getting (un) stuck

[Vic Harder]

Watched this video tonight, and got to thinking... what's wrong with this picture?

Gooseberry Mesa is not some exotic location either... looks like a place that might have vacation homes for some... And yet this guy (Rudy?) got totally stuck.

1) I notice that at 2:03 you can see the truck's tires... those look like standard highway tires, not even AT tires
2) How come the jeep can maneuver around like crazy? Big soft off road tires?
3) That mud is slick!
4) I wonder how you could self-rescue in this situation?

Lesson learned? Stay OFF of Utah roads when it is raining! Or did I miss something?

 

[klahanie]

I flipped thru the vid and the little I did watch was at 1.5 speed so I missed all of the subtleties (if there were any) but in answer to #4 I'll suggest:

Tire chains. The badder the better.

 

[Zoomad]

Yep Street tread on the Silverado for sure. Zero cleanout on the tread when spinning. Knowing that he had no reason to head out on the muddy road.

The Jeep is running a larger/wider mud terrain which is going to provide better traction. I didn't see him air down but that would have helped. The XJ is a light truck to start with so that helps not letting it sink in. Add to the fact it looks like the axles are running lockers on both ends lets it maximize traction by putting the power down to all 4 wheels. He would have not had as good of luck if the Jeep's axles were open.

Self recovery looked rough. Not any trees besides a few small bushes. So if you had a winch and a pull pal land anchor, you could probably self recover. If not that you might end up digging a hole to bury your spare tire with the winch hooked up to be a land anchor. A pair of maxx traxx boards might get you moving, but I would be it would get old quick having to reset/move boards constantly.

 

[Foy]

That's the Yellow Banana, aka Jeep #1 in the Winder Towing and Recovery fleet. Matt now has a good 3 dozen or more similar videos on his You Tube channel, including one about the Jeep's specs.

In the spec video he mentions the Jeep is running 35" mudder tires and in mud he airs down to 9 psi. The rear axle is a Dana 60 out of a -ton ambulance chassis and it's got a stock GM limited slip (which obviously works very well. The front axle is a Dana 44 out of a fullsize Wagoneer with a locker and manual locking hubs. Matt fabricated the suspension himself. The Jeep's capabilities are off the hook and Matt is an exceptional wheel man.

The "Matt's Towing and Recovery" videos are pretty entertaining. Those bentonite clay base roads up on the mesa outside of Hurricane, UT are no joke.

Foy

 

[Machinebuilder]

very large Id ten T situation.

I have learned when that little sign says "impassible when wet", don't go there.

It seems a large portion of the western slope area of the Rockies is bentonite clay. That is the slickest snot I have been on.

in the video it wasn't just wet, it was saturated and pouring rain, mud and street tires WTF, even all terrains would not have helped.

Watching this my thoughts were
This is why roads get closed, the Tow guy taking his jeep well off the trail.

when the road does dry out its going to be rough, that mud dries to bricks.

I am glad I learned my lesson (the hard way).

After Overland Expo in May I went to Utah, on the way I made a feeble attempt to go to the Paria town site. I ignored the impassible when wet sign thinking I have a heavy 4x4 it can't be that bad. After about 100yds I turned around at the first drier spot.

Several years ago I was on the Yampa Bench road in Dinosour NM. With my Motorcycle. It barely sprinkled and I went down.
it was so slick I couldn't stand up. By the time I unloaded the bike, moved it to a rock, and reloaded, it had dried up enough I went on without any trouble. WHen I got home and cleaned things up there was about 1" of mud stuck inside the fenders.

the Ranger at the visitor center said "its a bit slick when its wet". There are many reports of motorcycles front whhels locking up because of the mud buildup on the tires.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Matt Winder’s YouTube channel is full of good examples of what not to do. His recovery technique seems to be better traction (tires), tow straps and old Jeep Cherokee wagons. Interesting viewing to say the least.

 

[kmcintyre]

I've been down there in the snow/rain/etc. and that stuff is slick. We got out with 2 4x4 trucks but one did have a little "incident". I bet that red clay is still underneath those trucks (where ever they are now).

 

[Beach]

Come to gulf coast Texas and try out some of our gumbo mud.

 

[Colorado Mark]

Been to UT many times. Lessons learned by watching many people get stuck. That red clay is impossible when wet.

And, met an old timer back in the 80's from UT when we where camping. He warned us if it looks like or starts to rain, wait it out.

If its raining or has recently rained, don't even attempt to take an unpaved road. Especially one that is marked impassable when wet. Spend a night in a perking lot or off the side of the paved road until the next day when it has dried.

If you are leaving camp and it is raining or wet, spend another night or days if needed until it dries.

Was invited to go with a group of people to a location off 191 towards Canyonlands. It was raining. We arrived in the afternoon at the turn off to an unpaved road. I told the group I'm not going. Gonna pull off the highway and spend the night, see you tomorrow.

A few others did the same. 2 Class A motorhomes and a truck with a big ass toy hauler decided they really had to get to that "perfect spot" before someone else did.

It was the next day in the afternoon before I & my wife felt it was OK to take the unpaved road. About 5 miles in, found both motorhomes and fiver completely stuck. They looked like the had been through a mud bog race. Everybody in the group was completely exhausted and their clothes & inside the vehicles was covered in mud.

They asked if me & others in the group that spent the night off the side of the paved road could help. I stated "we did, we told you not to go"

I & my wife found a different spot rather than the "perfect spot" and the stuck group has never invited me back. Good!

Others in the group that spent the night with me also where shunned from the group. They had the same feelings.

I told them I don't suffer fools gladly. They all laughed and agreed completely. We still toss that phrase around the campfire when someone does something foolish after being warned.

 

[cwdtmmrs]

Arizona has some nasty red clay as well.

 

[craig333]

Most of our mud isn't bad, unless you're in the Delta. I once was on a levee and parked. My Jeep still started to slide off the levee. That stuff sticks to your vehicle like glue. Car wash operators will stand outside with a shotgun waving you away (only slightly exaggerated). I stopped playing in the mud in my early twenties. Sometimes its unavoidable but I sure won't seek it out.

 

[klahanie]

Re waiting it out. That's another possibility for self recovery, waiting in situ for light and road conditions to improve then re attempt. After all, the fellow appeared to have a camper so may have been able to stay all together in the vehicle. Best tho to decide before you've augered yourself in. And, as mentioned, don't wait so long that the sun has cemented the vehicle in place !

I hate blocking the road so would try to move over if and when possible, either solo or with the help of the next passerby. Though it might not matter if you are the only guy out there in those conditions

 

[JHanson]

Well they certainly made a mess of the surrounding countryside.

I'm not even sure the Chevy had four wheel drive. Definitely the wrong tires and a disconnected driver's brain.

 

[cwdtmmrs]

Well they certainly made a mess of the surrounding countryside.

I'm not even sure the Chevy had four wheel drive. Definitely the wrong tires and a disconnected driver's brain.

The Chevy has 4X4 on the fender. No question about the brain disconnect though.

 

[PJorgen]

Any idea what he would charge for a recovery like that? Can't be cheap.

 

[Vic Harder]

Any idea what he would charge for a recovery like that? Can't be cheap.

At 11:30 into this video he answers that question... Very tongue in cheek... He can't really answer since the price can vary wildly.

I've watched a bunch of his videos today. Very entertaining and informative. They guy is very down to earth. Carrying/using recovery gear would get a lot of the folks in these vids unstuck.

 

[Foy]

And, met an old timer back in the 80's from UT when we where camping. He warned us if it looks like or starts to rain, wait it out.

If its raining or has recently rained, don't even attempt to take an unpaved road. Especially one that is marked impassable when wet. Spend a night in a perking lot or off the side of the paved road until the next day when it has dried.

If you are leaving camp and it is raining or wet, spend another night or days if needed until it dries.

First time road tripping west of the Mississippi was in 1975 as part of a geology school dinosaur excavation expedition to the ND-MT border in Slope County, ND. The Hell Creek Formation hosting the fossil reworked bentonite volcanic ash beds. The local rancher, who happened to be a Slope County commissioner, told our trip leaders "the only thing you absolutely must not do is try to drive on this road ("Old Highway 16") when it's wet. It'll dry out in an hour or two after a thunderstorm passes, so just wait it out. If you don't wait it out, you'll get your vehicles stuck, or wrecked, and you'll cut the road to pieces in the process". So we violated his order first time a resupply mission to Baker, MT returned right after a thunderstorm. Result: 2WD 15 passenger van in the ditch overnight, driver had a 5 mile walk wearing gumbo boots, and one very pissed off Slope County commissioner.

Bentonite clay based roads are no joke. Impassible when wet means something.

Foy

 

[ntsqd]

Had a local in UT near there tell us one Feb that the trick that time of year when starting to get stuck was to stop and wait for sunset. Not long after sunset the mud would freeze and we could drive right out of the mess if we didn't make it too bad to start with.

 

[camelracer]

Tread Lightly!

 

[rubberlegs]

Ha! A friend turned me on to Matt's Towing and Recovery videos. Next thing you know, I watched a couple dozen. He's pretty down to earth and kind to his customers. There's an interesting video on how he built up his Jeep for towing. Some of his methods might be frowned on by academics, but he seems to get the job done! Maybe because he really knows how to drive, and he keeps his Jeep as lightweight as he can. 8 psi tires, even on pavement (because he doesn't drive much on pavement). Now I wanna go to Hurricane UT and get one of their hats!