Shouldn't be complaining , as its been a delightful autumn day
out in Rubicon valley in Vic, but get frustrated sometimes at
simple things not being followed.
Got to trip a bit late sunday, after 2am night at local motocross race meet, due to issue's with a streaker and last minute
ambulance case not really prepared for a sunday drive.
This time I wasn't leader and mixed bag of vehicles showed up and paid lip service to leader who got assurances from everyone that they'd be ok and tyres let down etc.
We'd probably got 100m into medium grade dry track (
park road) before first of many radio calls along lines of "my
wheels are spinning and I'm not going anyway - oh got traction, I'm ok now"
"You did - let your tyres down didn't you - are you in 4wd ?"
As track got steeper stops became more frequent and on approach
to one smooth but large
rock face the ML320 behind me gave up
as wasn't looking at all happy parked on a 25 degree slope.
Parked and walked back - and found that he had indeed dropped
his tyre pressures -> to 36psi ! It took some convincing before he'd let me drop his tyre pressures to 30 psi - (he wouldn't turn engine off or get out of car cause it might slip backwards).
I immediatly put them on 24 , got passengers out to lighten car and after 3 underbody scrapping charges we managed to get the Merc up in a huge cloud of dust.
Meanwhile the Pajero 2nd from the back who already told us he'd dropped
his still had 40psi and wouldn't be told otherwise. Fortunately the tail end
GU patrol squeezed past and basically towed the Paj 1km to the top of the dry
medium level track . Where apon he asked questions about his "ATC"
light coming on etc, which while I didn't know his car, certainly indicated
that he had no idea.
Still its all a good excuse to check one's own equipment, but sometimes you
just have to wonder !
Robin Miller