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First real Offroad adventure in my new truck

3K views 29 replies 11 participants last post by  glcarter 
#1 ·
So I finally decided to take my baby down a real offroading trail. My 2 friends and I went alone in my truck. Needless to say that wasn't a good idea.

We went down this trail about a mile and came to a point where it branched out to 3 trails and then an open field. Keep in mind everything is frozen and there is a few inches of snow on everything also.

I stopped and looked at all three trails and chose the middle one, it looked the least challenging. Turns out I was wrong...

I start going and all of a sudden my truck drops about a foot! So I try to plow threw it. That didn't work I didn't move anywhere. I throw it in reverse, no luck, forward, no movement.

Go out...looked at my truck...realized im ****ed, I was completely bottomed out just spinning in the water.










The ice was broken where my tires are but was still a few inches thick under the middle of my truck.

After a few more attempts to rock it out and completely failing my truck started freaking out. Brakes wouldn't work lights were going off...bunch of issues.

So I called a friend with a sick older v10 ram. He came 30 minutes later looked and me and said I got lucky I bottomed out instead of going further.
He said that it gets even deeper..about 3 feet deep.

Thank god I didn't get any further. So he breaks out the tow strap starts trying to pull me out backwards..we didn't move. He had to start backing up and flooring it to yank my truck out. After the third time I was still stuck and he got stuck.

He aired down and gave it one last try. As he floored it, I floored it in reverse.

Finally I got out! I was freaking out though because my axle was just dragging in the ice. I thought something was going to break and I don't even have 2k miles on my truck hahah.

But anyway I don't think anything broke. Moral of the story...don't offroad alone

 
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#2 ·
Yep, one time and you learn your lesson lol. Never hit a trail alone unless you know the trail very well and have done it several times with your vehicle before without getting bogged out.

Glad to hear you made er out fine though, and had a bud with a bigger truck to pull ya out. Always handy to have a nice tow strap. good pull points and someone with a bigger rig to get you out. I am looking at getting a nice shackle receiver tomorrow for my rig, and make some custom tow hooks for my front end.
 
#4 ·
I am looking at getting a nice shackle receiver tomorrow for my rig, and make some custom tow hooks for my front end.
I got a Curt receiver shackle last month for mine . Which one are you looking at?
 
#6 ·
#7 ·
Damn that is a nice one for sure. I am not 100% sure but I think the one I will be looking at tomorrow is this ONE. I'll have to get a good look at it and if it looks like junk, I am not gonna get it. Never got a solid look at my buds but he pulled my buds dakota out of the ditch the other week and it didn't break.. But I plan to put it to a much bigger test then that.
 
#9 ·
I just ordered a bunch of stuff to help prevent something like this from happening again

10,500# synthetic rope winch
2" Hitch winch plate
2 6.5ton shackles
1 3"x8' 26500 tow/tree saver strap
1 2'x20' tow strap
1 2" shackle receiver
1 Snatch block

hopefully all that will help
 
#10 ·
Glad to see you are having fun and learning lessons you won't forget any time soon. At least no one was hurt and no real damage done.

Are you getting a front mount receiver for the winch? Don't forget power cables to go with it, I don't see them in the list. With the removable winch plate you need a way to disconnect the power cables. If you are going to mount the winch in the rear receiver you will need to run long power cables. Make sure the size the cables for load, don't forget to consider the length too. If you run power cables all the way to the rear, they may need to be larger than the manufacturer's recommendations.

Get a couple of sleeves to slide over the synthetic rope if they do not come with the winch. You will need them to protect the winch rope.

What is the rating on the 2" tow strap? it may not be enough for your truck or another truck you may need to help some day.

Have fun and be safe.
 
#30 ·
I just ordered a bunch of stuff to help prevent something like this from happening again

10,500# synthetic rope winch
2" Hitch winch plate
2 6.5ton shackles
1 3"x8' 26500 tow/tree saver strap
1 2'x20' tow strap
1 2" shackle receiver
1 Snatch block

hopefully all that will help
Will agree with every one else a 2" tow strap is not going to work. You want a recovery strap, and a lot heavier one than 20,000lbs. A tow strap is meant to tow a vehicle that is not stuck, like a drag car car back to the pits, or you buddies Chevy home from the burger stand where it died. A recovery strap is meant to stretch when the mobile vehicle hits the end. This allows the strap to actually do the pulling using the mobile vehicle as an anchor.

And don't forget to hang an old coat, blanket, etc. in the middle of the recovery rope or winch rope when using them. If one breaks it is usually at one end or the other. The weight of a coat or blanket will help weigh the end that is coming at you down so it goes under the vehicle not through the windshield. Also don't let anyone stand along side to watch, they need to be at least as far back as the rope is long or in the vehicles!
 
#12 ·
Glad you're out and no damage.

Did you figure out why the lights and brakes were going retarded?? There should be a DTC.

Anyway... worst case in your situation would have been that you couldn't find someone to pull you out until the next day .... and you had to leave the truck overnight.... and the temperature dropped about 10* while you were away.... and when you returned the next day, you found your truck solidly frozen in!

Long story... it was a buddy's CJ about 20 years ago. :)
 
#18 ·
Yeah I have a couple 3''x30's. You need something a little bigger for a full size truck, the 2" ones are more for jeeps and lighter vehicles. Make sure you get recovery straps too-they stretch unlike tow straps.
hmm alright, ill probably just keep it. I have a few friends that have jeeps, so maybe if they are ever stuck ill just use it for them. It was only $15 anyway and it helped me just make my order eligible for the 16% autoanything discount.
 
#17 ·
Yeah I have a couple 3''x30's. You need something a little bigger for a full size truck, the 2" ones are more for jeeps and lighter vehicles. Make sure you get recovery straps too-they stretch unlike tow straps.
 
#19 ·
#21 ·
A good strap will cost you more than $15, but it will save you from a really bad day.

Example of a 3"x30' recovery strap... I just grabbed the first decent one that popped up on Google... I'm sure you can find them a little cheaper if you search.... $67.73 on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.ca/Smittybilt-CC330-30-Recovery-Strap/dp/B001CF4UXU
it is a smittybuilt one off auto anything. But no matter, im going to get a 3"x30

You should likely get 0 gauge and make a quick connect for it. I have bought them on Amazon. If the cable is too small it will cause you to burn up an otherwise good winch. In extreme cases it can burn insulation off the cable and start a fire. I bought 0 gauge cable on Ebay for a reasonable price.

You can find the sleeves in Amazon too.

Cancel the strap if it is not too late. You need at least a 3", 30K strap.
alright ill look for 20-25 ft 0 gauge and so quick connects, pick up some sleeves and a better strap
 
#24 ·
#26 ·
I have one o these in each of my trucks, not cheap but they work great and have stood up to a lot of abuse. It may be a little over kill but I'd rather error on the side of too big than on the side of to small and break it when I need it the worst.
http://www.bubbarope.com/jumbo-bubba
Now that's a big snatch rope!!
 
#27 ·
Bubba ropes are nice because they are coated to prevent dirt from getting in the fibers and damaging them like can happen with other straps. Also they make recovery ropes that can recover a big rig.
 
#28 ·
A winch is a cheap investment if you like to go offroad. My last truck got stuck 4 times in the last 2 years. It's a bit of a pain sometimes having to tromp through mud in order to get an anchor point but 20 minutes later when your mobile again you'll be glad you made that choice. Great pics by the way. I'm glad you didn't damage anything.
 
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