EDITOR'S NOTE: Last issue we featured Jim Davis' Chevy truck in “Orange Crush... On The Rocks!"’ Well, here's a humorous and educational behind-the-scenes look at what can happen on a photo shoot that readers don't normally see.
Jim Davis buries it with a bad combination of caffeine and throttle.
Golden Hour is the term used to describe that magic moment that occurs for (surprisingly) about an hour around sunrise and sunset when even a hack like me can take good pictures. And if you miss it, you are waiting another 12 hours to get the shot
The subject in question is the ’71 Chevy that has been lovingly restored by Jim Davis of Vancouver, WA. The goal was to get this truck to a pretty spot in Oregon during the Golden Hour. Easy enough, right? Read on...
We meet at the local coffee joint at 0430 and caravan over to my top-secret photo spot. We stomp around for a while and decide to put the truck right by the river with two tires in. I toss a rock in the spot I want him to end up. Little did we know that our photo shoot would turn into an off-road adventure a mere 10 yards from pavement!
The river rocks are slippery and mossy and the river sloped in a bit more aggressively than we had thought. There was also too much coffee, tires at street pressure and overly enthusiastic application of the throttle. Leading to the stuck you see here.
Lesson 1: “There is no situation that more throttle can’t make worse.”
As one front tire whet in, the natural instinct was to turn away from the river and gas it. Well the front tire was hopelessly stuck as soon as it went in and more throttle only spun the back-end around. Bad scene.
No problem, somebody will be around with a strap soon. So we waited and waited and waited... no joy. With our Golden Hour all but gone, it was time to call in the pros. A local tow company was dispatched and things when from odd to downright comical.
Driver one shows up on scene with a flatbed, takes about half a second to assess the situation, and drives his rig onto the river rocks at about 20 mph. Now he is in a nice position to pull the Chevy out, but senses something is not quite right. Realizing he was in trouble, the pro gets on it hard and buried it to the axle. Leading to the stuck you see here.
Tow truck driver buries it with a bad combination of bravado and throttle.
Lesson 2: “When helping a friend, don’t become a victim yourself.” The other guy got stuck for a reason. Don’t fall into the same trap.
Our local pro is on-scene less than a minute and is buried up to the rear axle. What started out as a job that should have required an easy pull, has turned into a major recovery operation.
The other lessons are less obvious, but equally important. Everyone likes to help a buddy, but make sure that you don’t get sucked into the same trap. Consider all your options before committing to a course of action.
Lesson 3: “Take your time to assess the situation, don't rush.” The truck is stuck, it’s not going anywhere. Consider your options before committing.
The photo shoot was a write-off, but a nice crowd had gathered to watch the carnage. The flatbed managed to pull the Chevy out, but didn’t have enough wire rope to free himself. So he gets on the radio to call for backup.
“Uh boss... yah, hi...It’s me. So, how’s everything at the shop? Why am I calling when I should be out making money? Well I went to pull this truck out and well... can you just send another truck out here?”
Tow Truck number two shows up. A one-ton wrecker sent out to recover this buried deuce-and-a-half flatbed. This should be a neat trick, I thought.
Trying to drag the flatbed at a 90 degree angle is NOT happening.
Lesson 4: “Pull the vehicle in the direction it wants to go.” Don't try to drag it sideways. I know this seems obvious, but it happens all too often. So after about a half-hour of trying this, wrecker driver #2 finally figures it out and ties off to a dead head that gives him a straight shot at the stuck flatbed.
The driver of the wrecker pulls up at a 90-degree angle to the flatbed and starts pulling and well... you don’t need to be Jim Allen to know what happens next. The dual 10 thousand pound winches strain against the weight of the buried flatbed and, even with the stinger down and the wheels chocked, the little 1-ton Ford is getting dragged all over the place.
Lesson 5: “If a recover technique isn't working, reevaluate and try something else.” If you have attempted a recovery and it doesn’t work, doing the same thing again will probably not work either. Change strategy and try again. Don’t risk your safety or your equipment continuing on a failed course of action.
This whole drama played out over the course of three hours. We didn't get the truck photos that day, but we did have an opportunity to pick up some pointers that can help any off-roader.
Success. Wrecker ties off to this deadhead and pulls the flatbed out in the direction of travel.
Getting stuck is part of off-roading, frequently the most fun and memorable. Hopefully these tips will make your off-road adventure safer and more enjoyable.