Last Call?
"Jeez, Ansen, you've gotten us into a fine emergency. It'll be at least 20 minutes before the beer settles down enough to open!"
Photo by Don Byrd, July '86
What the Puck?
This picture was taken at Lake Zurich, Illinois. A four-wheeler was attempting to plow snow off the frozen lake to clear the way for a hockey game when the truck's nose fell through the ice. It took two semi-truck wreckers and the local fire department about six hours to free the rig.
Matt Finley, McHenry, IL, Apr. '91
Poor Run
This is not a picture of my truck, but I thought you would find it interesting. I was at the annual mudbogs held in Brazil, Indiana. The truck in the photograph rolled onto its side when the owner exited the mudbog after a poor run. He gave it just a little too much on the ol' gas pedal while turning around at the end of the bog, and over the truck went. I must add that once the truck was pulled back up on its wheels, the owner's wife drove it in the women's class. She took first place.
Todd Cochran, Greencastle, IN, Feb. '91
That Sinkin' Feeling
Jeff Bolomey from Clark, New Jersey, sent in these photos, which ran in July '88. As 4-Wheel & Off-Road retold it: As you can see from the photos, Jeff's story flows with the tide. He and his buddy, Rob, who owns a Dodge truck, got stuck offshore during low tide. Two other trucks tried unsuccessfully to pull them out. A call to the police on the CB brought a tow truck, which also got stuck. Another call brought a four-wheel-drive tow truck three hours later. Jeff's Blazer was pulled out, but by that time the 40-degree water was up to the windows in Rob's truck. Rob tried to swim underwater to hook up the tow line but the water was too cold. As the sun went down, all that could be seen of the truck was the CB antenna and the four lights on the rollbar. The next afternoon the tide was low enough that the truck could be towed out. Like they say: If you get stuck you get wet.
River Dance
It's in times like these that owning your own tow-truck service comes in handy! After winching the Jeep out of the river, we put it on a hill to let all the water drain out. We went off to enjoy a great day of boating. When we returned, we dried the distributor cap, put in some fresh gas and used it to tow the boat home. Only in a Jeep....
Jack Brady, Paoli, PA, June '90
Man of Few Words, Part 1
To hell with the Jeep; save the beer!
Mike Burnett, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, Apr. '91
He's Learning
This happened in the gravel pits near my home the second night I owned my Bronco II. I tried to drive it through a mudhole but didn't get very far. We had to leave my truck until the next day. We tried to pull it out with two other trucks, but it didn't work. Luckily there was a bulldozer nearby, and the operator was nice enough to pull my Bronco out.
Jason Anderson, Highland,
MI, Apr. '91
King of the Inlet-Not
This past Thanksgiving holiday, some friends and I ventured to the Oregon Inlet on the outer banks of North Carolina for a little four-wheel-drive action on the beach. We came upon this CJ-7 and its owner, who must have thought he was king of the inlet. Up until then, so did we, but Mother Nature proved that she was still top dog no matter what kind of off-highway vehicle you drive. It took two tow trucks and a Chevy 1-ton 4x4 with a 12,000-pound-capacity winch about an hour and 45 minutes to get this CJ that thought it was a fish out of the drink. After witnessing this, we became three dethroned kings making our way back to Baltimore, treading as lightly as possible. By the way, no one was hurt.
Tim Tracey, Baltimore, MD, Apr. '91
Man of Few Words, Part 2
Alaskan Highway during spring runoff.
Mike Burnett, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, Apr. '91
Monster Truck 15 Minutes of Television Fame
During a recent filming for Return of the Battle of the Monster Trucks, Spikers All American, Eagle and Lil All American were entering the water of Lake Eloise at Cypress Gardens to line up for a race. All American and Eagle went first with no problem and everything was looking pretty good, but when poor Lil All American tried to follow, it somehow drove off an underwater ridge. The front right side of the truck shifted downward and the weight of the truck came forward causing the driver side of the truck sank. Driver Jeff Dease went down with his ship.
4-Wheel & Off-Road staff, Feb. '87