• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

So I got my wrecker stuck again...

teletech

teletech

Active member
426
209
43
Location
santa cruz,ca
I'm reminded of a story a friend told me about some pot growers many years ago. I guess they thought the sheriffs might be onto them so they got the bright idea to drive their car all over the field to mow it down. It's on a slope and muddy so of course they get stuck. Then they call their buddy with a big 4x4 1-ton or something to drive down and drag them out. Naturally that gets stuck. Then somebody remembers a guy who owns a big old military wrecker. So he comes out and parks on the road. The guys ask him why he doesn't come down to hook up to them and the guy says "If I went down there, then I'd be stuck like you [redacted] so he gives one of them one end of the winch (he's too smart to get stuck OR muddy!) and let's them drag the cable down to the truck and car. Drags them up the hill and calls it a day.
I guess the moral of the story is winch cable and firm ground are your friends and don't get get any closer to your recovery than you absolutely have to.

All those extra trucks aren't obstacles, they're ground-anchors! Excellent reminder of just how big and heavy these things are and how easy it is to get them stuck and how hard it is to get them loose. Also just how much the military expected you to have a team of people on hand.
I'd suggest you aren't going to catch a runaway pickup when it has a good start on you and even if you did, I'd be tempted to let it go rather than risk injury. I'd cable the towing dodge to something else on the back end so if it got loose it wouldn't go far.
 
Last edited:
Jeepsinker

Jeepsinker

Well-known member
5,399
456
83
Location
Dry Creek, Louisiana
Yes I've done the same with my wrecker pulling out other people that have gotten several vehicles stuck. Leave the wrecker on the road and let them drag cable. For what it's worth, I've driven he wrecker right there for years without getting stuck. Just too much rain without time to dry out enough I guess. And I know what you mean about the truck getting loose, but in low range and at idle I can walk and catch up to it.
 
teletech

teletech

Active member
426
209
43
Location
santa cruz,ca
Jeepsinker said:
And I know what you mean about the truck getting loose, but in low range and at idle I can walk and catch up to it.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I thought in the video you made it sound like the Dodge wasn't in low range.

In low range, yeah, I get it. A friend and I used to amuse ourselves and startle passersby when we'd put our truck in low and both get out and walk around the vehicle to switch seats.
 
Guyfang

Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
16,794
24,145
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
teletech said:
I'm reminded of a story a friend told me about some pot growers many years ago. I guess they thought the sheriffs might be onto them so they got the bright idea to drive their car all over the field to mow it down. It's on a slope and muddy so of course they get stuck. Then they call their buddy with a big 4x4 1-ton or something to drive down and drag them out. Naturally that gets stuck. Then somebody remembers a guy who owns a big old military wrecker. So he comes out and parks on the road. The guys ask him why he doesn't come down to hook up to them and the guy says "If I went down there, then I'd be stuck like you [redacted] so he gives one of them one end of the winch (he's too smart to get stuck OR muddy!) and let's them drag the cable down to the truck and car. Drags them up the hill and calls it a day.
I guess the moral of the story is winch cable and firm ground are your friends and don't get get any closer to your recovery than you absolutely have to.

All those extra trucks aren't obstacles, they're ground-anchors! Excellent reminder of just how big and heavy these things are and how easy it is to get them stuck and how hard it is to get them loose. Also just how much the military expected you to have a team of people on hand.
I'd suggest you aren't going to catch a runaway pickup when it has a good start on you and even if you did, I'd be tempted to let it go rather than risk injury. I'd cable the towing dodge to something else on the back end so if it got loose it wouldn't go far.
Click to expand...
I once got a call from one of my supported units. A Patriot Firing Battery. They were stuck in a German field. The whole Battery. Best part of 40 vehicles. It was a plowed field, dry when they pulled in, rained for a whole night. Stupid commander. Should have packed up and found another field.

The unit had a 5 Ton wrecker, AND a HEMTT wrecker. And they were bogged down to the belly pan. Just like all the other trucks he had. So my Maintenance Company had two 5 Ton Wreckers, and a HEMTT Wrecker. Off I sent them, and went out about an hour later. Every truck was stuck. About 23 hours later, we had the last truck out. The field looked like the back side of the moon. The farmer received a LARGE sum of money to repair his field. I bet you can still see the damage, and its been 30 years ago.
 
Guyfang

Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
16,794
24,145
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
Yeah, Fat Albert gets stuck too. Not often, but saw its several times.

You would figure almost any tracked vehicle would have a hard time getting stuck. But that's sure a false thought. Here in Graf, it happens all he time. Many years ago, so long ago I can not remember if it was a M1A1 or a M60A3, a tank went into a deep hole, on the gunnery range. Bow first, got stuck, Gun tube stuck in the mud. The engine failed and the turret was at an angle, that prevented the driver from bailing out The hole was full of water, and raining like crazy. Before the crew could try and get something, anything to pull the tank out, the driver drowned. The troops formed a bucket brigade with helmets trying to keep up with the water/rain. They tried to dig trenches to channel the water away. All to no avail. Sad, sad.
 
dmetalmiki

dmetalmiki

Well-known member
5,523
2,028
113
Location
London England
The joys ( or inconvenience at the time ) Of cleaning, servicing, and maintaining working components.
So that when needed everything works as it should,
And then ( I always find ), the previous inconvenience pales into insignificance..
If you get my drift...
 
C

charlesmann

Well-known member
700
713
93
Location
Temple, Tx
I got my 109 howitzer stuck trying to go around a 109 that was stuck that was trying to go around a 109 that threw a track and turned sideways in the trail. It took 88s to recover us. I could pat mud/water a few inches below the hull at driver hatch. That was not a fun night getting them 109s unstuck.

As for the OP. When i got my 936A2, i ops checked both winches to unsure i dont need and either and not have them. 1 plan is to relocate the winch control valve to the front bumper.
I had an issue with the free spool lever. A bit of lube and a few taps from brass persuader w/ handle. Wish i could tear it down and clean the mechanism, but got enough irons in the fire to build a bridge over the mississippi.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
110,926members
165,351threads
2,326,643posts
1,511online users
Top
✖
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks