Zion Area Tow

[mattRox]

I found this YouTube channel the other day. Matt seems like a really nice guy who runs a towing business out of Hurricane Utah and started videoing his rescues a few months ago. Thought we'd all appreciate this one (#notme)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca4mmxTjzz4

Thanks,

[pcskier]

I'm familiar with that area and have the same trailer. I with in the video he would provide more details on what happened and how. I have no idea how the guy got in to that situation. Also curious if that Titan was four wheel drive? I'm guessing not, and in that case, bad move going up that road.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

I'm a bit unclear on just how the trailer and truck became unhitched. Did they get stuck backing down and decide to unhook and go for help?

Indeed the wrong road to be on with a 2WD truck.

Bob

[mattRox]

Purely conjecture on my part; but I believe he lost traction going up the hill and was left with no other choice than to back up. During the backing (I think he was alone) the trailer started tracking towards the curb side and he stopped it before it went off the edge.

His only option after that was to unhitch. After unhitching he probably started trying to back into the hitch from a different angle but ended up getting sideways.


As Matt says, "These aren't big deals. As far as life goes, this is just a little thing. Everybody makes mistakes!"

[mattRox]

After binge watching a bunch of those videos I have a new found lack of respect for the capabilities of my F250.

And those Polaris Razrs seem to fall apart out there!

[Foiled Again]

I am "overdoing it" with a GMC 2500 duramax 4 wheel drive, and the "unnecessary" blue ox hitch when I am just pulling a 25 footer.

How am I going to stop grinning after seeing that video.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

After watching a few more:

Tires matter a lot if you are going to play in loose sand. Street tires at full pressure are *not* what you want to use.

If you ever are involved in pulling a truck out of a gulch: The cable on the tow truck is only just so strong. They can (and sometimes do) snap. You do not want to be anywhere in the vicinity if that happens.

Bob

[mattRox]

Yeah, he's got some kind of a bungee type tow rope which helps him pop them out.

[rmkrum]

Another reminder of why I have a 4x4 truck that never gets dirty off the road. It’s one of those “when you need it, you really need it” things.

Tossing the truck into 4wd Low range and then locking up the rear differential to pull real hard in a note or less straight line has pulled me out of a couple tough situation with no issues.

The video also illustrates why you need to be well practiced and shilled at backing up in many circumstances.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

Another reminder of why I have a 4x4 truck that never gets dirty off the road. It’s one of those “when you need it, you really need it” things.

Tossing the truck into 4wd Low range and then locking up the rear differential to pull real hard in a note or less straight line has pulled me out of a couple tough situation with no issues.

The video also illustrates why you need to be well practiced and shilled at backing up in many circumstances.

Hi

Simply being *able* to lock up the rear axle is highly dependent on the options you ordered on the truck. Even with the 4x4 or max tow packages, the lockup does not seem to get tossed in. ( I have it on my truck and it's at least as useful as the 4x4).

A hose and a good source of water are generally a needed item after one has used the rear locker ....

Bob

[Kanusport]

I saw that video a while back on YouTube. It’s exciting. I had a situation in the spring where I found myself presented with a hill and a switchback on my way to ride copper city trails in three forks Montana. My gut told me I should have parked well before I encountered the hill but we ended up at the base of the thing with no option for retreat.
My wife’s truck is an 2018 F150 super crew 6.5’ bed 4x4 ecoboost. At this point I’m glad we had the fx4 off-road package because I was able to engage the locker, put it in 4 Lo and creep up the hill maintaining momentum. Thankfully nobody tried to share the road ie come down it while I was going up as there was no room. On the way down I kept it in 4 Lo and creeped. It worked out but I was puckered up because I four wheel and I knew that the situation we where I wasn’t a good one.

I’m considering getting some Matt Trax for my utah trip in the spring mostly for rutted our roads near goblin valley state park, to protect the plumbing.

Never again maybe

[VTSmitty]

We were just there, mountain biking at Wire Mesa. We drove that road downhill, and remember thinking that there was no way we would take our trailer on it. I can't imagine trying to tow up it!

Dan

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Kanusport

I saw that video a while back on YouTube. It’s exciting. I had a situation in the spring where I found myself presented with a hill and a switchback on my way to ride copper city trails in three forks Montana. My gut told me I should have parked well before I encountered the hill but we ended up at the base of the thing with no option for retreat.
My wife’s truck is an 2018 F150 super crew 6.5’ bed 4x4 ecoboost. At this point I’m glad we had the fx4 off-road package because I was able to engage the locker, put it in 4 Lo and creep up the hill maintaining momentum. Thankfully nobody tried to share the road ie come down it while I was going up as there was no room. On the way down I kept it in 4 Lo and creeped. It worked out but I was puckered up because I four wheel and I knew that the situation we where I wasn’t a good one.

I’m considering getting some Matt Trax for my utah trip in the spring mostly for rutted our roads near goblin valley state park, to protect the plumbing.

Never again maybe

Hi

If you are back in Three Forks, they have some good steak (both beef and bison) at the restaurant that's part of the hotel in town. There's also the ever popular giant sticky buns out at Wheat Montana .... burp ....

Bob

[Kanusport]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

If you are back in Three Forks, they have some good steak (both beef and bison) at the restaurant that's part of the hotel in town. There's also the ever popular giant sticky buns out at Wheat Montana .... burp ....

Bob

Bob,
Although I haven’t tried the steak there, I did get the sticky buns and some coffee at wheat Montana and they were good. I’ll check out the food at the hotel next time we are over that way. Thanks for the tip.
Sean

[carl2591]

wow not even a 4x4 .. wonder how much that cost. ??

Originally Posted by mattRox

I found this YouTube channel the other day. Matt seems like a really nice guy who runs a towing business out of Hurricane Utah and started videoing his rescues a few months ago. Thought we'd all appreciate this one (#notme)

Thanks,

[drbrick]

makes me really glad I have an f150 heavy duty FX4 with 4 wheel drive with all the bells and whistles and also using K2 Goodrich tires

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Definitely a fun YouTube channel to watch while it's cold and rainy out.

After watching a lot of these videos, they have some *really* weird sand out there. Even the "magic jeep" with all the right stuff gets stuck occasionally. They also have some very unique driving techniques for running under those conditions. In a lot of places, driving that way would make things worse, not better.

My F250 has a lock on the rear axle. That's a far cry from the sort full lockup that a real off road setup gets. I would *not* want to try some of those areas with my truck. (I'm also not buying a set of tires just for playing in the sand either ....).

Bob