through this Tom and that no one was hurt and I still had a great time! It was great getting to know you guys and that I was able to lend a hand. Good to hear you are already getting ready to get the FJ into the next phase of its life. Now you really don't have to worry about any dents!

To add to the story from my perspective from the front of this group. I had made it down the shoot and was about 15 yards from the mouth of it when I hear a gigantic KABOOM. I looked out my driver mirror, do a double take by poking my head out the window and then realizing that Tom was on his side I throw my 80 in park get out and run back up the hill to the FJ. I can't see Tom past the cracked windshield and all the stuff that had fallen on him so I yell out "Tom are you ok" and thank god I heard a "yeah I think so". I then got up on the hill next to the FJ and peered down in through the passenger door window and was able to see Tom sandwiched in there. At this point I started barking orders at justin and Aaron who had caught up (Justin and Aaron thanks for being great sports and following what I asked of you! You guys were great). I told Tom to stay put, justin to grab my first aid kit out of the 80 and Aaron to start getting straps out. Aaron's FJ was still up the hill so we ran straps from toms truck to Aaron's so that toms couldn't slide down the hill. Next I tried shaking the FJ laterally to see how stable it was and it was very very stable. Then we started getting Tom out through the passenger door which to be honest was quite the work out. Tom had a hell of a time getting out from under the steering wheel but once he did he came out like he was going up a ladder. We got him down to my 80, sat him down got him some water and Advil because we knew he'd start feeling pain real soon. Once doing that we decided it was best to leave the trucks strapped together until morning. Rearranged all the crap in the 80, loaded up and got down the hill back to Boulder safely where we then met Jason in his jeep and came up with the extraction plan today which went smooth as silk.

I'll let some one else tell the extraction story but if this happens to any of the forum members here at some point, get the rig stabilized then extract whoever is in it before attempting anything else.

@80 Sack the FJ fired right up with no issues just a ton of smoke and he was able to drive it to the trail head without a problem. Definitely took courage to get back in that rig tom, I don't know if I could've done it like you did!

 

[RoverChris]

Wow! Just wow! Thankfully you were not hurt and God was definitely watching out for you. It doesn't take much for things to go sideways (literally) in a flash. Maybe this is where you transition into a Rover? (Have to inject some humor to lighten the situation) Glad you're still with us!

 

[TommyGuns]

TC, yes it fired right up, and like Johnny said it smoked most of the way down the mountain!

Johnny is also right that it took some courage to get back in it as it was still not on four wheels yet. Jason and Johnny both offered to do it but I knew that I needed to get back up on that horse. But like you and I both know God is GOOD and he helped!! I KNOW that God had my back in the flop and in getting me back in the FJ too, also all the way back down the mountain to the parking lot! I did do a lot of praying and talking to God the whole Drive down and by the time we all got the the parking lot I was back to my old self! I was definitely in shock right after the flop yesterday and Johnny was a great help in getting me and keeping me calm downed, Aaron and Justin his brother helped too! I do have a case of heavy PTSD and it did trigger some of it, but all is well!

I hope that my FJ will not be totaled and that it can be repaired as I still have a lot more parts to buy for it, lol and I do love it too. But if they total it I will be looking for an 80 series triple locked! You can't beat that triple lock and the wieght!! I did buy a FJ62 for a project, pretty clean rust wise, some surface rust on the body but not much,the frame is clean, but it has lots of mechanical work that needs to be done on it!

Like I said in my post the "ROLNFJ!" goes to Auto Body Experience in the am, I hope to know something by the end of the week? Auto Body Experience has done good work for me in the past and I am pretty loyal, so there it will go.

Thx, Tom

 

[TommyGuns]

Wow! Just wow! Thankfully you were not hurt and God was definitely watching out for you. It doesn't take much for things to go sideways (literally) in a flash. Maybe this is where you transition into a Rover? (Have to inject some humor to lighten the situation) Glad you're still with us!

Thx Chris, the rover is on my short list !

 

[CCRider]

Tom,
I heard tales of your mishap yesterday and didn't realize the seriousness of it until after seeing your photos. Im glad to hear that you are OK, and that you were surrounded by a great group of folks. Kudos to you for climbing back on that horse and for looking forward. Hope to wheel with you in the future, no matter what horse you're riding. Best of luck to you.
BTW, your point about carrying stuff in the passenger compartment is a good one. I will no longer keep anything damaging in there with me. Thanks!

 

[elkun1]

Tom, if they do total it you can always buy it back from the insurance co, usually for very little. As long as everything is pretty straight it could be made into a very nice trail rig and your licsense plate would really be appropriate. Glad you made it out basically unscathed. If you need anything just ask. I've got a trailer. Ron
Also, Sam made it back, said his phone died and overslept, sure. Thanks TC and everyone

 

[80 Sack]

Tom, if they do total it you can always buy it back from the insurance co, usually for very little. As long as everything is pretty straight it could be made into a very nice trail rig and your licsense plate would really be appropriate. Glad you made it out basically unscathed. If you need anything just ask. I've got a trailer. Ron
Also, Sam made it back, said his phone died and overslept, sure. Thanks TC and everyone

Great idea, and I'm glad to hear Sam is safe!

But if they total it I will be looking for an 80 series triple locked! You can't beat that triple lock and the wieght!!

 

[ttFJC]

My brother was riding with me and we were riding last. We had parked his Nissan after the first big hill after trail fixing a coolant leak. We were a little bit behind the others because i had taken a little bit to turn around at the mine. We heard johnny and Tom talking on the CB about the hill. Then we heard Johnny come on and say "ARE YOU OK?". Not a very comforting thing to come over the radio. I dont remember Tom coming over the radio saying he was ok. We called back and asked what had happened. No response. It took a little bit to catch up came around the corner and crested the hill to look down the hill .That was a pretty intense moment and the couple of minutes that followed were pretty scary, Johnny was there talking to tom and told us i think he is ok... go get all the straps and shackles you can and we proceeded to secure the truck from rolling moving farther.

I learned a ton from this entire experience. Certainly was a humbling experience and reinforced what I thought already i knew. There is alot more i'm not thinking of but here is a short list:

1. You can never have too many tow straps and shackles. We were fortunate enough to be able to secure the vehicle from the top of the hill three straps long.
2. The buddy system really works. Never go it alone and the more the better. Truly blessed that we had the people out there that we did. I talking about you @JohnnyOshow22 !
3. Extra space/and seats can come in handy to get everyone down off the mountain. i was kind of jealous of the 80's ability to carry 4 people and a dog. Wouldn't work in the FJ.
4. The people of IH8MUD are truly something special. I think of all the great people i have met though the club and this forum. Kind of feel like we have a unwritten understanding between members to help anyway possible. I know i will do my best to pay if forward.

On a lighter note:
5. You can use a mag light to macgyver a trail fix to stop a Nissan from spewing its coolant. This is a funny story that was overshadowed by the rest of the events that weekend.

 

[catfishwboots]

Glad y'all are back safe. That's what really matters. Your rig definitely isn't a mall queen now! At least you have a good bunch of folks who will help you put 'er back together.

 

[TommyGuns]

Tom,
I heard tales of your mishap yesterday and didn't realize the seriousness of it until after seeing your photos. Im glad to hear that you are OK, and that you were surrounded by a great group of folks. Kudos to you for climbing back on that horse and for looking forward. Hope to wheel with you in the future, no matter what horse you're riding. Best of luck to you.
BTW, your point about carrying stuff in the passenger compartment is a good one. I will no longer keep anything damaging in there with me. Thanks!

Thx for your nice words!

I knew better than having that stuff all next to me as a close friend rolled a small hatchback that I owned years ago with lots of tools in the very back behind the last seat. He rolled it on snow and the worst thing about the roll for him was the tools flying around hitting him all over! But I thought it would never happen to me, ha ha. We are pretty sure that the air up pump cracked the windshield which just missed my head. Oooooo ya my folding chair in the very back did nail me in the back of the head.

Thx again, Tom

 

[TommyGuns]

A short recovery video, a very interesting watch!

recovery video.mov

 

[CCRider]

I'm wondering if they planned to set your tire down on the rock, to save the rocker?

A short recovery video, a very interesting watch!

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

It looks like it was in slow motion!

I'm wondering if they planned to set your tire down on the rock, to save the rocker?

It was luck of the draw. Dragging it forward or back would have damaged it more so we just tipped it where it lay.

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

@TommyGuns what's the diagnosis on the fj? Insurance let it live or total it?

 

[TommyGuns]

Hey Johnny hows it going?

I saw this nice lifted Land Cruiser heading north on 19th by Kagy around 5:15 last night and I thought that guy should be in the 406 club! He is, it was you and a couple of guys, you had your window down but it was to late for me to beep!

I went to the auto body place yesterday and talked to him and he is swamped, there are cars all over the place! I took him some receipts for some of my aftermarket parts that will have to be replaced. He is some kind of State Farm insurance adjuster and auto repair guy too, that is if I understood him correctly, his shop has some special State Farm given title. But after he gives the FJ the once over and writes it all up I have to believe someone from State Farm would show up to look at it? The way he talked when I dropped off the receipts was "we will get anything damaged replaced, don't you worry!"

Soooooooo, not sure, but my gut feeling is it will be repaired. When I get the 100% yes it is going to be repaired, I am going to look at getting both the front and rear steel bumpers and a winch too! Then gear it down to 4:56, maybe E-Lock the front and carry a couple of front axles? If it's a total maybe a 80 series with full lockers or put all the insurance money in the FJ62 that I bought for a winter project earlier this summer?

I need to get your address, you can email me it at tommyjriddle@aol.com. I also need Jason's too with the "Pretty Red Jeep!" So Jason if you rear this or anyone out there knows has his address, phone number or knows his last name please email it to me. I know that he works for AM Wells as a diesel mechanic in Norris and lives in Manhattan.

Thx and talk to you later! Tom

 

[rc51kid]

I am sorry that this happened but glad you are ok. I wheel a lot alone and really do worry about this type of stuff. It always happens when you least expect it over "simple" stuff. I came really close in Moad a year ago. Simply slipped the down hill front tire of a ridge in a switchback. All driver error on my part.

2 days ago i got in a serious pickle on a shelf road. Nothing as dramatic, just twisted cadi corner in a narow shelf road in loose rock with pass rear tire on the edge. It too 2 hours of winching from mult points to get it straight. But things could have gone really wrong.

It sounds like you guys handled this very well. But my situation and yours makes me want to add a snatch block to my bag. The ability to pull trucks at angles is very useful. Without a pully you can mostly only pull a truck torward other trucks with a winch. But add a pully hooked to a tree and you could pull that fj back to the pass side and hopfull on its wheels. It might have also helped in my situation to pull the rear back inline with the trail.

Dont take that as criticism. My mistake was way more avoidable than yours. I am just stating the value of a winch and a snatch block.

I have found that winches pull with a lot of force and the angle to the ancor is really critical. Two times i have had to use ancors that were off at an angle. One time it was going to tip my truck over like yours if i didnt rig something else. Other time it pulled me forward and then turned me at an angle torward the ancor making new problems.

Really just trying to help by saying we should all really have a winch, extension, straps and snatch blocks for safty. I know it is expensive but after using my wich a few times i would not go back to not having one.

Like i said. Please dont take any of that as criticism or arm chair quarterbacking. I think you guys did a great job.

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

That's funny you saw me last night. Need to get those dues payed up and get a sticker so I can be one of the cool kids lol

That's good that the guy sounded like he wouldn't want to total it out and get it all fixed up. When you get around to putting those Bumpers and stuff on let me know! Always happy to lend a hand. For a front locker in your case I'd vote a Harrop elocker or go the ARB route and that way you're forced to get a compressor under the hood and not in the cab! I'll send you an email right now!

 

[rc51kid]

On a side not i just looked at the damage pictures. If all the new glass fits and the doors still work i would not fix a thing. It really does not look bad. Just pocket the money and enjoy the new "character".