Recovery Etiquette

[steveG]

While staying at Warburton over Easter, we out for a bit of an easy drive with my daughter in the Triton she's just bought, along with a young couple in TJ Jeep, and SWMBO agreed to come along in my County in case someone got bogged.

Everyone was having fun until we came across a slippery clay hill and the Triton failed to proceed. All Terrains and sticky red clay - enough said....

We'd got the Jeep back down the hill and were just about to take the County up when a Toyota ute (79 series), and SWB GQ (both with 35's lockes and winches ) came down the hill.
They offered to give the Triton a snatch/tow which we gladly accepted.

The GQ tried first (with no shortage of right foot), but that quickly ended with a bit of a bang when he blew a LH CV. The Toyo then hooked us up and dragged us up the hill.
After the Triton was safe at the top hill and we'd confirmed that it was an easy drive back to the road, the County and Jeep retreated back down the hill to return to camp, and the Toyo and GQ headed off home.

As it turned out we caught up with them further up the road. They had everything except allen keys to be able to remove the busted CV for the drive home, so I drove 40 mins back to camp and got my tools from the County then another 40 mins back to help them out. By the time I got back they'd managed to find an allen key somewhere in the car and were just putting the hub back together.

I felt a bit bad that the GQ had busted something, but other than saying a huge thanks I wasn't really sure what the etiquette is in this situation.
I didn't even have any cash or even any beer with me to offer as a token "thank you".

Should I have done it differently?

Steve

[justinc]

While staying at Warburton over Easter, we out for a bit of an easy drive with my daughter in the Triton she's just bought, along with a young couple in TJ Jeep, and SWMBO agreed to come along in my County in case someone got bogged.

Everyone was having fun until we came across a slippery clay hill and the Triton failed to proceed. All Terrains and sticky red clay - enough said....

We'd got the Jeep back down the hill and were just about to take the County up when a Toyota ute (79 series), and SWB GQ (both with 35's lockes and winches ) came down the hill.
They offered to give the Triton a snatch/tow which we gladly accepted.

The GQ tried first (with no shortage of right foot), but that quickly ended with a bit of a bang when he blew a LH CV. The Toyo then hooked us up and dragged us up the hill.
After the Triton was safe at the top hill and we'd confirmed that it was an easy drive back to the road, the County and Jeep retreated back down the hill to return to camp, and the Toyo and GQ headed off home.

As it turned out we caught up with them further up the road. They had everything except allen keys to be able to remove the busted CV for the drive home, so I drove 40 mins back to camp and got my tools from the County then another 40 mins back to help them out. By the time I got back they'd managed to find an allen key somewhere in the car and were just putting the hub back together.

I felt a bit bad that the GQ had busted something, but other than saying a huge thanks I wasn't really sure what the etiquette is in this situation.
I didn't even have any cash or even any beer with me to offer as a token "thank you".

Should I have done it differently?

Steve

no steve, you did more than most breaking a cv in a patrol by snatching a tritoo on sli[pery clay is usually caused by prior hammering, not that incident. id say it was just waiting to happen.

if i broke anything in my vehicle while recovering someone through my own choice, it would be completely my issue.

jc

[JayBoRover]

I think you did okay. I wouldn't offer to recover someone unless I was confident my gear was good and so if it broke I would accept that. This is on the basis that the recoveree didn't do something stupid to cause the damage. Next time just use the County to do the recovery and then recover the Nissan and Toyota later.

[101RRS]

I think you did everything that would be expected - when I help someone it is made as an offer of help with nothing expected in return. I think that we have lost the plot is there are expectations that something will be offered in return.

It is then no longer an act of a Good Samaritan but a contract for services.

Garry

[Sleepy]

Steve,
What goes around comes around.
Who knows, before too long your daughter will be driving around in her new defender (having traded up!) and will be rescuing someone else.

[Blknight.aus]

If I'm doing the recovery voulentarily I Split it 50/50...

whoever is doing the pulling is responsible for everything on their side of the attachment point.

Whoever is getting pulled is responsible for everything on their side of the attachment point.

Both sides must accept that the hook up is safe and understand the procedure about to be attempted. If either side is not happy, the job stops. If at any time the recovery begins to go awry and one party looses happiness Stop is called and a reassess or abandon is done.

If its a snatch strap recovery the owner of the strap wears it unless the guy doing the pull is an idiot. (that said I usually carry a brand new one as a giveaway in the event that I break someone elses while doing a job)

IF its a paid job OR I'm specifically asked to come out

Whoever is stuck foots the bill for anything reasonable... for Example The recovered vehicle shifts because the recoveree fails to follow instructions, twists a snatch block out of alignment and damages the snatch block and a shackle... Why thank you Thats $150 for gear over the top of the call out thanks. If I've gotten the numbers wrong and separate a cable OR blow a tyre on route to the job thats my problem.

[superquag]

Steve, the fact that you asked the Question/started the thread, tells me that you need'nt worry about your manners !

[weeds]

what comes around goes around i reckon........other than that it just bad luck on the other guys behalf....

[steveG]

Thanks all.
Was pretty sure what I'd done was reasonable, but having never been in that situation before its good to get some feedback.

Steve

[tuffrangie]

Ine past I have towed poeple out numerous times in all sorts of places. When I thought the recovery could potentially harm my vehicle/their vehicle/recovery gear. I put all the cards on the table before hand and let them know if they want out and I damage anything it will be at their cost.

Most times though I would assess the situation and just cop it if anything broke on my car/gear and I thought it would be a basic recovery. They would pay their end of the strap though.

I think you did the right thing by the sounds of it. Im sure the other blokes would have given you the impression they wanted something else if they thought that at all too.

Rob