Getting Stuck and Getting Out

[cortttt]

In this thread I'm going to describe how I've gotten stuck, what I could have done to avoid it and how I got out in hope that it will help me and others from getting stuck and in getting out when getting stuck.  In the past year I've gotten stuck five times.  

Suggestions of course are welcome. 

The Quartzite Event

This thread starts with a real time event - I'm stuck! About 10 miles east of Quartzite....

I'm stuck in a small wash. 

First mistake - As I was coming in in late evening I miss took one road for another and went down the wrong road. While I'm hear I should note that several of my times getting stuck have been in the early evening or night when I was fatigued or couldn't see well. 

Second mistake - When it became impassable I tried to reverse out, didn't accelerate enough and got stuck in a small patch of sand/gravel. I'm certain a bit more acceleration would have gotten me through but I understimated the sandiness of the situation. 

What seemed like a pretty easy situation has turned out not to be. 

 

[cortttt]

In this thread I'm going to describe how I've gotten stuck, what I could have done to avoid it and how I got out in hope that it will help me and others from getting stuck and in getting out when getting stuck.  In the past year I've gotten stuck five times.  

Suggestions of course are welcome. 

This thread starts with a real time event - I'm stuck! About 10 miles east of Quartzite....

I'm stuck in a small wash. 

First mistake - As I was coming in in late evening I miss took one road for another and went down the wrong road. 

Second mistake - When it became impassable I tried to reverse out, didn't accelerate enough and got stuck in a small patch of sand/gravel. I'm certain a bit more acceleration would have gotten me through but I understimated the sandiness of the situation. 

What seemed like a pretty easy situation has turned out not to be. 

First I lowered the pressure of the back two tires by 40lbs to about 40 lbs.  That did nothing. 

Then I jacked the van up and put rocks under the tires....The van easily kicked them out. 

Remembering a similar situation in Nevada where really big rocks finally saved the day I found a really big rock and put it under the tire with the rest of them. The tires spun like crazy. 

If you look at the picture you can see the there's a little lip in the rock, though, which may have impeded the tires progress Plus the rock was really smooth.

 

[cortttt]

Thinking the rock was too slick (and forgetting how my original plan went) I went back to my original plan. I made the hole a bit bigger and piled rocks in it, lined them up more carefully to produce a good glide path - and the van just popped them out again. 

 

[cortttt]

So I went back to the big rock plan. This time I deepened the hole put three quite large rocks in it and made sure a nice even glide path was established. It was beautiful - like a work of art... 



The van proceeded to spit the biggest rock out. 





What looked at first like a pretty easy out is getting to be a real problem. I'm probably on my sixth or seventh attempt and three or four hours of recovery attempts. 

Next I will put the big rocks back in and then load up the left rear side of the van with rocks. 

The van is actually tilting towards the unstuck tire. Perhaps I need more downward pressure on those rocks to keep them stable.? 

I recently bumped into someone who told me about the sandbag suggestion from the RTR. That's looking like a pretty good idea right now. 


All for want of a little  more acceleration....and being a bit more careful with the roads in late evening...

 

[jonsun]

ground stakes and a come along...not that it helps you now

 

[cortttt]

ground stakes and a come along...not that it helps you now

I like it! Exactly what I'm looking for - thanks.

 

[Gary68]

land anchor or a small boat anchor

all terrain tires,limited slip diff and POWER

try to find someone to give you a pull out

 

[cortttt]

After getting stuck and having my jack poop out I got an extra one. I'm finding that the extra one really helps create a lot of lift. I can only go so far with one jack because it will only fit in under the van without the extension raised. With two jacks I jack the van with one - increase the extension to the max with the other and then jack it up further. 

Plus when I'm working under the tired I have to jacks holding up the van...It would be good to have one jack stand, though, when I really have to burrow under the tire. 

 

[Ballenxj]

The first question I've got to ask, does your van have a limited slip differential?
For what it's worth, I started a thread in the van forums about not getting stuck. You may find some of the information there useful.
Traction, not getting stuck.

 

[cortttt]

land anchor or a small boat anchor

all terrain tires,limited slip diff and POWER

try to find someone to give you a pull out

Thanks..

All terrain tires are next...I just didn't want to invest in them until I got more usage out of these. They are as slick as can be right now after all that spinning. 

I told myself I would not go into anywhere hairy until I had better tires - and here I am (lol)

LSD is on the list too....

I'm going for the bigger rocks now..

 

[cortttt]

The first question I've got to ask, does your van have a limited slip differential?
For what it's worth, I started a thread in the van forums about not getting stuck. You may find some of the information there useful.
Traction, not getting stuck.

Thanks for the thread. 

LSD is on the list - probably 6 months out....

I have yet by the way found these orange mats helpful. They generally end up 10 or 20 feet away. 

 

[Thirsty Boots Nomad]

Plus when I'm working under the tired I have to jacks holding up the van...It would be good to have one jack stand, though, when I really have to burrow under the tire. 

As someone that has seen a few "victims" of working under tires/cars held up only by jacks where the vehicle slips off; I'll ask please, please, please do NOT do that if you can at all help it

 

[cortttt]

As someone that has seen a few "victims" of working under tires/cars held up only by jacks where the vehicle slips off; I'll ask please, please, please do NOT do that if you can at all help it

I have two jacks holding it up  - but I will also put one of my monster rocks under the frame as well. That baby will not move if the van slips off the two jacks Thanks for the idea! 

I'm also using a tool to excavate under the tire so my hand is rarely under it.

I will carry one jack stand in the future.

 

[Gary68]

i would stop spinning on rocks before they blow out,make a post seeing if anyone is nearby,walk to high ground a see if anyone is near

 

[LoupGarou]

Great job!

I've been thinking about getting a set of Traction Jacks, that I can use as vehicle levelers as well.

http://tractionjack.com/store/

 

[cortttt]

This time I got the even bigger rocks, lined them up carefully for the ultimate glidepath, then pounded a crowbar behind them to discourage slippage, put a bunch of rocks in the left hand rear side of the van



and I was off!

 

[cortttt]

Only to get stuck about two feet from safety it looks like - in sand. 




At least you can see me from the main dirt road now. 

I tried shoving one of those orange traction mats under the tired (I thought they might be for sand) - it's the same tire - had no effect again..Maybe I need to get them more fully under. 

Back to work...

 

[cortttt]

Being near a road had it's dividends...A jeep with a winch came along and pulled us out That was good - this was probably a tougher place to get out of. 

He had just gotten stuck himself - a pinon rod broke  - someone had to go get him another one.

The Quartzite Event is over! 

Lesson's learned - 

• Be particularly careful in evening and night 
• Big rocks work best in sand/gravel
• Putting weight over the tire seemed to help
• Much harder to back up than go forward

On the list

• AT terrain tires
• LSD
• Sand bags
• Come-along and stakes / lland anchor

 

[Gary68]

free at last.free at last

tires are your big issue,i have gone camping with 4x4 friends and went everywhere they went in a 1972 volvo because i had good snow/mud tires on

btw,80 psi seems high,when lowering your pressure you can go down to 15psi or so,till your tire looks half flat

 

[Wabbit]

Neat thread, felt like an interactive adventure! Thanks for the pics and the follow ups!