Schludwiller

Well you might have heard a bit of rumblings from my scouting trip last weekend.

In short, I was going between two trees with a downhill fall line. The uphill tree had an exposed root, the lower tree had a nice well created by uphill traffic digging out in front of the tree root.

I slipped on the upper root, and slid towards the downhill tree. The angle that I was at kept me from moving forward without dragging the entire side panels of my Xterra along the tree. The two roots were both behind my front tires, so backing up was next to impossible.

We hooked up my winch to a tree to move me away from the door damage. This was fine, but I couldn't get the rear clear of the tree to move forward. The winch was clearing me from door damage, but wouldn't allow me to go backwards.


Shit!

We hooked up a tow strap and tried to yank my rear up hill. The tight position of the pulling vehicle kept this from happening.


Meanwhile I'm inside the drivers seat looking at all the pretty paint that's been left on this tree by previous travellers. The door was bending inwards, but do big damage so far.


Well after putting lots of fallen branches under my front tire, and lots of logs behind my drivers side tire to move me away from the tree we gave it a shot. Nope! Not going anywhere productive.

Next we had Rick go back up the trail and try to get sideways to my truck. We hooked up a towstrap to the frame and tried pulling me uphill. No go. The previous rain, and loose soil made for bad traction, and my truck didn't feel like moving against the fall line.

So whatcha' gonna do?

Next attempt was putting the winch line underneath the truck and going for a backwards pull to get the truck over the tree roots. I started pulling, and felt a sharp tug, but was making progress on the roots. Then a snap, a loud noise and the truck dropped back down. The winch cable had moved into the corner of the two roller fairleads and snapped against the metal.

Crap, crap, crap!!!

Now I'm stuck against the tree with no mechanical way to get away from it.


Next we decide to remove the resistance the root is providing. Luckilly Rick has a sharp axe, and we start making time against he uphill root. Meanwhile Andy and I start digging on the uphill side to lower the tires. We ended up digging about a 10" trench along the side to lower the uphill tires and get the truck away from the trees.

We stack more fallen timber along the tree side to help keep the truck away from the trunk. Rick is set up with the tow strap on my uphill side frame to keep me from falling more towards the tree. I give it gas and start to move agains the root. The whole front end lifts up, I'm about to clear the roots when I lose traction and the whole front end drops down, placing me square against the tree.

Damage!!

At this point it's a lost cause. I've spent 3 hours in this damn situation. The door is dented, and I give it another shot with the throttle. I pull up against the root, and finally make it over. The logs we set up, push the truck away and I'm finally clear.


Luckilly the only damage is to the door. No structural damage, and the rest of the body made it out ok.


Now for the bad news. My first body estimate was $1690!! That was at a high end repair place so I'm going to search for other body shops with cheaper laber rates. At that price it makes me wonder about finding a wrecked Aztec Red door somewhere.

Anyway. Sucks for me. But thought I would share.

gothamist

If you do find a wrecked Aztec Red truck w/ doors for sale, let me in on them, too...I need the right (passenger) rear door.

Good story, at least you weren't t-boned by somebody on the street or something (although if that were the case, the insurance man would be your friend...)

Good luck w/ it.

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gothamist

Schludwiller

Heh. Yeah, Chuck was saying the same thing. Maybe we should just buy a Red one for parts between the 3 of us.

Schludwiller

Here ya' go. www.copartfinder.com



Unfortunately for me the drivers door is already damaged.

gothamist

If Synchro's luck is any indication, NONE of the trucks on copartfinder are available for us to buy (unless we're looking to buy the entire truck...hmm...)

Let me know what options you do find, though...there has to be a source for used Xterra parts somewhere, right? Maybe? Hopefully?...

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gothamist

Philosopher

Sorry Schlud, that's truly beat.

All the X's that I've looked up on coparfinder have been for sale only as a whole truck, no parting out.

OffroadX

Damn, that blows. I assume your window won't go down now, but it is otherwise functional, as in something you can live with until you find a decent price to fix it?

Looking back, was there any way you could have made it? Other than a chainsaw?

Brent

igor@af

I got an idea [a stupid one]

How about you dont fix the door or any other part. Just go on a trip like you don't care about the truck. Rip trees and [other cars and] everything else. Then just get a new truck

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Schludwiller

Yeah, if I had my KMA on I would have had a good tow point right in the rear.

If I had sliders the base of the tree would have contacted them first before the door. I also would have had my hi-lift with me then, which would give more options.

If one of the guys in our club that had a winch was along on the trip we could have got me out.

Mostly it was bad luck. My front downhill tire was either light, or not touching the ground because of the well, and the uphill tire slipped on the bare/wet tree root at the same time. After that gravity was not my friend.

DVSNCYNIKL

DAMN SCHLUDWILLER!!!

And the answer is "It stops all forward motion when slipping on this"!

Hope you get it fixed soon and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I feel your pain.

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Synchro

aw, come on, just pop the dent and quit your belly achin' no need to fix it if it is just body damage. if the paint buckled on that top part of the door next to the window (like mine did), then you might want to get that looked at. I still have yet to fix my door though. i figure why fix it when i know i will hit it again. i have already taken more paint off it with the hi-lift. moron is me, had it to close to the door when lifting it. took the paint right off.

rrdstarr

Ian, I went out today and got a Hi-lift. I know its too late for what happened on Saturday, but we will be better prepared next time.

Rick

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rhombus

Use a plunger to pop out the dent.
This has helped me and others I know fix problems like that (If the metal is not to bent).

Would a Pull-Pal and a come-a-long helped?
They are expensive but much cheaper than the estimate that you got (maybe as a group get one). Just curious.

Hope that you get a better price.

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ChuckH

You know that does make it easier to tell our trucks apart. If the hatch is dented it's mine and if the door is dented it's yours!

I know it still sucks, but atleast you didn't roll it or something more serious and you're still here to talk about it.

Who's truck is that in the pictures (the black one)? I don't recognize it.

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Schludwiller

That's Andy's. If it was Flying'S black X we would have had an extra winch.