Situation: Tootling along the Pippingarra Road (about 40 kms south of Port Hedland) and came to a sandy creek bed.
Plan: Consider the conditions before proceeding.
Strategy from plan: Yep! She'll be right, looks fairly firm.
Results of strategy: B*O*G*G*E*D to the axles, belly of the vehicle sitting on the sand.
Corrective Actions: 1. Let tyres down to 16 psi 2. Kick self in bum for not letting tyres down prior to proceeding. 3. Detach van from towing vehicle. 4. Using vehicle's hydraulic jack, jack up each corner of the vehicle and fill in the holes under the tyres to bring vehicle up to former level. 5. Make a note to buy a hi-lift jack. (Famous last words - nah! she'll be right, I'll never need one) 6. Drive out of sand to firm ground and do a U-ey. 7. Drive back and stop just past the van. 8. Fit snatch-strap around rear chassis of van and connect to towing hook. 9. Tow van backwards until on solid ground (about 100 metres). 10. Disconnect snatch strap and re-hook up van. 11. Drive back the way I came.
Overall Result: A pleasant 4 hours (10 am to 2 pm) with the temperature at a mild 33 degC.
Moral of the Story: It's not only WET creek crossings you should walk first. If I had taken 5 minutes to get out of the car and check the surface, I would have realised how soft the sand was and at least let the tyres down first, more probably wouldn't have even tried it towing the van.
Well done Mike! At least you used good old fashioned commonsense to get out even if you didn't use it to get in. Lesson learnt? Some of those creek beds up that way have a lot of water UNDER the sand and the more you dig the deeper and wetter you get. It happens up Cape Yorke Peninsula way as well. Heard a horror story a couple of days ago about 2 4WD stuck in a river bed overnight believing crocs lived there. A ranger whinched them out in the morning. It's handy to use the bush skills we have when we need them. Good on ya Mike. Cheers Chris
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Another Moral is have the rescue gear with you at all times, otherwise you might be in for a long wait, good on ya mate well done Happened to me a few years ago, only that time the water was running, thick brown mountain water, could'nt see the bottom she'll be right, pretty shallow, famous last words, stayed in the pothole for 3 hours with water up to my bum, was in the way of a 4wd club who towed me home new motor required lesson in humility and commonsense
