finally a snow recovery today!

[AndyCook]

cars have started to use the rat-runs today, now snow has stopped falling from the sky, but roads still tricky for 2wd cars.
came across a stuck car blocking the road, it had got stuck on a hill and then reverse back and off the road into a snow bank.
so once i had found my winch power isolator.... i winched him out backwards.
i had managed to get in front of his car, but we couldnt find the hatch that covered the hole for screwing in the recovery hook.
he was very chuffed and shook my hand for hauling is car to safety

great to use the winch on another vehicle at last !
it worked well Chris!

 

[Chris]

Waay hey! Nice one. Did you ever order that replacement end frame for the winch Andy or you you just go with my repair bodge?

Chris

 

[AndyCook]

No - i left it as it was, seems to work, and as you said, once its bolted to the mount that end bit isn't really needed to be tight anyway. and now winch and mount installed i am not removing unless i really really have to!

 

[Nuclear Chicken]

2 recoveries for me: 1 last night with a Transit flatbed job, towing a trailer , and he had spun out on a small incline. At least he had a lump of chain. Centre diff locked and away we go.

This morning, before work, a friend of ours who had to abandon their Shitroen C8 thing on a hill last night. Towed that home with a rope.

Job done.

 

[Ecoman]

I got a phonecall at 8am from the chap who is coming to finish off my kitchen "help I'm stuck in the snow on the backroad to your house"! Oh well I thought. I will just have to go and tow him out. I decided to use the hilux as the tyres are rubbish on the cruiser. I told the missus to get the kettle on I will be back in 10 minutes.....yeah right!

Now I knew it was bad when I had to have a couple of run ups to get through one or two drifts. I got down to him and he had only made it about 300yards off the main road in his van when he became unstuck. I had been there for about 2 minutes when a copper turned up in a rented Nissan Pathfinder with road tyres. After I finished laughing at his antics trying to get the softroader to 300yards up the road. I reluctantly agreed to tow him out too The van ended up needing a tractor to get him out as the snow was drifting that bad that as we cleared a path it was filling up again! Anyway after rescuing a few other cars the copper came up to me and asked if I would assist them rescuing stranded motorists as the hilux was obviously up to the job and their nissan wasn't. After the fourth or fifth car the copper left me to it. So I spent most of the day with snow down my boots and neck dragging cars out of ditches and snow drifts.

I only got stuck once and that was when I had to take a chap to the local oil pipeline booster station down our back road to relieve the chap that had been on watch all night. We made it to within 1/4 mile but hit a particularly long, deep drift and after trying to dig ourselves out a local farmer came along in his hilux but couldn't get close enough to us so he went and fetched his tractor. This is the truck after we had removed a foot of snow from the front of the truck to get the strop on.

Anyway I'm back out in an hour to do the rounds again and collect the idiots that have ventured out in their euroboxes

 

[TonyP]

WOW that is some snow. Nice one that you are out there helping folk

 

[Ecoman]

Yeah that is about half a mile from where I live. Been bloody deep round here.

Just got in from round 2 and I'm just winding down before I sleep. Oh well it all starts again in 6 hours

 

[adrianr]

Well done

If you can get some decent rubber on the cruiser it might do even better being longer and heavier

Have you aired down the tyres on the hilux as well. In my experience that makes a big difference too. Mind you you do seem to know what u are doing. That's decent snow u have there.

Stay safe and well.

 

[Ecoman]

I've ordered a set of 285 75 16 General Grabber AT2s for the cruiser. The Hilux has performed faultlessly on them at normal pressure so fingers crossed for the cruiser.

One other problem I have with the cruiser is that the rear difflock doesn't work so it stuggles a bit in the deep stuff. I have become bogged down twice now and it was a case of sheer luck and determination that it managed to free itself and carry on. Once I get the cash together I will be purchasing a new actuator.

 

[Crispin]

That's just not fair... If you look hard in the shady parts you can still see some snow.

Sounds like you having fun though.

 

[AndyCook]

yup stacks of snow up here in Aberdeenshire, but it is now +3 degC and starting to thaw..

but it is forecast to get cold again after sunday and more snow next week

pic of overnight drifts on our lane (tractor ploughed it at 3pm and 10pm yesterday)

and in front of our place this afternoon

 

[Chas]

yup stacks of snow up here in Aberdeenshire, but it is now +3 degC.

I think you've been down sarf and pinched all ours, either that or springs come early

 

[Graham]

a copper turned up in a rented Nissan Pathfinder with road tyres. After I finished laughing at his antics trying to get the softroader to 300yards up the road.

No cheap Pathfinders over here

Full leather VX models.

Graham

 

[Ecoman]

Its thawing today. The roads are virtually clear where I am now. Quite a contrast from yesterday.

 

[AndyCook]

the slushy snow is often worse
just back in from winching neighbours son and friends in a golf up the hill by my house, they had been trying to push it for 10mins wheel spinning. i went out to offer help and his mate said "have you got a landrover or something ?"
to which i replied "no i have something better - a landcruiser!"

winch rope seem to get a loop in it somehow - the bolt that attached it drum is missing, and i hadnt even spooled it out anywhere near the end of the rope. will sort it out tomorrow when i can see properly.
glad i fitted a metal sheild to protect the aircon rad as Chris recommended

 

[Chris]

Andy, steel ropes just have a mind of their own. Glad you fitted that shield. Didn't know you'd done that. Highly recommended extra. You saying that the tether on the end of the cable has gone missing? It's a small domed hex head isn't it, through a metal eye on the rope end.

C

 

[AndyCook]

"It's a small domed hex head isn't it, through a metal eye on the rope end."

yes - i screwed it in when i fitted the rope. no idea when it came out, next time i will use locktite.
i will have to find something similar to replace it

but also thinking of synthetic rope....