I blame the Angels for this one.

Was meandering through the back dunes of Stockton Beach last holidays, minding my own business when I though to myself, “How come I’m always last?” So I thought I’d do something about it and pass the Blue J&S Buggy ahead and let him be last for a while, “See how he likes it!” Anyhow I broke from the rest and fiddled the knob on the Dog-O-War mono to turn “The Angels” up louder as I wandered off to the left of the tracks. I made my way aside the J&S buggy putting it some 20 meters to my right. The buggies ahead were cresting a dune ridge so as I came up on it so did I. It was at that moment my sphincter gathered up an arse full of shag pile seat cover as it held on to what it could.

Now there is an important rule about driving in sand. Never mind the one about following people who know where they are going. I’m actually thinking about the other important rule regarding the use of brakes. Well your not supposed to use them at all. When you do you bog down the front wheels and you can’t get out of wherever you’ve stopped. Needles to say I though braking here was an appropriate action.

Anyhow – as my windscreen before me filled with a wall of trees I realized that there was no way out. Down went the brake pedal as it wasn’t going to make as iota of difference now. As the pictures testify, the Dog-O-War was not far from rolling over.

I knew it was steep because “Diesel” the dog went head first into the passenger foot well. The next indicator of the angle was the oil buzzer screaming at me. Once we came to a stop I though “Well I’m not going to be needing the motor anyhow so it can go off”, and this was followed by the silencing of “the Angels”. Next there was some madman under my bonnet screaming “Snatch strap – Snatch strap…Where is it?” I wondered what the panic was. "Why do we need a snatch strap I thought? It's staying here". It was then that I let go of the quarter glass bar and suddenly I couldn’t stay in drivers seat. I thought – “Hmm, this is a lean alright”

I was going to get out but those who knew better (the ones yelling at me) suggested we snatch strap it first so it didn’t roll over. My next immediate thoughts were that I can salvage the tools, filter, camping gear, gauges, and possibly the motor, wheels and Baja kit. I felt doomed. There was no way out. "Uh huh! definately no way out. No buggy could pull me out of here" I thought. I was 5 meters over the steep crest and thick bush and trees tops laid 30 or so meter below.

Good News:
Once stabilized two Trojan 4WD experts in a Challenger and Patrol spent the next 40 minutes accepting the challenge of hauling the Dog-O-War out backwards. The front was slid around by four Klub VW Offroad members with myself, a ton of sand cleared away and some expert snatching was witnessed. I was oblivious of the pointing fingers and chuckles of laughter – I was just glad no one was hurt, no damage was done and to have another story to tell around the campfire.

Thanks blokes for all your help. Muchly appreciated!

Heaps more fun than the black seal mat I reckon. :P

131111 - "Yeah - hello, I'm a little stuck, The nearest cross street is ...

A foot at a time it slowly came out backwards. Cheers lads!

Full of Sand, thank to my son and his new friend shoveling it in through the window.
The mud from the afternoon before was strewn down the F3 freeway thanks to the rain.

very good work there Bronze !

good to see you got out of it all ok !

Ivan...:bounce

You know, if you had any weight on the roof racks or if the angle of the dune was a few degrees steeper you probably would've rolled. :o You can't get much closer than that!

Don't know Boozer but I'll try it next time I'm out there.
There has to be a way to roll them. Mabey in a Kombi perhaps!

i dunno bronze, kombis arent AS easy to roll as you'd think. had one stripped to nothing in our driveway, rolled it on its side and the damn thing rolled backonto its chassis again! when we finally got it on its side it wouldnt take much more then a feather to right it again. different with wheels attached, i kno, but...

Ask Col about flying around sand dunes!
I think he popped a tyre of the rim!
Good to see it stayed on the ugly side Bronze!
:thumb:thumb

scary situation But nice back drop to photograph the Dog-O.
Like every one keeps saying.." dont paint it " ....
Otherwise you'll have to take it back up there on the edge with the New paint

That is an excellent campfire story!!! :thumb

I managed to pop the two LH tyres off their beads, and lost the windsurfer off the top. :jesus The only indicator of angle I have is the fact that when the roofbars broke and the whole shebang slid slowly across my roof and off the side, and landed well clear of the kombi. The roof might be scratched, but at least I didn't have dents in the side. :thumb

I was also fortunate to have the assistance of Klub VW Offroad and BLBQLD members to get me going again. :thumb

It's always a good idea to go with other vehicles. :thumb

The picture above is just before I came to a stop, and below is the finished product. Not a happy situation, but not nearly as hair-raising as Bronze's effort! :o:o:o

Ps. At the time I did this I wasn't aware that it is illegal to drive on the vegetation. I now know that it is, for good reason.

[Edited on 4-5-2003 by KruizinKombi]

I also now know why people are complaining about posts going through without the picture when the picture is too big. I'll try again.

Here's what happens when you land sideways with only 7 lb in the tyres...

Here's why it's so important to go with friends. If you haven't got one of these bag jacks, get one or go with somebody who has. :thumb

By far the most dangerous consequence of driving without thinking.... {Put the bloody camera down and help me!!!:o}

go the_bronze!
haahhhaha
love it

love the pics bronze have been hangin out for them ever since u told me the story!!!!
cheers
rhys

Thats one of my Saviours there above.

Col, Those bags are brilliant and as a rule I generally will only go out on the beach with someone else. If fairly apparent that things will go wrong and although the odds are greater when yougo with more people, the benifit is that it is fairly easy to fix / salvage a bad situation when you have friends along.

There will be more pics I'm sure as time passes but these are the best I've seen yet. Man Vdubs Sooooo much! Anyother vehicle and it probably would have rolled I guess. It dosen't nearly look as steep as it felt from within.

Cool pics Bronze, good to hear a happy ending to the story.
I witnessed Col's episode and could only laugh.
As for rolling a Kombi, I tried with our jacked up Kombi.......was turning left in one of those turn left anytime lanes, there was a 4WD coming the other way and i thought........I can beat him, hooked in a bit quicker and caught the edge of the kurb which launched the kombi up on two wheels......(at this point I'm thinking sh*t I'm going to go over...) but the tyres came down with a screech about 5m from where i launched, I was in the other lane and i did beat the 4WD........

Moral of this story.......Kombi's are harder to roll than you would think, even when jacked up like ours....
Graham

Ya bloody goose........

This is the sort of thing you expect from some clown who bought a 4x4 yesterday. (& I've helped a few of them out on Stockton over the years.)

YOU, however, young Steve, have some experience & should have known better.
Knowing me as you do, you can guess how much sympathy I have for you.

Just as well you buried it, once your buried that deep the sand stops you rolling.

As to rolling Kombis, I'm with Baybus.
I to have stripped one down & tried to roll it over to get the box & cross member. The bloody thing kept righting itself........

i had mine on 2 wheels the other day going around a corner coming into campbelltown and it just plopped back down on all 4 again, reminds me of those silly egg toys you cant roll over.

Who's the Goose spook - at least I was out there!

There is a spare seat anytime you want to come mate - if you can handle the stress.

Get your finger out and join us - you know you want to :P

I will admit I'm not a dune veteran - but I'm willing to become one.

Cool story 11CAB - Wish I had pics of that. Imagine what was goin through the head of the 4B owner at the time :o.