Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 19:33:36 -0800
Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: If stuck in snow pull tab to open (gotta see this)
In-Reply-To: <001c01c4e896$b2722520$640fa8c0@ttower17def>
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Years ago in my wilder days some of my VW bus driving buddies and I took
off in our buses the day after Christmas for a remote mountain camping
area just north of Los Angeles. Being an impromptu affair we just threw
some adult beverages, some girls, blankets, and so on into the backs and
headed out. We got there after dark, 20 miles of abandoned paved road
and then 5 miles of dirt to a place we called "party peak", named after
many fun VW adventures camping there. Right as we arrived a brief ice
storm hit and we holed up in our vans until it ended. Everything outside
was white with a crust and being from LA we did not have the warm
clothing needed to be comfortable, to say the least. We spent the whole
night throwing gasoline on piles of fallen wet branches, desperate for a
little warmth, waiting for first light so we could drive back down out
of the mountains. When it was light enough to leave we headed down the
dirt road, coming to a steep section of one lane switchbacks. Man those
old buses were impressive off road. Halfway down we came to a couple of
4x4 pickups blocking the road trying to get one of their trucks unstuck.
They were also leaving due to the ice storm but one of them had slid
sideways into a deep rut. They were clearly annoyed to see a pack of VWs
driving down the frozen road almost like it was nothing. Since we could
not pass we all got out to watch as they hooked up a tow strap. They
looped it over the bumper and then down to the front suspension, putting
the hook onto a tie rod of all things. They did not seem to want any
input from the VW hippies so we just stood back and smiled. The lead
truck put it in gear and gave it gas. One end of the bumper popped right
off the stuck truck but he kept gassing it, not getting anywhere with
his tires spinning on the icy slush. Suddenly the tie rod broke off and
he slid off the road on the downhill side. That gave us the opening we
needed so we piled back in and drove through the carnage, laughing our
heads off.
Mark
Doug in Calif wrote:
>Sudhir,
>Oh, well, I had never seen it and thought it hilarious for some holiday
>cheeer. (sorry if a repost to you)
>
>Its my belief that SERIOUS metal is still attached to the bumper that tore
>away from the chassis. It ripped the steel welds apart and once it started
>to go
>it could pull the whole rear section. The right side metal did not pull out
>the same way just the left did where it separated from the chassis.
>
>If as you say they had only attached the hook to the rear plastic bumper
>material the hook would have ripped the plastic on the first tug.
>
>He hooked it securely, the problem is the car had enough bite into the snow
>to anchor it, something has to give, the Ford Explorer or what ever the tow
>vehicle was had enough weight to ripp the steel apart.
>
>He also allowed slack in the tow strap and then gunned it. so you have a
>stationary mass issue that could have done this even if the vehicle was not
>stuck.
>
>Doug
>
>
>
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