Go for it Bruce, I think you will find this place is like a school where the kids want to learn, so we all learn from each other.
Thanks Rian,
I might try and sit down to write out some 'post build' details on what I have done.
In the meantime, have some details on what I've been up to today (to get things back on the topic of snow recovery)
Despite the Saxo saga yesterday, I was determined not to let it get in the way of some more recovery.
Luckily my GF had the day off and I wanted to spend some time with her, she decided to come along with me and we headed out to where we figured the help would be most needed.....and boy did we find some people that were glad of the Delica's help.
Up on the Mendips the snow was a lot harder/less slushy than in Bristol. This made driving pretty hard going.
We soon came across a Fiat van (LWB Transit sized thing) which was well & truly stuck a few yards up a hill. Once hooked up to my motor, I dragged the van about 1.5 mile up to the top of the hill where I knew a main road would be, so he could then move on fairly easily. The hill wasn't too steep, but very icy and one of those looong hills that seems to go on forever! No shots of the Fiat van I'm afraid, but this was the hill:
Nearly at the top!!
We scoured/explored a few more lanes and came across this black Astra which was caught in a drift and couldn't move. A quick hook-up and tow to the main road got him going again.
Stuck Astra:
By this time it was lunch, so we stopped and had a break & cuppa by the side of one of the lanes. Jed decided to have a play....he seems to like the snow. I took it as a chance to fire off a few shots of the Delica:
Have a vid of Jed playing in the snow....makes me laugh anyway!!
After our break we chose a few different lanes on the other side of the Mendips and didn't find much. We were about to head home when we came across this Corolla in a very remote lane which was (surpirse surprise) well & truly stuck!
I dragged him back for a bit until I found a part of the lane that had room to get past him and hook him behind me. Once we'd got ourselves sorted we headed towards the main road (about 2 miles away) - but before too long, the snow/ice was getting way too slippery in the rapidly dropping temp, so we ended up having to use farm tracks and bridelways (no icy tarmac) to get us out of the area. As you can see, the farm tracks were completely undriven.
The snow along these tracks was about 18" deep and the poor car behind was literally being dragged through the snow - I could see the front of the Corolla acting like a full-on snow plough (except where my tyre tracks were).....very amusing to watch but I did feel sorry for the poor fella being towed along the rough, rutted off-road tracks in his little 'road car'!!
The Delica didn't flinch or hesitate once throughout the day and we did end up in some pretty extreme spots. AWESOME piece of kit!
What haunts me most (on reflection) is how these people came to be in such remote areas when they knew the weather situation and could clearly see that straying from the main road was going to end in getting stuck!
Each car I came across, the owners were luckily still in them, so rescue/recovery was easy.....but what if I hadn't come along? What were they intending to do? They all seemed happy to just sit in their cars in these remote (in two cases VERY remote!) areas. I just can't work it out? Would they just sit there indefinately? WTF??
On the last recovery, the guy must have let the tow strap go slack at some point and he must have driven over it because it was well & truly wrapped around his front strut/suspension! It took me about 1/2hr to get it unhooked only to discover this:
He is one bloody lucky guy! Had that snapped on one of the farm tracks or bridleways, I would have had no way of recovering him any further. Some of the bits I pulled him through were pretty rough....he is one lucky guy that it held until we reached the main road!
We said our goodbyes (he was a very happy & grateful guy!) and I took a minute to get one last shot (of a machine which I am now
very very proud of) before we headed home:
Anyone who ever knocks/disses a Delica, you send 'em to me.....
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