Stuck deuce.. a long day...

[Stretch44875]

And a long story too....

Went into town, friend Dan was driving my 07 uplander/soccer mom minivan. Told him, don't ditch the van. Why is it nobody listens to me? On the way back, going along the barely 2 lane township road that is never salted, he catches the edge of the ditch and sucks us in. I'm busy watching the sign placed in the ditch come at us, hoping we stop in time(had 10 feet left at stop). The road is hard packed snow, cars don't even leave tracks. Felt more like ice walking on it.

So we are about a mile from the house. I call the wife to to drive my regular truck out and pick us up, I knew it wouldn't pull out the van. This was the 5th minivan in the ditch I had seen in a week, tried to pull one out with my truck and darn near got stuck myself.

I leave the ignition unlocked in the truck, she manages to lock it, and doesn't have keys. So I say, drive the DEUCE here. In the 4-5 years I've had the truck, she has NEVER driven the deuce. She says okay, and with me talking here thru it, gets the deuce to where we are struck. And this is a girl that doesn't even drive a stick shift. She's thrilled to have driven it.

So using the deuce I manage to get the minivan out. To get enough angle to pull the van out, I stuck the deuce in the oppsite ditch. Thought I could back in the field to get out, that didn't work. So off the get the M108. It's out of gas, and dead battery. Manage to get it running, and get it out to the stuck deuce. It's got no heat, and no side windows. Talk about cold.

Wasn't enough traction to pull out the deuce with M108, so tried to crane it back on the road. The swing didn't have enough power to get the front end out of the ditch. The deuce also had 4000lbs of wood in the back.

Hooked the winch on the deuce to a telephone pole a LONG ways away, used all the winch cable to get there(200ft). Once the truck moved about 10 foot, I was able to pull in the field, and drive out.

So a LONG, COLD day, just to get a darn van out of the ditch. All home now, and ready for the next adventrue.

Here's some pics and a short vid of trying to crane it out.

Dennis

video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JYypsmLOos

 

[jpcj-7]

Don't they plow the roads out there? Are you in Crawford county? Looks like an adventure though! I had to pull someone out of the ditch yesterday with my M1009!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Nice one Dano!

 

[mangus580]

Wow... I musta been there somehow! Sounds just like MY adventures...

 

[kendelrio]

We don't get snow in Louisiana ..... But we DO get MUD!!!!!

 

[tjcouch]

First time with a stick, and a deuce, and snow?! Wow - she is to be commended!

 

[JohnnyReb]

First time with a stick, and a deuce, and snow?! Wow - she is to be commended!

Yea, she seems to have the nack.... should have let her pull the van out...

 

[Somemedic]

Does she have a sister thats a) rich or b) own a bar?

 

[kipman]

Stretch, you should start your own AAA, but for minivans only

 

[1stDeuce]

Hmmmmm....

Ya know, when I look at those tracks, it doesn't look like there's really any reason for that van do be where it is. Matter of fact, that snow wasn't even very deep for the first bit of "sucked us in"...
I have another theory... I think someone just drove straight in so they could have an excuse play with the deuce and crane, and take pictures for all of us!!

Good thinking!!


Thanks!!!
Chris

 

[SR71BLACKBIRD]

I think the county plow driver sees the dueces in the yard and thinks "why bother plowing this road, Like he's gonna get stuck." And stretch, I think she's a keeper...... as long as she doesnt ask to use it on a girls night out with her friends.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Wow... I musta been there somehow! Sounds just like MY adventures...

You weren't there Mike, he used the winch to go forward. LOL
The snow looks wonderful Dennis. How does the heavy asss 108 do on the hard pack?

 

[dabtl]

What is that white stuff?

 

[Whidbey]

Hmm.. Rear Axles Singled, I got stuck same way.

I got stuck the same way last winter. Any thoughts on dual vs singles contributing to getting stuck easier?

 

[crazyplowboy]

I would think that the rear duals would spread the weight out more on snow or somewhat soft ground allowing you to get further without getting stuck. Don't know for sure, but just my

 

[LanceRobson]

Dennis, that woman is a keeper! Now, just how many days on the beach, this winter, is that going to cost you? Worse, I'll bet she now refers to it as "my truck"

That said, where's the "snow"? All you've got is a dusting......

If it was only a mile to home, did you send your Dan for beer?

Lance

 

[Stretch44875]

Mine's singled out. The M108 didn't have the front axle hubs on, did okay. Had no pulling power on the road, no traction. Even the deuce with 6x6, singles, and wieght, had to jerk to remove the van. Off road, traction is pretty good, if your not sideways in ditch.

The next day my wife was driving, and a small blazer coming the other way got to far over. They put it in the ditch 100 ft from where the van was. This is the eighth vechicle to make ditch tracks on that road. My wife stopped and it was a woman by herself, so called me to come tow them out. Managed to NOT stick the deuce that time.

Wife is pretty proud of herself, me too.

Added video in first post.

Dennis

 

[Whidbey]

That's great your better half helped out like that! I can't get mine to drive yet. Still working on it though. I'll show her your post for sure!

In my case the road went "S" and I went straight in near white out snow. I got hung in a ditch groove that got the best of me. Forward and backward and with the front axle in it only made the rut groove deeper. Front wheel was tracking the same rut as the back wheels. I'm thinking that maybe duals could have helped. I do like the single config but wonder about duals too.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Once you get down in a ditch like that with a deuce, it's pretty tough to free without a nice winch anchor. Some cuts of timber can help. Any deuce used in the winter time should have an ample supply of timber in the back. I like a decent 15 to 18" Dia cut about 6' long with a taper cut on the end. Toss it in the rut with the taper towards the tire and work your way up on it. From there you might be able to steer away from the rut. Additional timber is almost necessary. For wider ditches I've used several cuts. Even that scrap the sawmill chops off works well, just need more pieces.

 

[atankersdad]

Wife being a driver

My wife will not even ride in my deuce, more or less, think about driving one. Not sure if having a wife driving it is a good thing. I know if my wife would ever divorce me that "that truck" , as she calls it, would not even be considered as marital property. If fact, I could probably use it as a bargaining tool by telling her that she would get the deuce, I would get the flat screen. Her reply would be "then keep both, I want no parts of your army truck!!!" So I am safe on that front.

As for this pictures, I agree that it was an intentional drive off the road to be able to play with the green toys.