Follow up on rav recovery.

Submitted: Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 21:39

ThreadID: 59527 Views:4200 Replies:7 FollowUps:8

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madfisher

Team of us went back over to recover the rav today. Biggest hurdle was removing the 4ft thick tree across the track. This was on the side of a very steep section with no way arround. Bit better organised today two saws, extra fuel, sharpeners etc. Took about an hour to make a big enough gap to get a vehicle through.
Used a kneading product called quick steel on the tranny sump and then had a coffee.Only thing we forgot was a small funell buggar.
Anyway after a lot of fiddling we reckoned we had 2.5 litres of fluid in the auto so with fingers crossed we start her up. Spent a bit of time working the stick between d and r as instructed. Put it in d, and its slipping but some drive. Nursed it down a couple of hundred ms and we stick another 500ml in(poured it into a drink bottle then into auto) Try again and its a bit better(probaly spilt half of the first 2.5l lol).
Off we go with the v8 tray in front of me and the lux behind. Manage to get it accross half a doz creek crossings(dry) Manage to slide it accoss a slippery wet muddy one and then the first big test. Long steep very rocky section and it dies in the arse. Tranny slipping an nothing driving. Damm tranny must be shot buggar. I hit the horn and the v8 turns arround and comes back. Hooks a chain on to me and reverses back up the hill no trouble. Get it to the top and I decide to see if it will make it under its own power.Puts in in d and away it goes. Now the chaps in the cruiser where stopping and removing all the large loose rocks they could from the track. Damm thing is going like a dream again, climbs next three hills unaided and even bounced it over a bit of a step. Only one hill really tested it and it just makes it over the crest unaided.
Now the bit I brought clean underwear for, steep downhill for maybe one and a half ks with two hairpins. No engine braking under 20ks so pull some handbrake on and very steady, so far okay( what I did not know they where times my rear wheel was a foot off the ground) Anyway makes it to the bottom with out needing the clean undies.
We decide to put another 500 ml in the tranny for good measure. The weld still looks good so we decide to drive it to bylong. Now the rav feels really good and I can get it up to 100 on the blacktop.
After a quick conferance at Bylong we decide to press on and it gave no problems and we got back to Bathurst at 6.30.
I sitting here now thinking that was kinda fun, we overcome two major obstacles and won great.
Thanks for the support everyone
Cheers Pete

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Reply By: qubert - Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 21:48

Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 21:48

the first bit of oil filled the torque converter and pump. now its full it probably will be ok.

AnswerID: 314054

Follow Up By: madfisher - Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 22:08

Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 22:08

I dont think we got it quite full the first time because we spilled so much. I had smoke everywhere at one stage. The further I drove it the better it felt.
Cheers pete

FollowupID: 580112

Reply By: Member - Mal and Di (SA) - Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 21:54

Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 21:54

Thanks for the follow up and all the best.
Bloody tough those Toyota's!
M.

AnswerID: 314055

Follow Up By: madfisher - Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 22:13

Saturday, Jul 05, 2008 at 22:13

I was really impressed with the d4d lux I drove in. Shame I did not get a chance to try the v8 tray. Boss reckoned he needed someone with experience to drive the rav. Yeah right.
But I was surprised it did as well as it did. I think it would have climbed the steep hill if we had put more fluid in it first up.
Cheers Pete

FollowupID: 580114

Reply By: Stephen M (NSW) - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 00:17

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 00:17

Hi Pete,Glad you recovered it with out any major issues. Looks like had it not speared the sump the bloody thing would have done alright, mind you they might have come unstuck in a big way had they gone down the steep stuff you were referring to and possibly not having the experience you have outcome could have been worse with possible human injury and vehicle. Anyway glad you recovered it and you guys were all safe and ok. Regards Steve M

AnswerID: 314063

Follow Up By: madfisher - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:45

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:45

Good morning Steve,They would still have been stuck, the way they come in was steep with steps, aparantly all ifs vehicles have some difficulties, the other exit which we come in on had that huge tree accross it so they still would have had to walk.
Pulling a bit of handbrake on helped, I was wandering why it was lurching forward, obvious now thats when one of the rear wheels where off the deck. Just had to let it off on the hairpins,so I did not lock a rear wheel up.
Mind you the lux decended in low 2nd no problems, thats the one big advantage I will admit of diesels.
My wife and 12 year old come over as well, and they really enjoyed the day. Sal ended up driving the lux back which she was impressed with. The new luxs do not have the clearance of the old ones though, though nice to drive. I dropped a brand new(12ks) d4d Prado at mudgee on the way over, very nice but a bit to soft in the suspension for my tastes.
Where we went would make a good trip if you dont mind plenty of sctraches.
Cheers Pete

FollowupID: 580129

Reply By: happytravelers - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 07:14

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 07:14

Thanks for the follow up Pete, it's always good to know the outcome of these stories, and your's made an interesting read. I guess the couple who hired it lost their bond though!
Regards Jon

AnswerID: 314071

Follow Up By: madfisher - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:56

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:56

Hi Jon, the two young people who hired it actually where working, and their co has agreed to pay the recovery fee(over $2000.00 I would think, if the transmission is fine) . They did not abuse the vehicle, just the wrong vehicle for the conditions. Their is a lesson there for all of us. Brought home to me the diff between soft roaders and proper 4bys.
Cheers Pete

FollowupID: 580131

Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:23

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:23

Pete,
We all learn a bit from your experience. Thanks for the write-up.

Cheers
Phil

AnswerID: 314081

Follow Up By: madfisher - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:59

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:59

Thats the great thing about this site Phil, we all learn from ea other. I am amazed that when you have a small team put together someone will allways come up with a solution to a problem.
I will be getting some QUICK STEEL and puting it in my vehicle though.
Cheers Pete

FollowupID: 580133

Reply By: Ken S - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 18:19

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 18:19

Gday Pete
My daughter has recently been supplied with a Toyota Rav as a company vehicle and after taking it for a run and towing a 6x4 trailer load of fire wood home with it I am reaaaaal impressed with it . My youngest daughter has just purchased a Suziki Grand Vitara that had 20,000 kms on it from a Toyota dealer ( obviously traded in for a Toyota is what I was guessing ) and I wondered why they would trade it it in such a short time . Clearance on the Grand Vitara is a joke with it struggling to clear a speed hump at Mc Domalds , and went to change the oil on the Suzuki and couldn't believe the plate underneath that needs to be removed to access the filter is held in place with plastic push in plugs . Then if your arms are any thicker than knitting needles then getting to the filter is nigh impossible . Im thinking the original owner changed the oil at 15,000kms as recomened by Suzuki and decided to trade it in before it required the next one at 30,000kms (its got a Cooper Filter In it ) It is the worst placement of a filter of any car I have come across in all my years . I reckon if I was faced with taking either a Rav or Grand Vitara back from where you pulled out the damaged Rav I'm going back in the RAV but a Suzuki Stockman now that a different story . Dont know of any one interested in a 2004 Series 2 Commodore with around 70,000kms on it for $18,000 . Daughter doesnt need it now she has a company car . She laughing now that the company fills her car as well . How did things go at Windamere the other day ? Soft 4wds ? When ya get out back it surprising that alot of towns have only one dealer ship , Thargomindah is typical of what Im talking about you can buy tray back , ute back or wagon there so long as its Toyota .
Cheers

AnswerID: 314143

Follow Up By: madfisher - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 21:27

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 21:27

Hi Ken,
Dont get to excited about the rav mate, the vitara will leave it for dead off road. Why, low range, you can lock the transfer(with ravs if you lift a front wheel ALL drive goes to that wheel) and you can lift them easily. Our other rav is also having major repairs after hiting a major pothole . We had six xtrails before(which you can lock the centre diff on) and had one wheel bearing fixed under warranty , and that was it. The rav is a nice road vehicle though. Put your head under the front cross member, your old holden ute had better clearance.
Windermere stuck a cold day(again) and did not see a fish.
Check on carsales to see what 2004 commodores are selling for, your only hope of selling a large car at the moment is to meet the market.
Seen some nice water on the Goulburn between wollar and Bylong could have possibities.
Cheers Pete

FollowupID: 580204

Follow Up By: Ken S - Monday, Jul 07, 2008 at 07:03

Monday, Jul 07, 2008 at 07:03

Pete did you say put your head under the cross member , you might be able to do that with the RAV but you cant get your head under the Vitara , what good being able to lock a vehicle into low range if it hangs up on every rock the size of a beer can and better unless of course its a Hertz hire car than all you do is turn up the radio , grit your teeth and go hard .
Did I tell you we had to recover a Vitara from below Hill End with some seriously steep country to be negotiated . The Vitara has the fuel tank right at the back and when crossing through some washouts on the way down they kept dragging the bum , by the time they got down to the river the petrol tank had been opened by a rock and the fuel was gushing out of a large rip .
The old holden ute was truly a fantastic ute with reasonable clearance and a good limited slip diff , would go so many more places than what the old lux will in 2wd .

FollowupID: 580235

Reply By: Member - extfilm (NSW) - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 20:10

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 20:10

Hi Pete,
Didn't realise you were within a few hours of me I was under the impression it was down in the high country.
I would have offered my services and popped up for the weekend and given u a hand..... Oh well maybe next time.
Glad to hear its all good.
A handy tip for next time if you don't have a funnel small enough is to roll up a piece of a4 paper. you would still loose some oil but not as much.
Peter

AnswerID: 314171

Follow Up By: madfisher - Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 21:04

Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 at 21:04

Hi Pete, one of those excavators of yours would have been real handy to move the blxxdy great log.lol The first day we went in was a disaster because we did not know what we where up against.
THANK YOU for the offer of assistance thats good of you. At lest I was getting paid(I hope) One good thing about my job it is never boring.
At one time I thought the rav was on fire there was that much smoke, from oil we spilled .
Cheers Pete

FollowupID: 580202