We got a call for a truck that was stuck on the East side of Sand Hollow Reservoir. It ended up being a 2 wheel drive truck and was a fairly easy job. On the way out, we came across a Dodge diesel truck pulling a boat trailer that was buried to the axles in sand. The little jeep was able to pull him out and get him on his way without too much trouble.
Hi! Matt:
In Sand Trap III, you discuss why some people get stuck and some don’t. You are correct. A lot of people just don’t understand how to drive in unstable conditions. I had a good illustration of that a number of years ago. A new Home Depot went in near a large shopping mall. They had ads for the grand opening. I went to see what all they had for sale.
When I arrived, I found the parking lot had not yet been paved. The multi-layers of soil, gravel and sand, had been laid and rolled and compacted. But a good rain storm came in before they could pave the parking lot the afternoon before the grand opening.
As I arrived, in my ’84 Chevy S10 (with V6 and auto trans), I could see a number of people had gotten there early, and got stuck in the rolled and now wet sand. Just being observant, I could see every car that was stuck, the driver had turned the front wheels while stationary. Then tried to make a 90% into an unmarked parking spot. As you’ll understand, turning the front wheel like that forms a small berm in front of the front tires. As gas is applied, the berm becomes bigger. And soon the rear wheels are digging a hole – One stuck car!
I don’t have your experience, but I had been stuck a lot with my dad while growing up. As an adult, I try my best to not ever get stuck. But if I do end up stuck, I stop and get out, to see what is happening. The sooner you stop, the less stuck you will be. And somewhere in my life I learned, not to turn your wheels in soft stuff, when your wheels are no rolling. I now have an ’88 Jeep Cherokee (4liter & 4spd auto) and I haven’t yet come close to getting stuck with it. But I’m a careful driver. I go to enjoy myself. Not spend a half day getting out of someplace I shouldn’t have been.
I drove into the Home Depot parking lot, carefully made all my turns while in motion, and parked in a vacant spot.
I went in and browsed all around the store for an hour or so. But when I came out, I was shocked. The whole parking lot was a mess of stuck cars. Some stuck in a parking place, trying to back out. Others stuck where they went to turn into another lane. Some stuck making the turn into a parking spot. There were so many stuck cars I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get out.
I first backed out some so my wheels were rolling when I made my turn. And then I had to be careful, to not get caught in a traffic jam so I’d have to stop midway through a turn. I waited with my wheels straight, until I had enough room to be moving before I made my turns. With careful planning I was able get by all the stuck cars, and got out of the parking lot without sinking in the sand.
People who were sitting in their stuck cars, looked at me with wide eyes! They couldn’t conceive how I was able to keep moving without getting stuck.
I think you might do a good service, if you’d make a video on how to drive off-road on the different surfaces – mud, sand, and snow in particular. I know you use the gas pedal a lot in your recoveries. But I would suggest to those who are learning to drive off-road, to not spin their wheels.
My guru was the famed, Granville King, of PV4 magazine. He said anyone can spin their wheels. The art is to get where you are going, without spinning your wheels.
I do enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.