Footloose, you are not alone....

Submitted: Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 at 08:02
ThreadID: 31889 Views:2403 Replies:1 FollowUps:0
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After reading post 31884 by Footloose, I thought it prudent to start a thread regarding some of the most stupid things you've done in a 4wd so that Footloose don't feel so low ;-) Although Willem may have got a headstart with post 31879?
So I'll go first, shall I? A few years back on Fraser Island, my wife, Jen, and I were camped at Awinya Creek on the West Coast (about half way between Moon Point and Wathumba). After a long day of driving we returned to find the creek (which we needed to cross to get to our camp) was very high. The option of leaving the Troopie (our vehicle at the time) where it was and walking across with our gear didn't enter our minds. I checked the depth which was about mid thigh, and I'm vertically challenged, so this should be easy for the truck with a snorkle. Jen walks across with the camera and I set sail into the creek. Within a third of the way the water is lapping the bottom of the windscreen and I'm wondering if the weight of the car will give me traction or will I float away? The battery warning light comes on just as I reach the other bank and I'm safe. Jen only took 2 photos because she was freaking out watching me. We knew we had half submerged the vehicle in salt water and we never talked about it for 2 days incase we jinxed it.
But there's more. That day started with a trip to the East coast and a drive North to Wathumba via Indian Head. At Wathumba I was following a trail which all of a sudden veered through some mud which I didn't stop to consider; just kept going and ended up with diffs buried in mangrove mud on a rising tide. Fortunately we were rescued by a helpful fishingcharter group that had 4wd's nearby (I think they feature on 'Great South East' or some show like that and we wondered when we would feature on a special editon of 'idiots we've had to rescue').
On the return trip we knew the tide was rising. We had a spare small tent in the truck which we could have used for the night instead of flogging the Troopie through the soft sand down the beach with the temp gauge rising while trying to get to the exit we need to get to the West side again where we would be met with a creek at high tide....
This was only a couple af days after arriving on Fraser. The first thing that happened was we realised we had forgotten the gas connector hose for the cooker. We managed dinner that night but had to drive to the East coast to purchase a new hose at Cathederal Beach the next morning. Of course being a practical person I took the gas cylinder with me to ensure the right size hose. On returning to camp I realised that I had left the cylinder at the shop. So the next day.......
Fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Troopie was an ex mining vehicle already full of rust. It just went downhill a little quicker after that.
I loved that truck though; in the time I owned it, even though it had had a hard life, the only problems I had with it were rust-related:- the water pump rusted out, the fuel tank rusted out, he body......
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Reply By: Footloose - Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 at 11:10

Sunday, Mar 19, 2006 at 11:10
Oh dear, there's more of me driving around :)
I actually managed to "invert a spring" on an FJ40 on Fraser. I couldn't understand why it was still riding like a brick on the tar on the way home. And we couldn't catch a fish anywhere !
I've been to Fraser many times and was chatting to a local copper who did some patrols over there. I'm just glad I didn't come across the sort of behaviour that he told me about. Worst thing I saw was a Troopie with a roof rack full of kids barreling down the beach at 1 am ! One gutter and........
AnswerID: 161479

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