Vehicle Recovery...

Discussion in 'Overlanding / Off-Road' started by Andy the Aussie, Jun 20, 2020.

  1. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    .....or a video on some things not to do..... ;)



    ....not posting it to be a bastard but there are a bunch of issues with that recover, watch the part on the first attempt to "snatch" it with a rope, look at the direction the front wheel of the Troopie being recovered are pointing when the pull is attempted and the driver of the struck vehicle presses on the power..... !!!!!! A little better when trying to go back the other way but not much, I also have my doubts the struck truck was in 4wd. There are too many people just dicking around in the way when there is load on the ropes, not sure what they have attached off on but if something steel lets go the crocs would easily get a fresh meal. Even the guy in the bucket of the loader should have relocated when the strain went on.

    Easy to sit and be critical when it is not your truck there and the weight the water flow was adding to the process would have been enormous, but all that was needed at the start was to get the front end of the truck back on the crossing (it has a concrete base) and pointed in the direction they wanted it to go.

    I will add, I have fished and driven across that very spot, it has an inordinate amount of BIG bitey lizards present and I would have to be HIGHLY motivated to get in the water just there (yes people have been eaten at that spot), if no one was trapped in the truck I would probably have waited to the tide to drop.

    So as a start, what are your thoughts, tips and techniques for getting a struck vehicle unstuck (yes not getting stuck in the first place is the best idea ;) ;) ) ????
     
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  2. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Thats a rough recovery. Maybe building up a rock pile in from of the tires to ramp it up onto the road? I assume it was stuck on the axle or frame. Maybe a hilift skip could help?
     
  3. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    In that case (knowing the spot) I think it is only the one wheel that has dropped off the crossing proper. Turning the front wheels in the direction of pull, having it in low 4x4 and easing on the power inline with the tow vehicle (not trying to "snatch it with a normal rope) should have got it up. Biggest thing to overcome here was the water but they did only need to bring that one wheel up and it should have come. I get them not wanting to spend too much time in the water though.....
     
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  4. R Stowe

    R Stowe Moderator Staff Member

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    Yeah, so I'm with you Andy. It didn't seem like it would have struggled so much to get back on track in 4 low. Maybe the drop off is more severe than I think, but it was strange they couldn't just get it lined up and out. I agree, the biggest issue was the number of people all around that line.
     
  5. Backwoods Runner

    Backwoods Runner Member

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    So I wouldn't say I have a ton of off road recovery experience but I have definitely pulled a few trucks and various other tractors, four wheelers etc. out of sand, mud and snow. With probably 20+ vehicle recoveries I have never had to "snatch" a vehicle out, just slowly taking up on the chain or static strap with the tow vehicle before giving it more gas and having the stuck vehicle turn their wheels the direction of travel and use a moderate amount of gas and they have always come out. Now out side of one 60 horse john deere tractor buried to the axles in a black mud swamp I have never had to pull a vehicle out that was truly buried in mud to the point where the suction was the main issue, in the case of the deere a cat d6 dozer with a winch up on hard ground made quick work of getting the tractor out.
     
  6. Jeff Randall

    Jeff Randall ESEE Knives / Randall's Adventure & Training Staff Member

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    Working on building the infrastructure here at the farm to do some off-road vehicle winching and mechanical advantage classes.
     
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  7. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    Snatch Straps are great when you lack a great recovery vehicle. Using the stored energy in the strap (ie it's return to rest from stretch) you can pull out a much larger vehicle from a sucking stinkhole with a smaller one that otherwise may not be able to do the task. I carry both a "winch extension strap" (ie pull strap) and a snatch strap and the particular circumstances of the situation will dictate what I use. Given I am often ALONE the snatch is not lots of help :D but there is a strong ethos here that you carry what it is you may need even if you can't use it alone. By that I mean if I need pulling or snatching out of trouble with the aid of a stranger (who in Australia, if you are really lucky, is NOT a serial killer or escape convict intent on killing and raping you - probably in that order) you should have all the gear to simply require them to aid your recovery. It's considered impolite to both need their help and the use of their gear. Not saying any will leave a person stranded but it makes asking for the help easier.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2020
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  8. ASH

    ASH Member

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    Well I see a few problems right off the bat. First of all I don't see any beer anywhere secondly I don't see anyone yelling "hit it and hold it!" , So I'd say they're pretty well doomed.
     
  9. C99c

    C99c Member

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    It's nice to see that there are still people who can take a bad situation and fix it without needing others. I know that it's not that rare in many places, people do it all the time, but it's nice to see it online.

    Did he make some mistakes? Sure, but he got the job done without needing to send out a message on HAM to someone with Starlink that could alert the local overland groups so that they could get together, design a patch, find some sponsors, film a season of content and then start a gofund or ask Toyota for a new truck.

    He didn't even kill himself with the super deadly Hi Lift while changing the tire at the end. I know the internet doesn't agree, but it's almost like a well designed tool can be used by sober, intelligent adults generally without issue. I'm shocked.

    Nice to see that he was able to drive it home.
     
  10. C99c

    C99c Member

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    It's nice to see that there are still people who can take a bad situation and fix it without needing others. I know that it's not that rare in many places, people do it all the time, but it's nice to see it online.

    Did he make some mistakes? Sure, but he got the job done without needing to send out a message on HAM to someone with Starlink that could alert the local overland groups so that they could get together, design a patch, find some sponsors, film a season of content and then start a gofund or ask Toyota for a new truck.

    He didn't even kill himself with the super deadly Hi Lift while changing the tire at the end. I know the internet doesn't agree, but it's almost like a well designed tool can be used by sober, intelligent adults generally without issue. I'm shocked.

    Nice to see that he was able to drive it home. Insurance totaled it apparently.
     
  11. R Stowe

    R Stowe Moderator Staff Member

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    @C99c his dog has zero consideration for winch line safety. But seriously, that was a pretty impressive recovery, especially solo. I hopped over to the video on YouTube and was pleasantly surprised to read that he drove it home. I figured between the angle and the water, something electrical got wet or some fluids of some sort drained out. Thanks for sharing.
     
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  12. C99c

    C99c Member

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    My rule of thumb when it comes to pets (and children) during recovery situations or obstacles being attempted that might be dangerous to onlookers is simple; they are either attached to a responsible adult not taking part in the action or they are tethered to a tree or vehicle well out of the danger zone.

    Sometimes it applies to adults too.
     
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  13. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ...... you too ???!! Yes many do not understand the danger in this process and more than one has been banished off with a gentle "be on your way quickly now" :D ;)
     
  14. TerryD

    TerryD Member

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    Looks like he was winching it in park.

    Otherwise a successful recovery.
     
  15. C99c

    C99c Member

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    I've made a lot of people angry. All those people, and their kids, made it home alive from those trips.
     
  16. TerryD

    TerryD Member

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    I've gotten a lot of angry looks for yelling at folks around winch lines and tow straps.

    Even once for screaming at a woman for putting her hand between a FJ Cruiser and a tree when it started to lean. Like her 100lb self was gonna stop anything.
     
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  17. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    Done lots of wheeling and winter wheeling.

    I've NEVER used a snatch strap. Have seen far too many flying thru the air truck recovery points/shackles , flying bush bumpers and smashed glass as a result of others thinking that accelerating to 75 klicks an hour while attached to a stuck vehicle is a good idea........

    I'm a huge fan of using Z rig pulley rig setups and slow (1/2 klick per hour) pulling (be it winch or driving the recovery truck slow).

    also a huge fan of using 24" x 24" x 1/2 UHMW "slider" sheets of plastic under the wheels (Jack the stuck truck up, insert slider sheets) to make it easier to reposition the stuck vehicle.
     
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  18. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    ..... if this is what they are doing then they are doing it wrong and have no clue. I have never needed to use more than a vehicle length of slack in the strap as it is the elasticity of the strap doing the work not the momentum of the pull vehicle (assuming that are using a correct dynamic recovery strap not just a pull strap ????) this is why/how a much smaller vehicle can and will recover a larger one. All of the issues you describe (except for a broken shackle - which I have seen one of ever but not in a recovery) are operator/knowledge/training errors. We use them lots (particularly in sand) with no issues at all in the last 30 or so years.
     
  19. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    Some of my wheeling friends are idiots.
     
  20. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    …… that may be the case mate (we all have those friends ) but it does not mean the recovery technique is flawed. Just the execution!!!
     
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