From: Marty Michener <>
>
> Hear, hear! To me, a good vehicle is quite important. For the first thir=
ty
> years of my fieldwork, I always drove gas-conserving mini-cars like Toyot=
a
> corolla and cheaper. Then it occurred to me: the hunters and ATV and
> Snow-Mobile guys all drive huge 4 WD trucks, at something like 12 mpg, an=
d
> they get all through the woods, whereas I was walking and carrying a lot.
My "new" Ranger is only the 2nd 4X4 I've ever owned. Quite a while back
I owned a Ford F250, 60 gallons of gas tank, 10,000lb winch on the
front, Clark dump truck transmission. A very serious hunk of iron. That
could drive around through several feet of snow with no problem, once
you put chains on all 4 wheels. But gas was a whole lot cheaper back
then. Towed a 36' cruising sailboat with it once. And used the winch to
reposition a 50' cruising sailboat under construction as well.
> One day I snapped, and now drive 4WD manual vehicles - currently '99
> 4Runner. I too noticed Toyota DOESN'T MAKE MANUAL TRANIES ANYMORE, so th=
e
> '99 was the latest one you could get a stick shift.
Ford still makes manuals, though they are a minority of sales. The
problem with them is going big on engines. 2003 is the last year for
3.0L 4X4 Rangers. The combo of manual, 4X4 and 3.0 engine was tough to
find. Only know of one other for sale, and that's in California.
> I also keep a set of sand adapters, since I have a cabin in NJ Pine
> Barrens, and loose sand, once disturbed can be deadly.
South Georgia is seemingly all deep, loose sand. But that's not the
worst, it can be deep loose sand with up to a foot of water over it for
miles sometimes. Real challenge to drive in my 95 2wd Ranger. I've had a
4' alligator run out from under the front of the Ranger while driving
such roads. The new 4X4 will make those a bit easier.
Even when it's dry the big logging trucks can really churn it up. Like
driving plowed sand.
I post this list in
> case anyone is curious:
> 1. I keep a battery-op compressor. I can reduce the air pressure in all=
> large tires for soft sand service, then reinflate when I get to highway.
> 2. I have a come-along - aka hand winch. This device has more uses . . .
Same here, mine being a large cast iron model, very heavy duty.
> 3. I carry extra nylon tow-cable lengths, to lengthen the "reach" of the=
> come-along.
I'd been just going with one old 150' climbing rope. But this year I
went wild when I discovered one of the ebay rope sellers was local and
would sell locally at his starting price. Now have over 300' of 1/2" in
two lengths plus a 75' length of 1" and another of 3/4". All braid on
braid good stuff. And several other pieces that I won't have along
normally.
> 4. A set of boards or small old rugs.
> 5. I also have a set of sand stakes, a small shovel and baby sledge.
> Sand stakes are fascinating if you've never seen them. It is a series of=
> three stakes, each about a meter long, with stout nylon cords.
> It employs the lever principle to provide a "tree" to winch from when non=
e
> are close enough. The first, strongest stake gets driven into the sand
> about halfway, angled away from the stuck car about 20 degrees to
> vertical. The second then DIRECTLY behind it about 2-4 meters away, in a=
> similar attitude. The TOP of the first stake is tied tightly to the seco=
nd
> stake where it meets the ground. The third stake is driven a similar
> distance away from the second and tied similarly. You then anchor the
> winch to the bottom of the first stake. As tension increases, the lever=
> multipliers ideally keep the first stake from moving. In practice, getti=
ng
> the pull slightly to one side or other is often fatal to the rig. Once y=
ou
> have disturbed the sand, it gets tougher, too.
I've not needed sand stakes, but keep thinking I should carry some. Do
have shovel.
> 6. extra nylon old climbing rope. I find some of the areas near my cabin =
in
> NJ the biggest tree is about 4 to 5 inches DBH, so I rig several tress in=
a
> sling, distributing the force - actually I've never really had to do that=
:
> when I meed sugar sand, all plowed up, I just learn to back accurately fo=
r
> miles if necessary to exit the roadway.
Been there, done that, though down here it can be because the road has
zero safe place to turn around. Swamp to both edges of a driveway width
"road".
Note, in nearly 10 years chasing frogs I've not gotten stuck once.
Though I have scared the willies out of my son getting out of some tough
stuff. My wife is harder to scare, having played in the Australian outback.
Note I did the best job of scaring my son on a Georgia Clay road, one
all chewed up by logging skidders and very steep. I was not even sure
I'd make it out of that one. Where we don't have deep sand, we have
Georgia Clay. If it starts to rain heavy and you are out on that you
have minutes to get out sometimes.
Walt
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