dorocks
Senior Member
The search for a dispersed camping site can be an "adventure" especially when stupid drivers don't listen to their wives. As Dirty Harry says "A good man has got to know his limitations." I do not have pictures of the incident. We were on highway 34 in Idaho late in the day trying to find a FS road. Found one and drove my Ram and Lance up it. I drove past some shepherds and there was a spot but very off-axis.
I looked up the narrow one track road and said there must be a better spot up there somewhere. (Could not see very far) My wife kept saying I don't like this/not a good idea. She was particularly concerned that a specific low spot would hang us up. (breakover angles). I went ahead and got through the spot but walked ahead and realized the road was too overgrown and there were no turnarounds.
Decided to back out. When I got to the one low spot and I entered it the passenger side of the camper sank. I got out and found that the ground was a seemingly dry crust over a gooey mud underneath. My trailer hitch receiver was on the ground and if you look at the picture of my truck and camper you can imagine how far down it had sank. The camper had shifted so far that the road blocks that I stash in the wheel-well area could not be gotten out.
What to do? Rear tire was in a pit of mud. I decided to put truck in low range and go forward since front tires were on solid ground. It worked. This is why I have 4WD. Now what? Still had to get out. When I looked at the sink site I discovered, on the driver side of the road, a rock that was big enough that it would not move. Told Jeanne to make sure when I back up again that I have my driver-side rear tire on that rock. The rock did its job but I have never leaned my rig so far downhill sideways making an escape. Rear wheel was hanging in the air until it got to solid ground again.
Jeanne held off saying I told you so – but I could feel emanations coming from her side of the truck. Of course we all need “adventure.”For the rest of the trip I did not trust BLM/FS roads until I made sure there was not hidden goo.
First picture is road entry to the danger zone. Second a drier spot later in the trip.
I looked up the narrow one track road and said there must be a better spot up there somewhere. (Could not see very far) My wife kept saying I don't like this/not a good idea. She was particularly concerned that a specific low spot would hang us up. (breakover angles). I went ahead and got through the spot but walked ahead and realized the road was too overgrown and there were no turnarounds.
Decided to back out. When I got to the one low spot and I entered it the passenger side of the camper sank. I got out and found that the ground was a seemingly dry crust over a gooey mud underneath. My trailer hitch receiver was on the ground and if you look at the picture of my truck and camper you can imagine how far down it had sank. The camper had shifted so far that the road blocks that I stash in the wheel-well area could not be gotten out.
What to do? Rear tire was in a pit of mud. I decided to put truck in low range and go forward since front tires were on solid ground. It worked. This is why I have 4WD. Now what? Still had to get out. When I looked at the sink site I discovered, on the driver side of the road, a rock that was big enough that it would not move. Told Jeanne to make sure when I back up again that I have my driver-side rear tire on that rock. The rock did its job but I have never leaned my rig so far downhill sideways making an escape. Rear wheel was hanging in the air until it got to solid ground again.
Jeanne held off saying I told you so – but I could feel emanations coming from her side of the truck. Of course we all need “adventure.”For the rest of the trip I did not trust BLM/FS roads until I made sure there was not hidden goo.
First picture is road entry to the danger zone. Second a drier spot later in the trip.