Very cool recovery of a stuck Unicat
- Thread starter gjackson
- Start date
I agree with T Low, the music was very irritating (I muted it).
The recovery was sure different than the way us rednecks it the US would do. There was no idiot standing between the vehicles holding the cables up, no laughing/profanity, no group of people standing beside the stuck MAN, no spinning tires throwing mud all over the place. I wish I were there, I could have pulled the MAN out with just my Jeep!!
The recovery was sure different than the way us rednecks it the US would do. There was no idiot standing between the vehicles holding the cables up, no laughing/profanity, no group of people standing beside the stuck MAN, no spinning tires throwing mud all over the place. I wish I were there, I could have pulled the MAN out with just my Jeep!!
rickc
Adventurer
It's interesting to note that it looks like a single spare tow strap was used as a cable arrestor; limply dangled across all those cables. Assuming that the engines of the first two trucks were running to provide extra charging power when winching, if something had come undone and shot back it could hit the open hood and be deflected down into a running motor, trashing it.
I think multiple, discreet cable arrestors would have been a good idea but I'm no pro.
I think multiple, discreet cable arrestors would have been a good idea but I'm no pro.
Spikepretorius
Explorer
I agree about the music. It seems fashionable to have blaring music added to any video clip and most sports tv shows as well for that matter. One of my middle-aged curmudgeon peeves
Explorer 1
Explorer 1
I just don't see the attraction....
And that is why lighter is better. I just don't see what is so attractive in these large beasts. I'm sure they have lots of amenities and are cool to look at but when it come to their off-road capabilities, they are too wide, too high, too long and too too heavy. :Wow1:
Please don't take this as a poke at any owner, but could you imagine if they weren't able to find so many willing 4wd vehices to help out? How many locals would it have taken to free that beast.
This is why I purchased a SMB instead of an EarthRoamer and even now as a SMB owner I realize how it's weight and size limit what it is able to do and where I am able to go.
Great video though and a good example how 4wd owners can work together.
Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1 & 2
And that is why lighter is better. I just don't see what is so attractive in these large beasts. I'm sure they have lots of amenities and are cool to look at but when it come to their off-road capabilities, they are too wide, too high, too long and too too heavy. :Wow1:
Please don't take this as a poke at any owner, but could you imagine if they weren't able to find so many willing 4wd vehices to help out? How many locals would it have taken to free that beast.
This is why I purchased a SMB instead of an EarthRoamer and even now as a SMB owner I realize how it's weight and size limit what it is able to do and where I am able to go.
Great video though and a good example how 4wd owners can work together.
Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1 & 2
michaelgroves
Explorer
For sure, a tow strap would be inadequate as an arrestor (though probably better than nothing). The worst scenario, I think, would be the mounting point on the back of the big truck breaking, where all 4 snatch blocks were attached, giving around 30 tons of pull. That would be a big chunk of metal, including 4 snatch blocks, flying at the winch trucks at warp speed. I suspect the open bonnet would put up only a token resistance!
P.S, Rick, I am waiting for photos!!!
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I gota comment here (which I don't normally do) cause some of these comment are buggin me...............for all you nay sayers here, "why did they do this, why did they do that , this wasn't safe , he had no gloves on, etc, etc, etc., for crying out loud....................
I grew up in Africa, and go back to visit every couple of years. So when it come to getting things done you do what you have to to get that vehicle going, to get that pump out of the well, to get unstuck, cause there are no 50 ton tow trucks in Botswana, just 50 Toyotas. The vehicles there don't have 37 airbags to keep you safe, infact the door may swing open every once in a while, the wipers may not work, infact most don't have wipers. But you know what at the end of the day stuff gets done cause if you didn't do it the way you had to with what you had , trucks like that would sit and rot right there if you did it the way OSHA always wanted you to, cause in Africa you do what you have to, to keep going and keep living. And that my friends is part of the reason why so many of you want to go visit, cause its the thrill of seeing the country, and the thrill of seeing if you can figure out what they all had too, to make it go.
If you thing I'm wrong, ask those on this board who've done it. Then get back to me.
I grew up in Africa, and go back to visit every couple of years. So when it come to getting things done you do what you have to to get that vehicle going, to get that pump out of the well, to get unstuck, cause there are no 50 ton tow trucks in Botswana, just 50 Toyotas. The vehicles there don't have 37 airbags to keep you safe, infact the door may swing open every once in a while, the wipers may not work, infact most don't have wipers. But you know what at the end of the day stuff gets done cause if you didn't do it the way you had to with what you had , trucks like that would sit and rot right there if you did it the way OSHA always wanted you to, cause in Africa you do what you have to, to keep going and keep living. And that my friends is part of the reason why so many of you want to go visit, cause its the thrill of seeing the country, and the thrill of seeing if you can figure out what they all had too, to make it go.
If you thing I'm wrong, ask those on this board who've done it. Then get back to me.
I Leak Oil
Expedition Leader
Agreed. There's the ideal world then there's the real world.
luangwablondes
Adventurer
Doin_It
Spot on.
I am just trying to figure out what the hell that guy was doing taking that truck out to Kubu Island in the 1st place.
Spot on.
I am just trying to figure out what the hell that guy was doing taking that truck out to Kubu Island in the 1st place.
RHINO
Expedition Leader
i see that alot on this whole site in general. i have even watched that vid a few times to see what a reply was referring to, i dont see anything really unsafe in that vid, anywhere. i think they did a great job.
Antichrist
Expedition Leader
I'm not sure that anyone was saying they were idiots for doing things the way they did.
But there's also nothing wrong with critiquing recoveries. Not eveyone watching that lives in Africa nor will they be doing recoveries in Africa. Sure, you make do with what you have, and true skill is being able to improvise, but there are also safe ways to do things that someone may not realize until they've read this, or some other, thread.
I don't think anyone here, even those critiquing it, would say, "Oh bugger, I've lost my gloves (or whatever) I can't do this recovery." They'd make do with what they have.
But there's also nothing wrong with critiquing recoveries. Not eveyone watching that lives in Africa nor will they be doing recoveries in Africa. Sure, you make do with what you have, and true skill is being able to improvise, but there are also safe ways to do things that someone may not realize until they've read this, or some other, thread.
I don't think anyone here, even those critiquing it, would say, "Oh bugger, I've lost my gloves (or whatever) I can't do this recovery." They'd make do with what they have.
luangwablondes
Adventurer
The thing to note in Africa, you never fail to offer assistance to someone in the bush. Its a kind of Kharma. If you don't, it maybe you the next time and the guy you failed to help will cruise right on by.
So the people that get out to assist may not be knowledgeable or experienced in repairs, recoveries, or towing, but they will do what they can, many times at personal cost to their own vehicles.
For the people that haven't been to Africa, you will be impressed at the willingness to give without expectations of anything in return.
So the people that get out to assist may not be knowledgeable or experienced in repairs, recoveries, or towing, but they will do what they can, many times at personal cost to their own vehicles.
For the people that haven't been to Africa, you will be impressed at the willingness to give without expectations of anything in return.
DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
As one "Fred" to another ...
And one who lusts after the big iron, remember the difference between "overlanding" and "off-roading." I gave my thoughts on this here, http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30374 while drooling at pictures of an Action Mobil beast.
As our own Christian can attest, Land Cruisers can get stuck in the Kalahari when it rains. (Luckily for me, it never rained the three years I was there!) Actually, the big camper trucks are rather light, as a camper contains a lot of air, as opposed to cargo. Also, they tend to have rather good drive trains. There is a lot of luck and karma in getting stuck. You note that once unstuck, he simply drove off. World Food Program runs 6x6 trucks all over the CAR in the rains - sometimes they get stuck, sometimes they don't. The biggest obstacle tends to be missing bridges and here too, they can wade where Toyotas would float away.
Overlanding is a compromise, but once you get past three months and age 40, a dry bed and indoor plumbing has its appeal!
As always, YMMV! And thank goodness we don't all drive the same roads and we don't have to agree.
Except, perhaps, on being sure to stop and lend a hand. (If only to get enough room to proceed yourself!)
And one who lusts after the big iron, remember the difference between "overlanding" and "off-roading." I gave my thoughts on this here, http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30374 while drooling at pictures of an Action Mobil beast.
As our own Christian can attest, Land Cruisers can get stuck in the Kalahari when it rains. (Luckily for me, it never rained the three years I was there!) Actually, the big camper trucks are rather light, as a camper contains a lot of air, as opposed to cargo. Also, they tend to have rather good drive trains. There is a lot of luck and karma in getting stuck. You note that once unstuck, he simply drove off. World Food Program runs 6x6 trucks all over the CAR in the rains - sometimes they get stuck, sometimes they don't. The biggest obstacle tends to be missing bridges and here too, they can wade where Toyotas would float away.
Overlanding is a compromise, but once you get past three months and age 40, a dry bed and indoor plumbing has its appeal!
As always, YMMV! And thank goodness we don't all drive the same roads and we don't have to agree.
Except, perhaps, on being sure to stop and lend a hand. (If only to get enough room to proceed yourself!)