Hybrid_From_Hell Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Hello All, As many of you know I do a fair amount of recovery work for the AWDC as their DRD Chief Recovery Marshal, and this relates to a event with the AWDC which I and fellow recoverer (Bill Brown) were involved in at a DRD. This situation revolved around 3x Suzukis, and I actually have great respect for these bits of kit, they are highly underrated off road, they are often driven by muppets (so are some LRs but Suzuki boys seem more common ?) but this in this trio, 2 guys were really nice blokes the 3rd was not....but he thought he had reason... Anyway, at Slab, pond had dried but there was some water and thick porridge, 1st Suzuki in got vey bogged. Bill shoved the Husky on from his 110, and winched in, not a huge amount, but as it pulled the front bullbar plus recovery points just tore off. I stepped in and shackled up on what was left, some more bits came off, Bill then finished the rear off by virtually removing the rear bumper and recovery point, owner laughed, said he would take on board what was said re recovey points and beef them up - nice bloke. His mate then had a go, and got equally stuck... Bill was nervous re last recovery so I winched him... And this one also had front end bull bar virtually come off, mate No 1 was in hysterics, said it was "Only Fair" he laughed and so did matey 2, eventually out Suzuki 3 then got stuck, Bill and I compared coin, I was sent in. I gave him a tug - NOTHING Massive, and the front bumper completely unpeeled itself. Matey 3 was livid, and would not accept that the welding on the bumper was horrendous, zero penetration, where it was seam welded the seam had undone, the weld was all on one piece of metal, the other piece was as though factory guillotine fresh......the other 2 actually tried to calm him, but he belived we had trashed his suzuki, what made it worse was it I think was either for sale or sold, can't remember. The AWDC Officals did step in and sort it out, but he was not happy, I would never knowingly damage anyones 4x4, and have actaully on some occasions asked / informed owners that the recovery was now entering the "Something could get dmaged phase" and is it ok to continue - in majority of cases all is still ok, but at least the owner has been flagged. I did feel bad for owner 3 for the rest of the day............... Anyway. Bills son "Ben" was watching all of this, inc the rant from owner 3, .....and taking pics. For a young lad he is : A - Damned good at pics and I think is leaning carweer wise that way B - for a young lad he has a truly wicked sense of humour Some time after the event I was presented with this : ROTFLMAO Superb from one so young Saw him the other night and he grinned at me................ Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 hehehe zook bullbars, those things are held on with cheese straws as far as i can tell. as you say great bits of kit, damn things are too light to get properly stuck. i think the reason that you get more muppets in zooks is they are so cheap, get a runner for £100 upwards. thrash it, kill it, scrap it, buy another one etc i started in a zook & have to admit i learnt the basics there, so i never acted quite a prat in a LR as i'd had that phase (waits for comments that he hasnt changed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Welcome to the club Nige. I ripped the spare wheel and carrier off a Zook once. The owner didn't really mind and gave me £20 too Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Oh, that's funny Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doyley Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Welcome to the club Nige. I ripped the spare wheel and carrier off a Zook once. The owner didn't really mind and gave me £20 too Les. Les Was that the bloke at the Sand Safari ?? Great site that was.... Nigel I watched the whole of that from the side of the pond.. It was bloody funny..... Matey did cop the hump a bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 why not just leave them to recover themselves? It would seem the best idea with people like this. Ill prepared vehicles I'd just leave them there personally. especially when they then get annoyed with you for recovering them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Nige very good. i have been on the other end of that. About 15-16 years ago i was at Bordon (longmore) on a AWDC day. At the time i had a "cough" suzuki sj 410. I was between land rovers (sold my 90 got a suzuki) . I was with Jules , a mate and an ex girlfreind. It was warm and had the roof off. Then being a big poser i saw a big puddle that eveyone was driving around , and decided to go thought the middle . Well there were loads of peopl satanding and looking. Goit a good run up and hit it. Wall of water goes up and then the car stoped dead. Went the water calmed down the back of the car was under water and coming over the back, and the floor was filling up with muddy water. Anyway a landy came to tow me out and attc a rope to the front of the sj. I had a bull bar and the landy just ripped it off. I did not care but just felt a bit of a tit. Mind you did get in the 4wd mag (you know the one that used to have top less women in the back) of the time as a suzuki doing an impresation of a submeraine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocKeR Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 I'm assuming the naffed 'orf one is the owner of the 'new' zook in the third piccie? I can see why he lost his rag, but you should've just walked as soon as he started losing it as Tony says. Leave them to get out of their own mess. It wasn't as if he didn't have an idea he might get stuck what with his buddies' antics, AND that you were at the other end waiting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 We managed to pull a bull bar from a Land Cruiser at woodlands last time we were there. Bloke was marginally unhappy, but happier when he got out of the big hole! Moslty he was intereste in where to get a NATO hitch from, so people can learn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocKeR Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Moslty he was intereste in where to get a NATO hitch from, so people can learn... Only if they stick it on with more than BlueTack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Was that the bloke at the Sand Safari ?? Great site that was.... Indeed, he ended-up having to kneel in the water to attach the rope to the proper recovery point anyway in the end. Bet it cost a few quid to fix his vehicle as well. The bling Zook in the picture just shows that the vehicle is made to look butch and be able to go anywhere, and I should imagine that there's going to be a steady increase of people with factory off-roaders thinking that they can go anywhere. I think either leave them to get themselves out, or say :- "There's a more than reasonable chance that your vehicle is going to get seriously damaged while I try to recover it. Do you understand that?" Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 I like the way they seemed to take turns to let Brovn and Barker ri bits of their zuks. Mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonk Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 winch off the good bits then go home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Don't let the Eurocrats hear of this otherwise you will have to get them to sign a waiver form in triplicate giving permission to recover their vehicles and that the owner of said stranded vehicle acknowledges they are wholly accountable for getting themselves into said predicament and they understand the consequences of the action of recovering said vehicle might result in the vehicle BEING TOTALLY TRASHED !!!!! Neil (Great stories and pics too....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_warne Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 ROFLPMSL Superb!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest diesel_jim Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 When i used to be in Avon Greenlaners in Brizzle, we had a club run around wiltshire, and one chap got very stuck near Yatesbury lane in his 2 door rangie, that horrid poo brown colour, with 205's on. i gently tugged him out and his bar came off..... he had rope wrapped around it (his own rope) in camel trophy style, and he just "unwrapped" a few lengths and attached it to my hitch, so his end of the rope was attached about 12" higher than the nudge bar bolts on the chassis (make sense?), he was adament that it would be ok, but sure enough, it sheared the top two bolts and the bar pivoted down on the lower ones. he had a cob on all day because of that. wierd! Now, if i'm about and meet another group and they're stuck, i just watch from a distance and let them get on with it. too many "experts" in groups like that for my liking. unless they're mates of mine. another rant.... people who have NO recovery equipment whatsoever, and sit there waiting for you to attach your rope/shackles/strop/winch etc to their car and recover them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Rusett Brown I think is the colour ? Yep muppets everywhere, that 1 of the reasosn I use MY shackles stropes snatch blocks, sail extensions, etc etc as its all tested rated and checked evry event for condition, then all I have to worry about is what I have connected to, I have been offerred in the past to connect to : Halfords tow rope, Blue sailing rope home plaited into thick rope# Chains Lifting hawsers towpoints welded to front bumpers NATO hitches held with studding extended winch cable with a hook to add KERR onto Choc shakles inc sailing clevis clips...and loads more over the years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Superb advert Wonder why the 2nd & 3rd owners decided to follow after the result their mate got, makes you wonder at some peoples logic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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