Oh the shame of it

2»

Comments

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #32

    Well Bof I know what John Cleese would have done, yep the old toyota gets a sound thrashing with a piece of bush..

    if there was any bush lying around I would have stuck it under the wheels.  

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #33

     I was towed off at Bladon Chains a few years ago by the warden when we had had to take a grass pitch given the choice  I go for the featureless hard standing every time, we
    avoid grass all year round .

    We are on Wirral CP this weekend.  The last time we visited there were a lot of pitches closed. The story we were told was that more h/s pitches had been added and these had caused drainage problems and flooding.  Just like city's where paving the front
    garden to provide car parking causes significant flooding issues. 

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #34

     

    Simple Happy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_noiFPBv398

    Interesting.  It strikes me you could achieve the same with ratchet straps off which I always have a couple lying arround the back of the car.  

    I didn't actually tell the whole story. I didn't get stuck once I got stuck twice but in different ways. 

    The first time I attempt to tow off a friends Pagent. Moved off no problem got about 20ft will spin no forward motion.  Was able to reverse and try again same result.  Part of the problem was the centre of the field was higher than the edges not by a huge amount but it was slightly up hill the initial direction.   I am sure with enough attempts I would found a line and got off.  But the tractor was the easier, cleaner and most importantly imho less damaging to the ground. 

    Attempting to get my van off which is heavier than a Pagent with a mptlm of 1900kg on a single axle I managed to tow it exactly no feet and no inches. What happened was as soon as I lifted the steadies which were on planks the wheels just sank and obviously the force required to extricate them was greater that the available traction.  

    What could I have done differently?  Stayed at home? Booked some featureless hard standing site.  Both practical possibilities just not very attractive ones for me.  As the wheels sank. I would  consider parking on tracks if similar in a similar condition To spread the load. Low ratio would I have been better off without it?  All the torque in the world doesn't count for anything if you have no grip maybe I would have been better trying high ratio high gear start?

    What would I do the same?   Give in gracefully accept the tow and keep smiling.

     

     You did everything right and i am sure there are not many people who have not got into some "traction" dificulties at some point in their driving years,i have been towed off and have towed others off before,

    The worst time I had was trying to get to work at 0600 near the Woodhead Pass one winter in the 1960s there was 7cars following a snow plough when we all got stuck,it took 3hrs of digging and towing we all did get to work eventuallySurprised

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #35

    .....

    The worst time I had was trying to get to work at 0600 near the Woodhead Pass one winter in the 1960s there was 7cars following a snow plough when we all got stuck,it took 3hrs of digging and towing we all did get to work eventuallySurprised

    That'd be too dangerous in this 'elf 'n' safety world ..... and that's when heaters were optional extras Laughing

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #36

    To drift off topic for a moment.  We used to live on top of a hill we could see from our bedroom window both of Liverpool cathedrals and the Runcorn Widnes bridge.  The price of the view was we were ever to slightly exposed.   Anyway back to the story we
    combining home from doing shopping on a snowy winters afternoon when our progress up the hill was impeded by the snow plough giviving up and turning arround.  Despite this we made it home which was important as my wife was 7 months pregnant at the time.  The
    point of this story is what was the car that was so fantastic in the snow?   It was a 1000cc mini metro city A car so basic it did not have a passenger sun visor.  An appalling car in all respects except for its ability to go up hills in the snow. 

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #37

     .....  An appalling car in all respects except for its ability to go up hills in the snow. 

    FWD and skinny tyres that cut through the snow rather than sit on top like many cars do these days with their wider tyres.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #38

    I had a mini traveller that used to get me through the snow....but doing a bit better later with a Mercedes, hopeless!

    Our motorhome is a rear wheel drive and we thought this would be an improvement but no, the mud at Warwick CC defeated us!

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #39

    The worst cars in the snow are rear wheel drive cars and trucks,front wheel drive has all the weight where its needed,how many times in the past did some one have to sit or stand on the back and bounce  to keep goingSurprised

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #40

    The worst cars in the snow are rear wheel drive cars and ....

    automatic with wide tyres and a traction control that pokes its nose in too often! Wink

    My Smart Roadster is actually not bad in snow .... engine over rear wheels Happy

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited February 2016 #41

    Indeed!  I had an MGF that was as good in snow as the Land Rover until it ran out off underbody clearance! (It was also a lot warmer even with the hood down)