Vechicle Recovery Question

[ttora4runner]

Got a question for you all on vehicle recovery.

Out on a local trail today I came across and individual who had gotten a flat tire (that's what I was intially told) and ask if I could give him a hand with the tire. No problem I thought. On the way back to his vehicle (Jeep Patriot) he told me that he had already removed the tire but was having problems with the jack. Again, no problem so I thought. On the way up I pick up his parents as well since they had come to try and help him but couldn't get to him because they had a car.

Now when we round the last bend I was expecting to see his vehicle on the side of the trail (I hadn't been on this before) with the car on the jack. Well, to my surpise his Jeep was on the side of the road but with probable about 1/4 of it leaning over the side of the road with probable a good 200' to the bottom and a cliff wall on the other side of the road.

We all get out to look at the vehicle to see how to pull it out. I start looking around the Jeep to to and assest the problem to see if I could get him out and find that the tire that he removed was one of the tires that was leaning over the edge and was now resting of the brake rotor, rear bumper and side skirt. How in the world he manged to get the tire off I don't know and I'm assuming that his jack was now somewhere under the Jeep. Also, in front of the passenger front tire was a little bit of a dip which made a little nervous.

Now here is my question how would you recover the vehicle.

1. Pull it forward while the driver turns the wheel to the drivers side.
2. Try and pull it backwards.
3. ???

In either case you'd be dragging it due to the missing rear wheel and probable rip of the bumper and who knows what else in process.

Needless, to say I didn't get involved with pulling the vehicle out. Since I only had a recovery/tow strap and I was fearfull that if I tried to pull him in either direction that the vehicle would start sliding down the hill and possible taking his vehicle and my vehicle with it. Plus, where in the bloody world do you attach a strap to an a Jeep Patriot.

They ended up getting a tow truck to get him out, I wouldn't want to see that bill.

Similar to this photo, just with the passenger side over the edge and not the whole vehicle

 

[notajeep]

That is a bad deal and and awful situation to be put in. However, to answer your question... first priority would be to secure the vehicle from further downward travel in a way that was not attached to you. ie tie it off to a tree.
After that... every situation is different. I would think that trying to drag it sideways alternating front and rear would be my first thought.
Or offer to call a tow truck. :greg:

 

[DAA]

I put a truck over the side once very similar to the photo above - except a more steep, severe angle and a cleaner look at the long fall if it moved much further. It was dicey, probably one of my nearer brushes with death, honestly. I walked back to camp, where a bunch of my buddies were, with three more full size 4x4's and lots of recovery gear. Instead of asking any of them to put their rigs in jeopardy I asked for a ride to the nearest town to get a tow truck. They all insisted on at least going to look at what I'd done first and all said they'd get me out. I just kept telling them I didn't want them to. After getting a good look, I was given a ride 40 miles into the nearest town.

That was in about 1986 and set a new personal record for most expensive recovery at the time. I later broke that record getting my Scout off the bottom of Strawberry reservoir. And then later smashed that record too...

Anyway - I'd have done exactly that here too, with the addition of notajeep's excellent advice to stabilize if possible.

- DAA

 

[gijohn40]

in most cases its best to go in reverse of the route that got him there... in other words to back it up if he drove forward or go forwards if he backed into it... In the case of the truck in this picture I would go backwards and have the front wheels turned in the opposite direction they are now...

If you had a winch in the picture I would have run it up above the truck to a point and then back down to his truck... this way if the truck does start to go over the edge its going to pull you uphill instead of over the edge.

 

[Maverick]

Good points.

BTDT a few times, thankfully not my rig. This sounds like one we did in Butterfield Canyon.

Securing the vehicle is key. And then multiple winches if possible, rigged to trees with tree straps and snatch blocks.

Most important is keeping you and your rig safe.

 

[Kevin B.]

I've never had to get into any recovery like that, but if I had to, I'd do like gijohn said, except I'd first try and strap the end I'm not pulling to something directly across the road. That secures it from sliding farther, and will additionally act like a pendulum, pulling that end closer to the road the farther you get from where you strapped it to. I don't remember where I read that, but I've always kept it in mind in case I get into that sort of a situation.

I'm totally curious what happened to the Patriot though - I'm guessing the shoulder gave out while he was trying to change a tire?

 

[Maverick]

Kevin, exactly how you describe with straps, pendulum, etc.

 

[ttora4runner]

A few more details - the trail is basically one vehicle wide, attachment points none to speak of there was a small tree in front of it and the larger trees where across the trail and up the hill.


Might make a good course for the next rme4x4 training day - akwarded vehicle recovery.

 

[ttora4runner]

I'm totally curious what happened to the Patriot though - I'm guessing the shoulder gave out while he was trying to change a tire?

That was my guess. He just parked too close to the edge of the road and when he jacked it up it slid.

 

[Maverick]

A few more details - the trail is basically one vehicle wide, attachment points none to speak of there was a small tree in front of it and the larger trees where across the trail and up the hill.


Might make a good course for the next rme4x4 training day - awkward vehicle recovery.

Across the trail and up the hill are where you want the attachment points. There is no such thing as bringing too many straps and d-rings. Also, multiple snatch blocks and cable.

I pulled a loaded 10-wheel lumber truck back on the road above my cabin one time. One set of straps was just to keep the front from sliding further off the muddy road. Then, the cable and snatch blocks were rigged to allow my excursion to pull him forward and back up on the road. I think I had it set up as a 3:1. It was pretty cool. I might have a pic on my laptop.

 

[SAMI]

I'd have pushed it the rest of the way off.

 

[gijohn40]

I'd have pushed it the rest of the way off.

=}

 

[jeep-N-montero]

A few more details - the trail is basically one vehicle wide, attachment points none to speak of there was a small tree in front of it and the larger trees where across the trail and up the hill.


Might make a good course for the next rme4x4 training day - akwarded vehicle recovery.

Which trail was this on, almost sounds like the area below Baldy? I lived there for 7 years.

 

[ttora4runner]

Which trail was this on, almost sounds like the area below Baldy? I lived there for 7 years.

It was on the road that lead up to Mount Princeton trailhead.

 

[Medsker]

I got myself back on the road during the Butterfield recovery (before we drove out and got all the rigs to help). I ran my winch cable about 50 feet up to a tree and then back down and hooked it to my back bumper. I then just sucked the winch in as I drove forward and back until I was back on the road. It worked pretty slick but I unless you have the tree above it I can't think of an easy way to get them out.

 

[Maverick]

I got myself back on the road during the Butterfield recovery (before we drove out and got all the rigs to help).

You were there with the blazer?

I ran my winch cable about 50 feet up to a tree and then back down and hooked it to my back bumper. I then just sucked the winch in as I drove forward and back until I was back on the road. It worked pretty slick but I unless you have the tree above it I can't think of an easy way to get them out.

Clever!

 

[Medsker]

I was in my 2007 Jeep unlimited. We may be talking about different events . The one I'm talking about was a white Dodge pickup that went down the road at the top where the pavement ends (to the south)

 

[Houndoc]

That was in about 1986 and set a new personal record for most expensive recovery at the time. I later broke that record getting my Scout off the bottom of Strawberry reservoir.
- DAA

Got me wondering on the story behind sinking your Scout.

 

[rondo]

Sadly a large concern would be your culpability if something bad happened to it during the recovery. I can't see the pic at work but without a tire i'd be surprised if body damage wasn't imminent. With a stranger i guess you'd never know if they held you liable for a scratch on the fender while you tried to save their a$$ and a ton of cash on a tow bill.
I've rescued several vehicles over the years using creative winching techniques. Anchoring the front of the vehicle while winching from the rear prevented one such rig from sliding off a muddy road into a river for example. The key is to do no further harm.

 

[Kevin B.]

akwarded

What a perfectly cromulent word.