Jeep Crew Saves The Icy/Snowy Day: Helps Pull Drivers Stuck on Interstate 20

[ShadowsPapa]

People on developed roads are another story BUT if I help, I usually have them hook things up so that it is on them. However, I won't let them hook up something dangerously or in a way that something will get damaged.

Reminds me of the old Ice Road Truckers show.
Truck driver Alex comes upon a guy who slid off the icy road and really deep into a snow bank.
Alex hands the guy a chain and says "here, hook this onto something you don't care about" and walks back to his truck laughing. Pulls the guy out, all is good.
(he's a bit of a character anyway, but the sort always willing to stop what he's doing to help others)

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[ShadowsPapa]

So none of y'all have ended up with someone trying to sue you for damages over a few scuffs on their bumper that weren't caused by you pulling them out of the snow bank they were stuck in? ...... I'm all about helping people, but I am pretty gun shy now. If someone isn't in a situation that is actually dangerous I am only willing to lend them my phone to call a towing company. Another case where one a--hole has ruined things for everyone else.

So you take some pics or a video of the process...........
In my case, I had the truck driver as a witness as to how things were hooked up, etc. and he watched (and kept other vehicles clear of the area) to help keep us all safe.

 

[HooliganActual]

Reminds me of the old Ice Road Truckers show.
Truck driver Alex comes upon a guy who slid off the icy road and really deep into a snow bank.
Alex hands the guy a chain and says "here, hook this onto something you don't care about" and walks back to his truck laughing. Pulls the guy out, all is good.
(he's a bit of a character anyway, but the sort always willing to stop what he's doing to help others)

Exactly! I'm not saying it can't happen if you deal with the wrong person, but I've probably helped 100 people out on the trail in my lifetime and most of them want to pay me for the help...not sue me.

It seems like I see infinitely more posts/discussions/concerns about the "WHAT IF" than people who have come out to rant about helping in a roadside situation and having it backfire on them.

I mean, I'm no lawyer but I'm also not a professional recovery agent. I suspect that a lawsuit against me damaging someone's bumper will have less merit than if Matt Wetzel (Matt's Offroad Recovery) damaged it. It's the Law of Deeper Pockets...lol

 

[toddarama]

I'm not talking about a WHAT IF scenario. I had to show up in court ... I won/they lost, but it was painful. I should have just driven past the car with the skiis on the roof rack. I do agree that there is a lot less risk helping out folks on the trail as most people realize the risks of offroading.

 

[HooliganActual]

I won/they lost

Please know that I'm not trying to be argumentative but your point is noted. People have the capacity to be @$$holes and I get that. It sounds like you got stuck with a bad hand in that scenario. Here I go being naive again, but I truly believe that if you are trying to be helpful and do the right thing even the @$$holes won't win, which it sounds like they didn't.

I consider myself a REALIST...I'm an optimist with prior experience. Don't let one jerk harden you against helping others in need of the assistance that you can provide. It does suck when your kindness is repaid with ill will but karma will come back around to those folks.

 

[toddarama]

Please know that I'm not trying to be argumentative .... Don't let one jerk harden you against helping others in need of the assistance that you can provide.

I didn't take any of your posts as being argumentative and you make good points. I suspect my experience is quite the outlier and exception to the rule. I appreciate you providing the counterpoints and giving me some good things to think about. I'll admit, I have a little bit of an irrational fear at this point

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I didn't take any of your posts as being argumentative and you make good points. I suspect my experience is quite the outlier and exception to the rule. I appreciate you providing the counterpoints and giving me some good things to think about. I'll admit, I have a little bit of an irrational fear at this point

Not sure how irrational it is. People have died, been robbed, etc. stopping to help the distressed motorist. Thankfully it's rare and someone stuck in snow isn't as likely to be setup - so likely less risk. It's your call to make. I assumed before seeing your subsequent post that you would indeed "win" as there's so much in your favor - but it's work, it's time and it's stress.
Each individual has to weigh all of that.
You still have the big plus on your side - you would stop to help - with a phone call, while others drive on by "I'm not getting involved" types.
I also wonder- "was anyone hurt" and although I do carry the blankets in the truck in case we get into a jam and I need to keep my wife warm while I go for help - they are also there for someone else in shock or needing aid until pros alive.
When ever we are out and about, even just me, I tend to look to see how long a vehicle has been "off the road" and see if there's anyone there in need of aid.
It's not why I do it, but one can also think - what if that was me....... (and if it was, I'd be thankful even for a phone call!)

 

[Vincent]

Reminds me of the old Ice Road Truckers show.
Truck driver Alex comes upon a guy who slid off the icy road and really deep into a snow bank.
Alex hands the guy a chain and says "here, hook this onto something you don't care about" and walks back to his truck laughing. Pulls the guy out, all is good.
(he's a bit of a character anyway, but the sort always willing to stop what he's doing to help others)

Saw that one too and thought, “this guys been there done that”!

 

[keithcroshaw]

For all those Haters that say the Gladiator is not a truck can go pound sand!! LOL

I feel like it's a good mix of weight and torque for these types of scenarios. I could be guessing out my arse. Not too heavy like that dually that starts spinning, not so light that it doesn't stand a chance gaining some forward momentum on something heavy.

 

[Britton]

I was taking my wife to work (ER Supervisor) in DFW each day and surprisingly never saw anyone to help. I brought the straps just in case.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I feel like it's a good mix of weight and torque for these types of scenarios. I could be guessing out my arse. Not too heavy like that dually that starts spinning, not so light that it doesn't stand a chance gaining some forward momentum on something heavy.

I've always wondered how a dually could be any good on ice or mud because the weight of the truck is distributed over so much rubber - the huge foot prints mean half the weight per square inch of rubber on the road than a comparable standard axle truck.
I can see floating over stuff, not sinking in, but you want to be planted on ice, not barely pushing on it.

My Gladiator would do well right now. All the weight on the front with the bumper, winch, 2" receiver and very heavy snow plow mount, then in the rear - 210 pounds of sand bags to act as ballast against the snow plow.
And my wife's Wrangler- the heaviest Wranglers made - the 4xe. A lot of weight just ahead of the rear wheels so it's heavy all around. They claim great stability and traction with all that weight.

But it would take me over a day to get down there so I guess I just stay here.

Jeep people - always willing to help people out one way or another. Directly or indirectly.

 

[keithcroshaw]

I've always wondered how a dually could be any good on ice or mud because the weight of the truck is distributed over so much rubber - the huge foot prints mean half the weight per square inch of rubber on the road than a comparable standard axle truck.
I can see floating over stuff, not sinking in, but you want to be planted on ice, not barely pushing on it.

My Gladiator would do well right now. All the weight on the front with the bumper, winch, 2" receiver and very heavy snow plow mount, then in the rear - 210 pounds of sand bags to act as ballast against the snow plow.
And my wife's Wrangler- the heaviest Wranglers made - the 4xe. A lot of weight just ahead of the rear wheels so it's heavy all around. They claim great stability and traction with all that weight.

But it would take me over a day to get down there so I guess I just stay here.

Jeep people - always willing to help people out one way or another. Directly or indirectly.

Makes me remember my wife's Scion tC she got after her Jeep Wrangler. I know wtf but her income changed drastically and her TJ was kind of a lemon, dealer could never fix a leak from the windshield down to the passenger floor, but anyway here tC left the driveway one snowy day and barely could make the left onto the street because it was just floating around in the icy wet snow. She went inside and I semi-intentionally went spinning around the neighborhood to turn it around and we had to push it into the driveway.

It'd be fun to experiment what different weights on the front and rear would do.
What's good for driving vs what's good for pulling somebody like in the video.
Maybe weight in the rear for driving then moving it to the vehicle being towed during towing assuming you've still got the heavy front end which I don't at the moment.

I need that rubi-bumper and a winch when I've got some spare bones.

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