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Old 11-30-2019, 06:48 PM   #1
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Bigfoot recovery

I’ve been enjoying this YouTube channel for a while and I think some of you guys and girls will find this video interesting (you can skip the first six minutes to watch the trailer related part only). Many of us like boondocking and I can’t blame these guys for looking for the perfect spot.

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Old 11-30-2019, 08:46 PM   #2
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Seems to me if you want to camp in that type of area you would need a raised suspension vehicle and trailer. The tongue on that BF is way too low for anything not paved.
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Old 11-30-2019, 09:30 PM   #3
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Frequently in Utah, and some other states, you will find red or bentonite clay roads.
Sometimes there is a sign saying “impassable when wet”. The wet clay fills the treads of your tires so that you are driving on slicks. As these guys found out, you’re not going anywhere.

Believe the sign. Or understand the local conditions.

Wonder how much the recovery truck cost? $$$$

When the clay dries, it turns very hard, just like pottery. These guys have a major cleanup job ahead.

Lesson learned.
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Old 11-30-2019, 09:50 PM   #4
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Ugh, no. This kind of thing tells me there's sometimes a reason to stay in a nice RV park, with a hot tub and a restaurant!
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Old 11-30-2019, 09:56 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SamIam View Post
Frequently in Utah, and some other states, you will find red or bentonite clay roads.
Sometimes there is a sign saying “impassable when wet”. The wet clay fills the treads of your tires so that you are driving on slicks. As these guys found out, you’re not going anywhere.

Believe the sign. Or understand the local conditions.

Wonder how much the recovery truck cost? $$$$

When the clay dries, it turns very hard, just like pottery. These guys have a major cleanup job ahead.

Lesson learned.
Went across Kebler Pass a few years ago from Crested Butte to Paonia. Gorgeous drive, yet the Bentonite road was damp and on the downhill towards Paonia it got very slick and the trailer at one point was sliding into the oncoming lane a bit even going super slow.

Afterwards we found a carwash and it was evident others were also cleaning that stuff off- what a mess.
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Old 11-30-2019, 10:12 PM   #6
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Sorry. Had to switch back to Canada Women's curling.
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Old 12-01-2019, 06:47 AM   #7
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Looks like they caught by a an unexpected snow turning the dirt to grease.

Best I could find was to expect something like $500 in 2010 dollars.

Here's an extreme case...

(Boston Globe) When Joel Ramer and his girlfriend went off-roading in Walpole, he had no idea the joy ride would cost nearly $50,000.

But that’s what happened when his Jeep got stuck in the mud and he had to have it towed, according to a Fox25 News report.

After the car was towed by Assured Collision, Fox25 reported that Ramer’s itemized bill included $16,000 for an on-scene supervisor (which cost $1,250 an hour), more than $10,000 for an off-road recovery incident reponse unit and a $5,000 fee for dangerous condition liability insurance. After the 12-hour job, the manpower and equipment needed for the job totaled $48,835.


After going to court over the costs, the price was dropped to $6,476 by the state .
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Old 12-01-2019, 06:53 AM   #8
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Boy, I wonder what those guys charge on the Weather Channel that routinely tow rigs on the Highway thru Hell.....
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Old 12-01-2019, 07:14 AM   #9
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If you read the fine print in your road service contract, if you have one, you will find that covered towing, tire changing, etc., is almost always limited to a certain distance from a paved, public road.

Always have a plan if you enjoy boondocking in remote areas.

This tow was on their nickel.

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Old 12-01-2019, 07:16 AM   #10
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Did anyone else notice the busted out window with a tarp over it on the curb side front? Would it not be interesting that this trailer was left by someone else and the "new owner" wanted it out quickly...?
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Old 12-01-2019, 03:19 PM   #11
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This is exactly why I had the lifts installed on my 19-foot. Put chains on the truck, would have been a piece of cake.
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Old 12-02-2019, 08:25 AM   #12
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off road?

Now I remember why I stay on paved roads when towing.
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Old 12-02-2019, 02:43 PM   #13
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If you look at trailer it looks to be low in front . Due to wrong height of hitch ball height . Pat
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Old 12-02-2019, 04:01 PM   #14
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If you look at trailer it looks to be low in front . Due to wrong height of hitch ball height . Pat
That makes sense as their tow was a Nissan 4 wheel van I think and the hitch is low on that vehicle.
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Old 12-02-2019, 06:48 PM   #15
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That makes sense as their tow was a Nissan 4 wheel van I think and the hitch is low on that vehicle.
Even too low the Ford pulling it out of trouble ! Pat
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Old 12-03-2019, 01:40 AM   #16
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This is one reason I tell prospective buyers to stay under 50% of your tow capacity so when you get in a sticky situation the odds are in your favour.

I used to tow a tent trailer with a Ford Freestar minivan. We were in Algonquin park in one of the campgrounds and I had to ask the neighbor to tow us out with his F-250. The campsite was at the bottom of a gulley on a slope with loose gravel. The minivan just spun the tires, wouldn't budge. Lesson learned, I bought my 2008 Tacoma 4X4 shortly after that.
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Old 12-03-2019, 01:42 AM   #17
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Did anyone else notice the busted out window with a tarp over it on the curb side front? Would it not be interesting that this trailer was left by someone else and the "new owner" wanted it out quickly...?

I always take 2 pieces of cardboard larger than my biggest window and lots of duct tape, just in case.
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Old 12-03-2019, 02:20 AM   #18
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This is one reason I tell prospective buyers to stay under 50% of your tow capacity so when you get in a sticky situation the odds are in your favour.

So, presumably prospective buyers who stay under 10% of tow capacity would have even better odds.
You don't want to mess with Mother Nature.
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Old 12-03-2019, 07:06 AM   #19
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I tow at 87% of capacity. I am always aware of my surroundings and site selection. I do not camp in drainage swales, where the site can turn to mud, where overhead limbs are dead or trees have significant bad branching patterns. I keep good tires on my tow rig and am able to adjust the inflation if need be. It’s also important to understand your four wheel drive, or all wheel drive functions on your tow vehicle. I have helped many people out and have been helped by quite a few too. Keep a tow strap and booster cables in the tow vehicle. Your prudent caution will keep you out of a lot of trouble.
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Old 12-03-2019, 12:50 PM   #20
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This is one reason I tell prospective buyers to stay under 50% of your tow capacity so when you get in a sticky situation the odds are in your favour.
I would have to disagree with this completely. It had nothing to do with tow capacity and everything to do with good traction. I have towed hundreds of thousands of kilometres quite close to the towing capacity and have never had a problem with it.
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