The FORD Lounge

[Gary Lewis]

[Ford F834]

It rained today… and gave me a whole different perspective about what can happen on our property…. This video clip was filmed from on top of the roof of our mobile home.

https://youtu.be/Gv3Ad3f6Mz8

Even the paved roads require 4x4 to navigate the debris. There was a boulder 3 ft long and 2ft square  in the middle of Shinarump Drive at the end of our road. The ‘81 F150 is the only vehicle we have that can get anywhere right now.

We had a water main break and we lost all of the water in our cistern, so unfortunately I had to haul water over the boulder fields washed across the road. As inconvenient as the delivery mode may be, I am grateful for the rain. 🙏

[grumpin]

Wow!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Nature can be destructive, but as you say you're greatful for the rain.
Glad no one was seriously injured or worse.

I've seen some footage last week where the roads through Death Valley were impassible from all the rocks and debris.
For someone not accustomed to monsoon season in the desert we don't think about all that sand and dust not being absorbent.

I hope you're able to quickly repair the water main and thankful that the pickup was able to get down to the well.  

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  That's a LOT of water!  Glad you are safe, and that at least you can get out with the F150.  

[Ford F834]

This year we have had two people swept away and drown in their vehicles (in Golden Valley/Kingman area). There have been numerous other swift water rescues, one was right next to the water station where I was filling up. A Jeep had been flipped on its side and carried down the wash. Emergency crews were still there when I was filling my tank.

Another man was killed last month when he became stuck in the mud and his friend tried to pull him out. The rescuer was yanking with a nylon strap fastened to a drop hitch. The hitch snapped off and recoiled through the windshield of the stuck vehicle and struck the driver. His wife and kids were in the truck with him when it happened which is just awful. Vicarious lesson learned about yanking with a drop hitch. I knew bad things happen when shock loading chains, but in this case they did not foresee the hitch itself breaking and becoming a slingshot ballistic.

On Thursday the Kingman Safeway had a roof collapse and folks were trapped inside, but luckily no serious injuries happened. My Facebook feed is full of videos and pictures that make me grateful that the damage to my property is as minor as it is (mashed over fence from debris dams on the chain link) and the sand pad was undercut on one side of our above ground pool. It will be a headache to fix but like I said, I refrain from complaining 🙂

[Gary Lewis]

Drowning is bad, but to have the person beside you killed with a flying trailer hitch is even worse!  Man, that had to have been traumatic for everyone involved.  

Sorry about the base to your pool.  That's obviously going to be no fun to fix.

[salans7]

I read about that recovery and the man who was hit by the hitch. It even hit the steering wheel before it hit him and still had enough force to kill him. Reminds me of when I was younger and dumber, and I used to pull friends out with a strap, and lord knows it was probably wrapped around the receiver or even just the ball. I remember some really hard yanks to get them out, and luckily nothing ever happened. You just never know and that's why it's better to play it safe.

[Nothing Special]

I also had heard about that.  I'm wondering what type of strap they were using.  All I've ever heard is "a nylon strap".  There are recovery straps and there are tow straps.  Recovery straps are made for, well, recoveries like that.  They stretch quite a bit so they don't impart a harsh shock to anything as they pull tight.  Tow straps are much less stretchy and will shock load components, not as bad as a chain, but not good.  I suspect they were using a tow strap, which is what I have and use, so I'm not putting them down.  But I would like to know.  I see a lot of YouTube recoveries using a recovery rope (at least as stretchy as a recovery strap) and they look like a good way to go.  But at well over $200 for a recovery rope vs $20 for a tow strap it is a hard pill to swallow.

[Ford F834]

I don’t know if this will show up for everyone, but the original post says it was a 3” static HD tow strap…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2310305859069599/permalink/5200181790081977/

[Gary Lewis]

That came through for me, Jonathan.  Thanks.  But what a tragedy!

[BigBrother-84]

On a happier note, I came across this while picking here and there on the web (Facebook, yep ).

This gentleman (Hugo Colton) published this in December 2020:
«I have a small addiction to bullnose fords and I want them all. [...] The diesel pulled this set up 1400 miles one way weighting in at a grand total of 27000lbs. Average speed was 60mph.»

I suggested him to join this Forum too.  Maybe is he already a member?

[Gary Lewis]

Wow!  That is quite a load!  For him to maintain 60 MPH I'm guessing he has a turbo on that IDI - assuming it is an IDI.

I don't think he is a member.  And I think the truck is an '86.  It certainly is either an '85 or '86 since the side trim is below the marker light, but it looks like it has a solid front axle, and that happened in '86 if not late '85.

[grumpin]

Cool! Good point on the axle, nice truck to have.

I think an IDI would handle 60 MPH on flat ground with the four speed and assuming it has 4.10’s.

The 88 I used to have (7.3 IDI) would pull good on flat ground with a 30 or 31 foot travel trailer I pulled for someone. But the mountain passes sure slowed it down!  

[Nothing Special]

Because I don't have enough to do we started three house projects this weekend.  First we cut down a big blue spruce


Then we started tearing out our deck


That's all to be ready to have a patio put in right after our vacation.  We're done with the tree, but still have to get about half of the deck frame taken out (the deck floor is done).

And if that's not enough, we also are fencing my son's back yard (no pics of that yet).  He and his wife want the yard fenced so they can get a dog, and we want them to be able to dog-sit our two dogs when we go on vacation.  We got all of the posts in, so tomorrow we hope to finish by getting the fabric stretched.

[Gary Lewis]

Man, that's a lot of WORK!  But "fabric" on the fence?  What kind?

[Nothing Special]

That's what they call the chain-link part of a chain link fence.  And yes Maynard, I'm feeling it!

[BigBrother-84]

Nothing Special wrote

That's what they call the chain-link part of a chain link fence.  

Oh, ok, not the kind of fabric you make a wedding dress with.

[Gary Lewis]

I wondered if that's what it is called.  And I'll bet you are feeling it.  Better go on vacation to rest up!

[Nothing Special]

BigBrother-84 wrote

Nothing Special wrote

That's what they call the chain-link part of a chain link fence.  

Oh, ok, not the kind of fabric you make a wedding dress with.

Well, I suppose that would depend on what culture the wedding is for!