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Post by Doodles on Feb 7, 2013 17:05:46 GMT
So Millli and i were moving onto our new bigger better allotment today so decided to take van as some big stuff to move.Well got the new chicken coop and run all built up and had few more bits to move. so was reversing the van back when some guy with a very small child started walking towards us on the dirt track now instead of him moving to the side onto an allotment to get out of the way.He dissapeared into my blind spot so i didnt know i had to move the van quickly to the left thus ending with the right side of van in a ditch.The axle is buried and cant move.the man decided to quickly jump in his car and dissapear leaving us.We have now had to abandon van and are waiting to get help to pull us out.Now getting dark and getting concerned rac wont move it as on arrivals and were not using van for a holiday
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Post by Firefox on Feb 7, 2013 17:11:56 GMT
Sorry to hear that Is there nobody local who could tow you out? A car may be able to tow it, if it is not too deep.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2013 17:24:28 GMT
Have a good swear in the moan/ vent / whinge thread - it's just made me feel a whole lot better.
Any local farmers with tractors who could help in return for a tenner or a few beers? Or can you jack up that wheel and then build up the gap underneath the wheel with bricks, rubble, wood etc?
Technically does it constitute a road traffic accident? (Did you swerve to avoid a child in the road?) If so it might be worth reporting it to the police so that you are not penalised by calling out breakdown (some breakdown cover only gives a limited number of call outs).
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Post by Doodles on Feb 7, 2013 18:37:59 GMT
Mega Uber Happy now i found a local recovery guy who turned up with massive flatbed,winch etc but he said sod that my truck will pull it out so he hooked me up and pulled me out and he only charged £20 so even better so van is home very dirty for its adventure but home so im happy, happy, happy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2013 19:08:07 GMT
It's people like that, who don't set out to make vast sums of money out of someone else's misfortune, who restore the faith. Glad it's all sorted.
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Post by n brown on Feb 7, 2013 19:24:13 GMT
sounds like a doddle doodles !
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Feb 7, 2013 22:09:03 GMT
Any pictures of the mud sodden beast ;D
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Post by Doodles on Feb 8, 2013 8:35:52 GMT
Any pictures of the mud sodden beast ;D Will put some up in a bit
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Post by Doodles on Feb 8, 2013 14:52:39 GMT
Just a couple of pics.As you can see under ale there is still some grass where it got stuck in.
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Post by Doodles on Feb 8, 2013 14:53:32 GMT
I now know why people convert these to 4x4's
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Feb 8, 2013 15:37:27 GMT
Yes! The Syncro ones are pretty handy
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2013 16:24:03 GMT
Ha ha, I know that feeling... some photos from last year's adventures Stuck in mud 1 Stuck in mud 2 On the first occasion I managed to self rescue with various bits of carpet, rubber mats, dog towels etc. On the second occasion, I just stayed put for a couple of days until someone came along with a 4WD and asked if I was ok, and I then did the helpless female thing and got pulled out ;-D As a result I now double check that green stuff is actually grass on top of solid earth, and I do usually physically check behind the van before reversing onto what looks like solid ground... and I always have a £20 note in the van to wave around in case of emergencies.
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Post by Doodles on Feb 9, 2013 13:57:39 GMT
wow wvw i feel like we only had a minor hitch compared to that its horrible not being able to do anything yourself to get it out you kinda feel helpless.
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Post by Is it spring yet, dormouse? on Feb 9, 2013 14:01:44 GMT
I see you managed to pull yourself out of the sh*t again ;D ;D ;D
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Post by n brown on Feb 9, 2013 15:38:15 GMT
not to mention dropping yourself in it
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Post by n8rbos on Feb 27, 2013 6:29:45 GMT
If you are going to continue to camp or travel in areas like this then i suggest you buy a hand winch @ £20, these will get you out if trees are close, you could buy or get a ground anchor made , these you drop on the softbground and has you start to winch will dig theirselves into the ground and pull you out. If you do hit soft ground don't keep your foot down trying to drive forward but put in reverse and come back out. If this fails 'rock' your vehicle by changing gear from forward to reverse and vice versa gaining momentum then you will 'feel' when its time to drive out.
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Feb 27, 2013 7:00:54 GMT
Good idea! Maybe a thread on hand winches would be good! I'm aware of them through owning a Landrover,but most people with campers are probably not.
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Post by donkeytoo on Feb 27, 2013 12:19:32 GMT
This is one of the reasons why I am loath to get rid of the bongo. but had this problem once with a c ar and got it out by using a rope (which I always carry) from tow hook round tree and back then used a par and twisted, slow but effective.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2013 16:31:17 GMT
Much easier to carry enough supplies for a few days being stuck, put on skirt, and flutter eyelashes at the first man with 4WD who comes along But self rescue with twisted rope is worth remembering. Have winched LRs in army and mountain rescue so am ok with finding anchors etc so might investigate cost of small winch but not a priority at the moment. Interesting thread though.
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Post by n8rbos on Feb 28, 2013 10:47:17 GMT
Small hand one rat het type @ £ 15
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Post by bopper on Feb 28, 2013 10:58:40 GMT
Providing there isn't a great distance to harder ground or improved grip a good technique is to use the starter. (Slower movement of the wheels improves grip). Put the vehicle into gear with the engine OFF. Then turn the key and the starter motor will crank you out. ONLY DO IT FOR SHORT PERIODS, 10 SECS MAXIMUM AND ONLY ATTEMPT WITH A GOOD WELL CHARGED BATTERY! Needless to say don't go on till you flatten the battery or you will be still stuck.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 28, 2013 11:02:35 GMT
I think those Tirfors are quite good too - or is that what you mean by hand winch - they use them a lot on building sites.
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Feb 28, 2013 13:16:50 GMT
Yes Vern! And they were well used in the Landrover world until electric winches became very cheap. There used to be a firm that made demountable electric ones that fitted on a tow ball I think.A small electric winch would probably get a van across wet grass & semi deep mud.
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