GregL
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2016
- Posts
- 368
- Reaction score
- 268
- Location
- Palm Springs, CA.
- First Name
- Greg
- Truck Year
- 1977
- Truck Model
- K 20
- Engine Size
- 350
Hah! I'm getting older, my night vision ain't what it used to be, Hell, I use those overhead lights in town to see better!
Oh, and you're right Grit dog, I don't go "boonie bashing" any more. Last time was 5 or 6 years ago I was way out in the desert on an easy dirt road just cruising
"the long way home" air conditioning is blowing cold, truck its running good, I'm just having a nice afternoon. But I'm alone in triple digit temperatures. I came to a train trestle next to a 15 foot deep arroyo. I got out to take a look if there was enough room to creep by it and get under the trestle, got back in, slammed the door and the arroyo caved in....all sand. Truck toppled over but stayed upright at about a 60 degree angle. Grill and bumper were buried in the sand right up to the hood, driver's side rear wheel was two feet off the ground, front wheels were turned to full lock and jammed against some big buried rocks. So I drop the T case into low lock and give it a try, all four wheels spin uselessly and I feel the truck instantly drop another couple of feet. Then I realize how quickly an innocent trip can turn into a scary movie. I'm ten miles from the nearest paved road, I have no water with me and no phone service out there. And my hair stood on end for a second when I realized there 's a real possibility I can die trying to walk out. Happens every year to to one ******* or another out here and I always think "How can anyone be that stupid?" and I JUST BECAME THAT GUY. I know better.
I said a Hail Mary, made a couple promises to my truck (like we all have!), if it would just get me out of this scrape. I figured if there was any chance of getting the front wheels turned straight, that would be my only chance. If that didn't work I had to go meet Wile E. Coyote. So I fired the truck back up and pulled that steering wheel for all I was worth, I'm a 210 lb guy and I'm no stranger to hard work but I reefed on that steering column until I was sure it would break but I felt the wheels slowly start to turn and push the truck off the rocks a few inches. That was all I needed. Back into reverse and the 3 wheels touching earth grabbed and walked that truck up out of that arroyo as easy as it would drive across a parking lot. I didn't stop backing up for 60 feet, just in case!
Of course This garnered a huge WOO HOO! from me, a grin from ear to ear and a pat on the dashboard for the truck with an honest "Thank You!" and the promise of a better life for it from then on.
You guys know your trucks like I know my truck. I love it, it's very personal thing, but there is no doubt in my mind that, that truck saved my life that day.
I don't think a Ford would have done it.
Cheers brothers!
Oh, and you're right Grit dog, I don't go "boonie bashing" any more. Last time was 5 or 6 years ago I was way out in the desert on an easy dirt road just cruising
"the long way home" air conditioning is blowing cold, truck its running good, I'm just having a nice afternoon. But I'm alone in triple digit temperatures. I came to a train trestle next to a 15 foot deep arroyo. I got out to take a look if there was enough room to creep by it and get under the trestle, got back in, slammed the door and the arroyo caved in....all sand. Truck toppled over but stayed upright at about a 60 degree angle. Grill and bumper were buried in the sand right up to the hood, driver's side rear wheel was two feet off the ground, front wheels were turned to full lock and jammed against some big buried rocks. So I drop the T case into low lock and give it a try, all four wheels spin uselessly and I feel the truck instantly drop another couple of feet. Then I realize how quickly an innocent trip can turn into a scary movie. I'm ten miles from the nearest paved road, I have no water with me and no phone service out there. And my hair stood on end for a second when I realized there 's a real possibility I can die trying to walk out. Happens every year to to one ******* or another out here and I always think "How can anyone be that stupid?" and I JUST BECAME THAT GUY. I know better.
I said a Hail Mary, made a couple promises to my truck (like we all have!), if it would just get me out of this scrape. I figured if there was any chance of getting the front wheels turned straight, that would be my only chance. If that didn't work I had to go meet Wile E. Coyote. So I fired the truck back up and pulled that steering wheel for all I was worth, I'm a 210 lb guy and I'm no stranger to hard work but I reefed on that steering column until I was sure it would break but I felt the wheels slowly start to turn and push the truck off the rocks a few inches. That was all I needed. Back into reverse and the 3 wheels touching earth grabbed and walked that truck up out of that arroyo as easy as it would drive across a parking lot. I didn't stop backing up for 60 feet, just in case!
Of course This garnered a huge WOO HOO! from me, a grin from ear to ear and a pat on the dashboard for the truck with an honest "Thank You!" and the promise of a better life for it from then on.
You guys know your trucks like I know my truck. I love it, it's very personal thing, but there is no doubt in my mind that, that truck saved my life that day.
I don't think a Ford would have done it.
Cheers brothers!
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