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How NOT to climb a hill

9K views 39 replies 30 participants last post by  amaclach 
#1 ·
#33 ·
Too much momentum at the wrong times. I don't understand the rocket launcher approach at the bottom of the hill. I would have started farther back on the flat surface to gain momentum in a flatter surface so I could concentrate on my path up the hill when I got there.

Know where your wheels are
Know what kind of contact your wheels are having with the surface (you should be able to feel wheels slipping)
Know to take off the gas when you loose contact so you don't bounce when it contacts the surface again (I've only done this driving/falling down hill)
Know that ruts are killers and if you can see it out your driver window
Keep body parts inside the vehicle at all times
Keep all your sh!t stowed away
If you have 2 tow straps, a rope and a winch, pick one-use it!
Know your "spotter" or "spectator"
Know that if ya'all stand around recording my fall that I'm gonna be b!tch slappin' yo' asses /neckroll

This is not to belittle the driver in this incident, we are our own worst judges. However, I'm not here to defend him either!

From the site this was posted on (a training group):
Eureka 4WD Training
We had this video sent into us this morning and a ** warning as some viewers might find this disturbing ** Shows how quickly once again it can go wrong for us all off road. Very easy to pass judgement from a computer but in our opinion if working the winch on the front of the vehicle should of been hooked up to a suitable anchor point and the wheels chocked to help prevent the 4WD rolling backwards. Driver remains in 4WD with foot firmly on footbrake in 1st gear.

Seems too much momentum was used when ascending the hill resulting in the typical bouncing of the front end and being thrown off line. We hope everyone involved was ok as this was a bad roll over. Please keep safe out there everyone it can go so wrong so quick.
 
#36 ·
I see too many FJ guys really discount the need for roll bars. When i mention my intent to add one I often get " I'm not hard core and don't need one."
This speaks to the need for roll cages when wheeling in situations like that, which is not uncommon in most parks. It looked as if they were trapped in the truck and a roll bar would have been worth the price for the safety and depending on the type (interior vs exterior), reduction in damage.

I really hope they were OK, that sucks bad.
 
#38 ·
Even though you make a valid point I for one don't have intentions of installing a roll cage in my FJC. Yes we take risks every time we ride in a park with the types of obstacles shown in the video and mistakes happen. As @Joabmc stated, I need to know the limits of my equipment and my skill level. Choose not to push the challenge beyond your comfort level. What does your gut say?

We all should take notes from the video and burn the images into our memories - what would we do differently to prevent the roll; slow down, lock the brakes, pull the winch line? Absolutely IF we new what the end result was going to be. We would also react much quicker and have folks stationed in the event there was a compromise like the engine stall.

This was a sad event, but one we all should learn from. One other note, always wear your seat belt! A must do!

MissFJ, thanks for sharing. All your points are spot on. :rocker:
 
#37 ·
  • I really hope that dude is okay.
  • That seemed to be a dirt bike approach to hill climbing
  • When stopped and crossed up like that, stay stopped
  • use that expensive hardware (winch) up front!
  • keep your arms and legs inside of the vehicle at all times
  • keep your stuff strapped down - cooler, tools, etc. that stuff can bonk you in the noggin when bouncing around
 
#40 ·
I wonder how many there knew how to use the hi-lift jack accessories perma-bolted to their trucks to get that RR back on its wheels safely & get the driver out?
 
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