Winter is coming...

[ControlNode]

Is a pin a replacement for a shackle? I was thinking about getting a shackle in the event I could help someone out of a ditch but realized I had a tow rope and a hitch pin.

If you were to use the pin, keep a couple things in mind. As mentioned before, the pin could bend, more so if it's a solid one. You can get the pin with sleeved up size so you have a "pipe" on the pin instead of just the pin and the sleeve is more often more resistant to bending. Also, consider if the rope is coming out of the hitch at an angle. Are the edges there it could rub on going to damage it, do you need a protective sleeve on it there?

I would go with the 2" hitch to shackle setup and only think of using the pin in the hitch like that for emergency type events when the hitch shackle is not on hand.

Sponsored

 

[ControlNode]

This.


Also. I think there are two type of people.

One hears winter is coming and thinks of recovery gear.

The other hears winter is coming and thinks about those sweet Krispy Kremes in empty parking lots.


I'm the second with a dash of the first

I'm the second, but that is what the RS is for, right? My 2016 RS is better in the snow and ice than my Wife's 2016 Jeep. Ranger has yet to be tested, but for <4" of snow and ice I doubt the Ranger will beat the RS. Now, once the snow is deep enough to get plowed by the splitter on the RS, the Jeep or Ranger are better.

And yes, I have the winter wheel/tire option for the RS.

 

[D Fresh]

I'm the second, but that is what the RS is for, right? My 2016 RS is better in the snow and ice than my Wife's 2016 Jeep. Ranger has yet to be tested, but for <4" of snow and ice I doubt the Ranger will beat the RS. Now, once the snow is deep enough to get plowed by the splitter on the RS, the Jeep or Ranger are better.

For sure, AWD will always fair better than 4WD in the snow. Until depth of said snow becomes a problem.

But some of us have a more limited stable. So we make due with what we have.

While they aren't quite the scoobnuts I'd pull almost 20 years ago. The Ranger will axis spin surprisingly well once the proper button pushes are done.

If you get a chance this winter find a spot and give this donut recipe a whirl.

Combine

1 part AdvanceTrak off, long button push required.

1 part Sand Mode, required to fully disengage nannies. Without it Roll Stability Control will remain active and shut down the fun at about 15° of angle for more than a brief second.

1 part locker on. Without it, the dough will fall on it's face, one legged like if you will.

1 part EMPTY snowy parking lot. Know the parking lot before the snow comes.

For the next part you're gonna need to find a lot of each ingredient. But I got a feeling most of you can figure it out from here on your own.

Gather all you can of the following ingredients.

Steering input

Throttle input

Take a small pinch of each and combine them with the combined 4 main ingredients. Mix well.

As you do so your donut dough will begin to form. The more of the last two ingredients you add the tighter your donut circles will become. Once you get your donuts into more of a donut hole shape you can begin to modulate your input of the throttle to tighten up into final shape.



TLDR: I know it's not my old WRX. But it's gone and my other snowy fun chariot choices are the YJ, or the wife's CX-5. The CX-5 is NA and nanny laden, therefore no fun. And the Heep, on top of having the wheelbase of a go-kart with the height of an F-250, breaks enough without me trying. And while it aint the old fun car, the Ranger still makes the girls in my life giggle, and that's all that matters to me.

While the Ranger won't do this in the dry like you can and I used to could...

NSFW for language, not my video




It'll do it and control it well on slick enough surfaces. Although the "nipple" might be a "bit" bigger.

 

[D Fresh]

Hello,

In regards to those commenting on the legal implications of being a good Samaritan, what if you printed out a contract like below and kept them in your vehicle for when you do come across someone in need of help? If they don't want to sign then you don't help. I am certainly not a lawyer so I apologize if the wording needs work. I typed this up in 10 minutes. Any lawyers here? Would this hold up?

Edit***
Sorry, the formatting below for signature and date did not come through correctly.



I, _____________, hereby acknowledge that my vehicle is immobilized, stuck, disabled or otherwise incapable of returning to the road without the assistance from other parties or vehicles/equipment/devices.

By signing this document, I agree to give my permission to __________ in order to attempt recovery of my vehicle from it's current situation by whatever means is employed. This also extends to any other parties involved with the recovery attempt.

I agree to take full responsibility for any damages that may occur to my vehicle or myself while attempting said recovery and agree that I will not take litigative actions against __________ or any other parties involved with the recovery attempt, in the event of damages. This includes lawsuits, arbitration or any other legal means to collect damages.


_____________________________________________________
Approximate location of above incident


Signed,


______________ _________________
Signature of person requesting help Signature of person helping

______________ ___________
Date Date

Why not just pull out your phone and record a quick video of them absolving you of responsibility should something happen?

I'd think that would hold up as well or better in court. And it can't be misplaced as easily. If you email it to yourself it's stored for perpetuity.

I'm no lawyer either.

 

[Dereku]

Winter is rough. It was 50 degree this morning. Time to bust out the snow suit!

 

[AzScorpion]

Winter is rough. It was 50 degree this morning. Time to bust out the snow suit!

Already way ahead of you! ?

 

[D Fresh]

Already way ahead of you! ?

Dave, I'm sure you saw the Colorado 62° wardrobe up in the mountains this summer.

Shorts and a hoodie. When you can't decide if it's cold or hot.

 

[sal33n]

Why not just pull out your phone and record a quick video of them absolving you of responsibility should something happen?

I'd think that would hold up as well or better in court. And it can't be misplaced as easily. If you email it to yourself it's stored for perpetuity.

I'm no lawyer either.

I guess you could do that too, lol. I didn't think about that. I just know signed contracts are SOP and hard to wiggle out of.

 

[Canadian Ranger]

I spend a lot of time over the winters at the dairy helping drivers who've managed to get themselves stuck.

I've always found a flat edge to be best for hard packed snow and ice. Like this garden spade...

.

Round headed shovels never worked as well for me as the flat edge. You're relying upon the blunt force of the tiny point to break that stuff up.

Whereas, with the flat edge above you have 7 ¼" of contact area when used for "chopping ice."

This one...

...won't get more than a couple of inches contacting the ice unless you penetrate pretty deep.

Am I missing something?

The only reason I use a round mouth is because that's what I already owned, and it suits me better for everything a use a shovel for, year-round. It's a jack-of-all-trades tool. I don't break up serious ice with a shovel anyway. That's like taking a knife to a gun fight lol. I use an axe for that.

 

[AzScorpion]

Dave, I'm sure you saw the Colorado 62° wardrobe up in the mountains this summer.

Shorts and a hoodie. When you can't decide if it's cold or hot.

Yes we did and having left AZ while it was nice getting up to the cooler weather. I'm in shorts year round and the only time I had to use my hoodie was when we were at the top of Mt Evens. It was 52 (I thought it'd be colder at 14,000') up there and a light breeze. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to being somewhere that has 4 (well 3 1/2) seasons and NWA is looking good for that.


I think the reason we're so cold is it's such a shocker after the relentless heat. I mean the past 2 weeks were 97 & 88 respectively and now we're in the 70's with nights in the Lowe 50's. Don't get me wrong I love this weather but a gradual decrease would make it more enjoyable. lol

 

[D Fresh]

Yes we did and having left AZ while it was nice getting up to the cooler weather. I'm in shorts year round and the only time I had to use my hoodie was when we were at the top of Mt Evens. It was 52 (I thought it'd be colder at 14,000') up there and a light breeze. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to being somewhere that has 4 (well 3 1/2) seasons and NWA is looking good for that.


I think the reason we're so cold is it's such a shocker after the relentless heat. I mean the past 2 weeks were 97 & 88 respectively and now we're in the 70's with nights in the Lowe 50's. Don't get me wrong I love this weather but a gradual decrease would make it more enjoyable. lol

There's something to be said for a bit of acclimation.

 

[D Fresh]

I guess you could do that too, lol. I didn't think about that. I just know signed contracts are SOP and hard to wiggle out of.

One written by a proffessional, and notarized? Sure. Bulletproof.

But whose to say I give you my real name? Whose to say I don't ask you to sign a release because my recovered car might roll into you? Whose to say a judge might think a dude rolling around with liability releases in his truck has put enough thought into this to require professional insurance?

Just pull out your phone and record a quick video of both parties saying that this is a mutual agreement and both parties acept responsibility for their own losses.

Or better yet, give them a ride down the road somewhere safe and warm. Offer them a phone if they need to make a call. Or a warm cab to wait in while a pro gets there.

The only reason I use a round mouth is because that's what I already owned, and it suits me better for everything a use a shovel for, year-round. It's a jack-of-all-trades tool. I don't break up serious ice with a shovel anyway. That's like taking a knife to a gun fight lol. I use an axe for that.

Makes sense.

Good idea. Wonder what my boss would think of an axe on my milktruck?

 

[sal33n]

One written by a proffessional, and notarized? Sure. Bulletproof.

But whose to say I give you my real name? Whose to say I don't ask you to sign a release because my recovered car might roll into you? Whose to say a judge might think a dude rolling around with liability releases in his truck has put enough thought into this to require professional insurance?

Just pull out your phone and record a quick video of both parties saying that this is a mutual agreement and both parties acept responsibility for their own losses.

Or better yet, give them a ride down the road somewhere safe and warm. Offer them a phone if they need to make a call. Or a warm cab to wait in while a pro gets there.

All good points!

 

[SigOris]

Tough about the good Samaritan stories that go south. Anyone can sue for anything and even if they're wrong, you still have to defend against it. Good luck suing for your court costs. =(

BUT it really does throw a damper (and not the great tailgate kind) on trying to do what's right.

I was a state-certified Firefighter and Paramedic in Texas (volunteer for 3 years) and used to carry my gear in the FJ40.

I no longer carry an enormous first responder kit, just a small first-aid one for me and Kate. But I do have recovery gear. It'll be interesting to see if I use it this year, I do worry about what many are saying on this thread.

On a non-gonna-get-sued note, I thought I'd get a really nice set of snow chains since I'm just 2-wheel drive. I tend to think of recovery gear as mud-related, but winter's tough. I also want to carry a snow shovel like this (used to carry a normal shovel for off-roading):

I was looking at these tire chains, they're very expensive but they seem very good:

https://www.konigchain.com/shop/us-en/konig-xg-12-pro-1.html

Another option is four studded snows on steelies. I know ME allows them and I think NH does too

 

[SigOris]

Already way ahead of you! ?

At 62 we swap out the Wife Beaters for T-Shirts ?

Sponsored