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View Full Version : Jeeze that was difficult!



~Rich~
18th August 2011, 06:48 AM
Hi Guys,
I've been away this week in Orange NSW, I decided to go for a drive up to Mt Canobalas which is no challenge. But on the way down I decided to give my GPS and OZ Topo V3 a test in the state forest (solo). Had some fun and the GPS had all of the tracks on it. Some short challenges but nothing to stop the D3.
Nearing the main road I decided to use another side track for a last bit of fun!
Hmmm maybe I shouldn't have!
I started going down the hill and saw a deep rut ahead, tried to drive around it but my drivers front slid in. I got out in figure out next steps through the passengers door and there was no way I was going to back out of it. I tried to drive forward out to no avail so I had to commit to the rut!
It got deeper with a high bank on the drivers side. I was in low range, off road height and + 50 LLAMS. I grounded a couple of times and went into super extended as well! I tried to drive out of the rut a couple of times on the way down to no avail. The drivers side hit the bank a couple of times, folding the mirror in, ripping off the rear mud flap and dislodging the rear flare. They where some cross up angles on the way down and the D3 drove through them no problem. I finally made the bottom and inspected the damage.
My drivers wheel was completely filled with thick red clay!
I mean right through the width of the wheel and the face was just all red clay. I did some digging to try to clear some of it.
I finally got to the main road and laid plenty of mud on the bitumen.
Of course I had a bad wheel balance with all the mud in that wheel.
I tried to clear it at a local dump station which helped to some extent, off now to find a car wash with a high pressure cleaner to clear the rest of it and clean the car up a bit.
Jeeze it had my heart rate up during that rut!
Oh well _h1_ happens.

Graeme I did not have any fault show up at all during the time on Super Extended. Great stuff I probably would not of got out without LLAMS. ;)

Graeme
18th August 2011, 07:01 AM
You've been starved of some good off-road conditions so thought you would make up for lost excitement in one instance! Good that you made it out unassisted.

ls3tourer
26th September 2011, 03:27 PM
Sounds like fun mate. I live in Orange and you can have hours and hours of fun in the forest. I always end up scaring myself though. Looking at buying a D3, sounds like this LLAMS mod is essential for what I'll want to do!

So OZ topo gps maps have all the forest maps do they?

~Rich~
26th September 2011, 07:20 PM
Sounds like fun mate. I live in Orange and you can have hours and hours of fun in the forest. I always end up scaring myself though. Looking at buying a D3, sounds like this LLAMS mod is essential for what I'll want to do!

So OZ topo gps maps have all the forest maps do they?

Yeah, better in a group though!
In that red clay you need tyres with plenty of grip and a eDiff. ;)

Yes Oz Topo V3 had all the forestry tracks, it is excellent.
OZtopo - Topographical Maps for Garmin GPS units (http://www.oztopo.com.au/)
or have a look at the demo here:
Download a Sample (http://www.oztopo.com.au/v3_sample.htm)

Dirty3
1st October 2011, 08:00 PM
Wow, sounds like the same experience I had in late July up in Victorian high country. Steep slippery slope that I ended up going off to the side as had no control.
Had to be winched out by others in group, but I had no control going down this sticky muck. Nor did anyone else for that matter but I learnt later that weekend i should have had HDC on. It allows for steering and some degree of acceleration to unclog tyres. THick clay I don't think it could have handled no matter what but this was pretty sticky clay type mud.

A few lessons learned but that; the only way to expoeriance your vehicle.
loving the learning !!