Amazon rescuers find ravine crash couple in MB Unimog

[grizzlyj]

Hi

Having read the last few posts I thought they had just driven off the edge rather than the bridge collapsing and I'd remembered incorrectly.

Driving 300km per day on perhaps not too smooth roads in a slow truck, when maybe theres a bridge like this every few km, you've driven over hundreds of them in the last few weeks, would you really check each one?!

Is that a hydraulic winch too? Seems theres maybe two pipes coming from the lhs bumpertop where Mog take offs are often sited? Could they have got themselves out with an electric winch once they'd calmed down and had a cup of tea?

Not the ideal ending to their trip. Will they continue?

 

[Iain_U1250]

I know that if my wife and I were OK physically, I would certainly have started a recovery attempt the next day. I would definitely been a scary thing. I wonder what broke the windscreen - looks like it was something from the inside hitting the screen

They said when the got it back it has steering problems and needed some welding to get it drivable again. I suspect the steering rod or drag link would be bent, and not sure what would require welding.

Since the camper has been ransacked, replacing the gear inside will probably take a fair bit of time. I hope the continue on their trip - judging by the blog I think they are planning on it.

 

[biggoolies]

What would be the weight of a vehicle like this? I would like to compare it to my Fuso to see if I will crash through these bridges also.

 

[biggoolies]

Oh I read in her blog. 8 tons.

 

[Ford Prefect]

Wow, the photo of the truck in the ravine! Wow that is amazing, and they sound like they expect to be on the road again soon. Pretty cool really, when all things are considered. Also lucky they did not have more of the truck vandalized.

 

[RMP&O]

This thread seems to be a good example of why not to take an 8-ton truck into the jungle. Wood bridges in the rain forest means rot.

It also seems to serve as a good example of how self recovery could save your gear. With the right skill, winch, tools and time they could have gotten the mog out of there on their own. With the right tools on the truck and skills they could have field repaired it themselves.


Just saying....

 

[Iain_U1250]

Plenty of other reasons why you should take an 8 ton truck into the jungle - just compare the lifestyle of living next to/on top of your Patrol vs living inside a Mog. I definitely won't be spending two or three driving around the world in a Patrol. Little trucks are good for short trips, not for overlanding.

 

[mogwildRW1]

Very true. In a Unimog at least you have the option of not taking the bridge

In this case, the bridge probably would have been fine if it was in a good state of repair, but it wasn't. And this isn't limited to the Amazon, have you seen some of the bridges in the US?

Some of those aren't in a great state of repair as well.

Given the choice, I'd be in a Expo mog any day.

 

[dzzz]

It also seems to serve as a good example of how self recovery could save your gear. With the right skill, winch, tools and time they could have gotten the mog out of there on their own. With the right tools on the truck and skills they could have field repaired it themselves.


Just saying....

Not many can carry a spare windshield.

I take a couple different lesson from this accident. First, Don't drive a truck across bridges that aren't used by similar or larger local commercial trucks. Second, in much of the world your vehicle will be stripped if you leave it. That includes Mexico. Someone needs to stay with the vehicle. That may take some bravery and discomfort in the jungle.
It seems to me that advice from strangers in all countries on road conditions is consistently unrelaible. Which makes sense as there's little way to discern the wise from the unwise.
I would never try to carry enough gear to self extract and repair in a situation like they faced. Apparently with the helpful Brazilian military it's not necessary in that country.

 

[haven]

"Don't drive a truck across bridges that aren't used by similar or larger local commercial trucks."

Good advice. In this case, the bridge is on BR-319, a national highway, the main road (the only road) between the Manaus area and Porto Velho. In the dry season, the road is used by a few heavy trucks who don't want to make the trip floating on a barge. There used to be bus service on this road in the dry season, but I don't know if it exists today.

From the blog, it sounds like the Brasilian government's effort to make the road an all-weather highway, with modern bridges and an armored surface (read: a gravel road) is about half done.

 

[grizzlyj]

Why do you need a windshield to drive out? I've had a Landy that was fun without, and a 150mph car that didn't have one from the dealer! Most Harley riders seem fine with decent sunnies too! A square cab Mog only has flat glass too, so one reason to take it rather than a U500 with a nice big curvy thing

A rear mounted electric winch and a few snatch blocks and they would be out?

After that though I think at least one cup of tea would be required before normal service was resumed!

Jason

 

[RMP&O]

In a life or death situation you would be glad if you had gear to extract the truck on your own. If you didn't have the money to replace everything inside the truck you would be glad if you didn't loose it all.

just saying....

Oh and I would drive around the world in a Patrol any day before a Mog. But that is me....

 

[762X39]

Well my first response to all this is that they made it out alive. My second response is that they will likely continue with their adventure.My third response is that I can't cast the first stone, many times I have crossed bridges that I should have checked before I crossed them and luckily, no harm and no foul.Finally, adventure doesn't mean an uneventful trip without hardship or bad things happening to you and yours. You can either spend your life living or you can live your life in fear never crossing the line and never taking chances. They merely crashed their Mog and had it stripped by thieves. So what. I hope they can share this story with grand children!
I still remember the time we camped in Algonquin (I was about 10), a bear stole our cooler, my dad had to run into the bush to recover it and the MNR shot and killed the bear the next morning.Mom wasn't happy and tried to spin it but really, I knew the bear was dead.

 

[charlieaarons]

It's easy for some of us to offer useless criticism.
Let's just be happy they made it uninjured and with a semi-intact vehicle.

good example of why not to take an 8 ton truck into the jungle

Charlie

 

[Dimen]

A rear mounted electric winch and a few snatch blocks and they would be out?

No way!!! In this situation no electric or hydraulic winch on the truck would help. Truck is simply too heavy and too deep in the trench to winch it-self out.