Gravelrama
I tried to climb a gravel pile with my Scout, flipped over backwards, and slid back down on my roof. We used a winch to upright it and towed it back to camp. That night I started it up and it drove right onto the trailer.
Mark Van Dusen, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, May '05
Back to Cars
Bottom line: I tried a short-cut. After that didn't work, I climbed out of my '91 Ford and went for a tow rope and another truck, but while I was gone, a passer-by tried to help. The well-meaning Samaritan apparently knew nothing about vehicle recovery, because my Ford had been dragged into an even deeper part of the river. I got my rig out, but I also got a repair bill in the $750 range. Eleven days later, I rolled the truck into a ditch while 'wheeling. I'm sticking to cars now.
Kim McKinnon, Sept. '94
Hay!
I was hauling five large bales of hay on a trailer behind my Chevy 4x4 in some rugged terrain when I had to come to a stop on a very steep ridge. The truck jumped out of gear and went down the ridge. It destroyed the truck and trailer. Luckily, I was out of the truck when it decided to jump out of gear.
Steve Coffey, Thornhill, TN, May '99
Hummers Really Do Grow on Trees
I was driving a Hummer when this tank ditch appeared before me. Thinking it was small, I attempted to drive across, but the Hummer quickly began to sink. We grabbed a log and put it through the door and out the turret hatch to keep it from sinking. A 2 1/2-ton truck almost sank pulling it out.
Stacy Edgin, El Paso, TX, May '99
That Sinking Feeling
A good buddy and I were out enjoying a day of four-wheeling. We thought this puddle was just a spring runoff. To our surprise it wasn't, and as a result I sank my '93 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 into a 35-foot dugout. Good thing the window was down so we could at least escape.
Byron Duckett, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, Feb. '00
When Trees Attack
This is my '95 Dodge Ram, which was "Ram Tough," not "Oak Tree Tough." We had a major thunderstorm, and the sad part was that I had just added a 12,000-pound Warn winch and grilleguard (the only things I salvaged) and Rancho RS 9000 shocks. I just ordered another Dodge 2500 V-10 Quad Cab.
Owen Titus, Mooresville, NC, Apr. '99
Note to Aftermarket: Make 5-foot Lift Kit
This is my '89 Jeep Cherokee with a 3-inch lift and 30-inch mud tires. On the way to the local trails, I came across this little puddle that was actually 5 feet deep. It took a 9,000-pound Warn winch on a Toyota Tacoma to get me out. After a month, the seats were still a little damp.
Chris Garrett, Milford, OH, Dec. '98
The Ol' Trail Switcheroo
My friend and I hang out at this spot pretty often, but heavy rain changed the trail, which I didn't expect. I only took my eyes off the road for a second, and over it went. After 20 hard yanks my truck finally limped home.
David Wigent, Pomona, CA, Feb. '00
Still Waters Run, Well, You Know...
Believe it or not, this looked like just another puddle with a few logs across it. However, those logs must have been a bridge at one time-the little puddle turned out to be 4-foot deep. It took an International pickup and a Ford Bronco to get the Jeep out.
Adrian Herbst, Park Rapids, MN, Aug. '98
Demoted
I was out testing the four-wheel-drive system on my boss's hunting vehicle, a '79 Jeep Wagoneer Limited, when I got too deep in the pond on the ranch. It took a tractor to finally remove the stuck Jeep. I don't think I'll be invited back!
Bart Zavaletta, Brownsville, TX, Oct. '99
White-Water 'Wheeling
My friend and I were doing a little four-wheeling and decided to cross this river, which we had crossed many times before but never during spring runoff. We made it across (barely), but were not as fortunate coming back.
Jason Peck, Logan, UT, July '98
Nice Afternoon for a Walk
This Sunday afternoon rollover netted us a 10-mile hike to the nearest ride. Some 10 hours later, the Jeep was upright and running. Check out the fresh paint and undercarriage.
Dave Brant Jr., Fruita, CO, Dec. '97
Daktari Flashback
This is Mike Marsh's '78 Ford Bronco in a deep rut in an old gravel pit in Robinson Township. This is where all of the locals and some out-of-towners go four-wheeling. Mike's back left tire is about a foot and a half off the ground. Of course, Mike was sure he could have made it all the way through. It took a bigger Chevy to pull him back out.
April Spicer, Coopersville, MI, Jan. '94