The other day on Facebook there was a plea for help from a vandweller who got stuck in an area that I stay from time to time. I checked the GPS location that they gave and it was in fact very close to my previous camping spots on BLM land.
They had sought help and called a tow truck that when they came were not able to get it out with the truck they brought. The last post indicated that tow truck driver left for a different vehicle.
By chance I was coming to that area and found a camping spot near where I usually stay. I walked to the GPS coordinates where the stuck vehicle was and found the spot in the picture below.
It doesn’t look like much but from the marks and the picture from Facebook (unable to locate to share here) it appears to have been a front wheel drive van. They tried turning around getting their drive wheels off the hard road into the soft sand. They dug a hole with their main drive tire that they couldn’t get out of.
I never got stuck with my Class B, Prius, or Tacoma/FWC camper. I drive in a way to avoid getting stuck.
I brought snow/off road chains with me for my Prius front wheels and I bring snow/off road chains for all 4 tires of my Tacoma and will work diligently to never have to use them, but if I do I sure hope they work.
Above is a turn in the road that I would not have driven through. Too much sand. I would get out of my vehicle and walk through it to check it out.
Above is another road that leads to a dead end without a turnaround. Yet someone else turned around off the hard road surface and appear to have gotten stuck.
Here I am parked for the night. It is hard packed and my wheels have not sunken at all.
But just behind where I stopped on hard packed ground is soft sand. Yes, I got out and walked the whole area before I settled into my spot.
Above is a turn in the road that I would not have driven through. Too much sand. I would get out of my vehicle and walk through it to check it out.
Where the vandweller was stuck in the photo above was right around the corner where the road became a dead end.
A quick walk would have shown the soft sand and dead end without a turnaround.
At that point they haven’t gone too far and were on solid ground dirt road, and they could have backed up.
Above is another road that leads to a dead end without a turnaround. Yet someone else turned around off the hard road surface and appear to have gotten stuck.
Even with my 4x4 I would not drive off in the soft sand.
Here I am parked for the night. It is hard packed and my wheels have not sunken at all.
But just behind where I stopped on hard packed ground is soft sand. Yes, I got out and walked the whole area before I settled into my spot.
My Prius could have made it here without a problem. The key is to not getting stuck is taking your time and do your best no matter what your driving to not get stuck.
Brent
macaloney@hotmail.com
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