uncledj Posted March 8, 2015 #1 Posted March 8, 2015 Went up to the cabin Thursday evening with friends for the annual Guy Camp Run. Been doing it every Late Winter / Early Spring for the last 30 or so years. Roads weren't all that bad, but the access roads down to the cabins weren't plowed. Snow was only about 18 inches deep, and the cabin is about a quarter mile from the paved road, so I figured we'd try it. Bad move. Momentum got us about 200 feet before we stopped, and when it stopped, it stopped. No forward, no backward, just a lot of wheel spinning without movement. We ended up carrying all the stuff to the cabin, but walking was tough. What made it so bad was that the base was ice, with about 16 inches of fine powder snow, then two inches on top that would almost support my weight, but each step would break through. When we tried digging out, I found that I could pull this ice cap up in big sheets, like plywood. Between high siding on this ice cap,....trying to break it and push it as I drove, and with only ice underneath, it took a couple of hours to hand winch the truck back close enough to the road for a good samaritan passer by to pull me out by staying on the plowed and mostly dry road. The 0 degree weather didn't help much either. Anyhoo, we ended up leaving the truck out at the road for fear of getting stuck again. We made it home in one piece, without damaging the truck or ourselves. I need better tires and chains if I'm ever gonna try that again....and even then, I don't know that I'd try it again.
Huggy Posted March 8, 2015 #2 Posted March 8, 2015 What do you expect!!!! Your driving a Chrysler product!!!!!!
uncledj Posted March 8, 2015 Author #3 Posted March 8, 2015 What do you expect!!!! Your driving a Chrysler product!!!!!! Yeah....I had to hear that kind of stuff from one of my buddies......"My Ford could drag this thing to the camp". BS My Dodge isn't exactly an off road beast, but I've had it since 2006, and (gas mileage aside) it's been a great truck. Those big, wide worn out tires didn't help much either, they just wanted to float on the snow. I guess you'd have to have been there, but it was a tough row to hoe. A Rubicon with a lift, or an original Humvee, or a 4x4 with a lift and lockers could have made it, but for a basic 4x4, there was no way.
cowpuc Posted March 9, 2015 #4 Posted March 9, 2015 AWESOME - thanks for sharing your adventure Unc,, definitely my kind of outing!! I love all the emotions that go with stories like yours - I could just feel the "OH SHUCKS (paraphrase) we are stuck" to the "THAT DOG GONE FLYINGFOOL AND HIS DELAPIDATED (paraphrase) WHITE WASHER" to that infamous "HOW IN THE HECK (paraphrase) WE GONNA GET OUT OF HERE - WE COULD FREEZE TO DEATH" to the "OH LOOK - I THINK THAT GUY WITH THE 4X4 TRUCK IS STOPPING TO HELP" to the "CANT WAIT TILL NEXT YEARS GUY CAMP RUN":group cheers:
Flyinfool Posted March 9, 2015 #5 Posted March 9, 2015 Sounds like fun. Brings back memories of last Easter where there was a fresh 16 inch snowfall the day we were heading up to camp to treat the lackofupnorthitis that we all developed over the winter. that 16 inches was on top of the 2 feet that was already there. I knew better than to try to get off the main road thru the 6 foot high snow berm from the plows so we dug thru that. Then drove up the 400 foot driveway dragging bottom and pushing snow the whole way, but we made it.
ragtop69gs Posted March 9, 2015 #6 Posted March 9, 2015 I don't care what you drive, unless it's lifted high enough so as not to bottom on the ice layer and aggressive enough snow tires you're gonna be stuck in those conditions.
Carbon_One Posted March 9, 2015 #7 Posted March 9, 2015 Yep what Ragtop says. Been there done that Unc and it sure ain't much fun.
Hummingbird Posted March 9, 2015 #8 Posted March 9, 2015 Considering the conditions you were in, the emblem on the grille had nothing to do with getting stuck.
Marcarl Posted March 9, 2015 #9 Posted March 9, 2015 I'm a Chevy guy, but the Ram I have outperforms the chevy hands down. 2005 Silverado 2500HD 4X4, and a 2008 Ram 1500 Hemi 4X4. My son still likes the Chevy, but I use the Ram,,, fine arrangement by me. Next truck might even be a Chevy.
Chaharly Posted March 9, 2015 #10 Posted March 9, 2015 I love giving my friends heck about the badges they run on their trucks! Truth be told unless you were gonna plow into it at sixty I don't think any stock truck will get through that. We used to take drifts like that in my buddy's Ford Tempo and with those cars we found wed actually drove ON TOP of most the drifts. You would HAVE to be doing at least 60 in that little car and you had better NEVER hit the brakes! Now that ive got a 4x4 I don't usually try to get it stuck because I learned that once you get a 4x4 stuck it IS STUCK!!! My brother in law taught me to back in first and if you get stuck going backwards you can usually just throw it in drive and go right out! Seems like you ended with some good times and great stories so all is not lost!!! Glad you made it out ok with no damage besides that goat on your hood:255:
Carbon_One Posted March 9, 2015 #11 Posted March 9, 2015 Considering the conditions you were in, the emblem on the grille had nothing to do with getting stuck. Yep more to do with the nut behind the wheel.
Flyinfool Posted March 9, 2015 #12 Posted March 9, 2015 I don't care what you drive, unless it's lifted high enough so as not to bottom on the ice layer and aggressive enough snow tires you're gonna be stuck in those conditions. That has a lot to do with things. I change out tires when they hit 50% of original tread depth, and I only buy real good tires. Good tires makes a big difference in both snow or mud. The emblem on the grill does make a difference in what can be driven thru. In our hunting group there is Ford Chevy and Dodge, all are ext cab, all are 4x4, all are 150 or 1500 series, all are factory stock. There is only one of them that always makes it through the mud hole on the road into our hunting area. It is not the driver, because the driver that always gets through can still not drive the other two trucks through the mud hole. Yes I have been avoiding mentioning which brand does and does not make it. Just trying to point out there is a difference.
ragtop69gs Posted March 9, 2015 #13 Posted March 9, 2015 Here's a few of one that didn't get stuck often. Boy I miss that truck. It's the blue one. Mud, snow, sand,,, didn't matter,
MikeWa Posted March 9, 2015 #14 Posted March 9, 2015 You end up with better stories to tell when an outing turns in an adventure. Mike
cowpuc Posted March 9, 2015 #15 Posted March 9, 2015 Here's a few of one that didn't get stuck often. Boy I miss that truck. It's the blue one. Mud, snow, sand,,, didn't matter, [ATTACH=CONFIG]98007[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]98008[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]98009[/ATTACH] NICE!!! And the places you can go are AMAZING!! Although, experience has taught me that when you finally do get stuck in a rig like that you are REALLY stuck and unless you are with other simular four byes, hours can turn into days in the process of having the adventure come to an end.. You end up with better stories to tell when an outing turns in an adventure. Mike RIGHT ON MIKE!! And even better stories yet as the adventure turns into an outing (see above)..
Skid Posted March 9, 2015 #16 Posted March 9, 2015 You can't beat a Dodge, especially with a Cummings
uncledj Posted March 9, 2015 Author #17 Posted March 9, 2015 Didn't mean to start a tough truck pi$$ing match. Just wanted to share my mini adventure with y'all. There's a lot of cool and very capable stuff out there, but I didn't buy my truck all those years ago to have the ultimate 4x4, but rather to have a conventional pickup that could handle a bit of snow or mud when the situation arises. And to that end, it's been pretty successful. I generally don't push my luck, but in this case I'd driven 350 miles to get there and I really didn't want to carry all that stuff...food...beer....apple pie....liquor...clothes and boots...and a few firearms...(oddly enough, I never fired a shot all weekend). I also had a little confidence because I had a come-a-long, some shovels and a buttload of heavy rope, so I figgered I'd be able to get out sooner or later, as long as I didn't break the truck trying. (I ended up doing more wheel hop than I cared to). I've owned a dozen or so 4x4s in my life, and I think the best off road vehicle I've ever had was a 48 Willys' CJ2A. That was when I was young and dumb, (dumb enough to try things I shouldn't) and it wasn't fast enough to break stuff, but I swear that thing would go anywhere. Lotsa fun in that little Jeep.
SilvrT Posted March 9, 2015 #18 Posted March 9, 2015 My old 1979 Honda Civic woulda got you in there ... best danged vehicle in deep snow I ever had LOL but I never had a beetle either.
Flyinfool Posted March 9, 2015 #19 Posted March 9, 2015 The inevitable tough truck pee match is why I posted no brands.
cowpuc Posted March 10, 2015 #21 Posted March 10, 2015 Indeed, I had 1974 CJ5 back in the 70's that was a HOOT. Little 258 6 banger, got rid of the cast iron intake/exhaust - small Holley and strapped on a set of "6=8" split headers, 14" wide Mudders on 10" rims. 4 inch lift,,, lots and lots of fun.. I will say this though,, I also had a little mid 60's IH Scout with a little 4 cylinder in it. Although it was an ugly little sucker, was horrible above 45 mph - it did come with lockers front and rear right from the factory and did go thru the woods. Had real tall skinny tires and full skid plate under it to slide on. Even had the "jacking tag" inside the glove box with huge warnings about making sure all tires were off the ground when swapping tires cause you could pull the rig off the jack by spinning lug nuts off on a raised wheel.. Had a friend who owned a 60's Toyota Land Cruiser that was a pretty amazing rig in itself. That thing won most of the hitch to hitch pulling contests we had (we were always screwing around having peeing contest than too) but it had its hands full with that ugly little Scout...
mraf Posted March 10, 2015 #22 Posted March 10, 2015 Winter sucks. All 4 wheel drive means is "you get stuck in inaccessible places". Good story. Tough walking around here also. What you really needed was this.
Chaharly Posted March 10, 2015 #23 Posted March 10, 2015 Winter sucks. All 4 wheel drive means is "you get stuck in inaccessible places". Good story. Tough walking around here also. What you really needed was this.[ATTACH=CONFIG]98015[/ATTACH] that thing is too cool! Ths
uncledj Posted March 10, 2015 Author #24 Posted March 10, 2015 Cool little snow buggy. Remember the Amphibicar??? I always wanted one of those.
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