Tips wanted for getting un stuck.

I was in mountains yesterday coming out from my cabin. I have to traverse a huge cross ditch on the road put in by the government deactivate the road ( another long painful story). There was a fresh snowfall of about 10", wet snow. This cross ditch has very steep in//out angles. The trailer hitch gouges the ground when you go up out of the ditch. Anyway I was in 4 Lo, hit the ditch at about 2-3 km/hr. Back end slides left at the bottom and boom no forward progress. Sliding any further to the left and I'm into a bottomless downsloping gully of logging debris. I slowing work my way out by rocking back and forth (forward/reverse) and eventually got out of ditch. Not fun at all. It was 5a.m., dark, still snowing, out of cell service range and this road has NO traffic.There is nothing beyond my place but the dead end of the logging road. I'm 8 miles from next house. What should I have done with my fancy2020 Tacoma to avoid such rodeos? A little schooling on the traction options would be appreciated. I'm thinking of buying a set of those traction boards, I think they would have helped.I have a winch for when all else fails.

I am an old, non gear head retired professor, so keep it simple, thanks!

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/recovery.226/

 

It sounds like you did the right thing from the start. Don't panic. Assess the situation. And work toward a safe and effective solution.

These traction boards are something new to me too. When I seriously wheeled, we had cut up ash broom handles as strap connectors for safety, no soft shackles. It certainly sounds like a set of traction boards would have helped you in the situation but you already got out without them... if you are stuck with the run off ditch, then maybe reducing the banks to allow better departure angles if possible.

Or maybe a tow hitch skid plate.
https://***************/2021/06/20/drt-fabrication-universal-hitch-skid-on-tacoma/

 

I find one or more of these options usually work

1- Air down
2- Chains on the front
3- Hit said obstacle with more speed
4- when in doubt throttle out

 

Anything to put under the wheels helps a ton. I got a UHaul truck unstuck with a piece of plywood under the wheels. Also side note, druving a UHaul trucks up a driveway when there is no concrete or asphalt just sugar sand, is a terrible idea.

 

It sounds like you succeeded on your own. A good shovel and some traction boards will help with snow. Always be cautious of driving into a low lying area in snow. Tires make a huge difference. Snow is very challenging for any automobile.

 

I'm going to assume you are still running stock tires since you are in a 2020. I'd suggest swapping to all terrain tires first. Given where you have to drive, I say change them even if your old tires aren't completely worn out. Traction boards will help. The cheaper ones on Amazon will work once or twice. The more expensive ones will last longer. Get a shovel to dig with as well. Warm gloves wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Not specifically what you asked but, I'll throw it out there anyway, get some emergency supplies for your vehicle. It sounds like you are pretty remote so things like a space blanket, food, water, extra clothes. I'd say think of what you'd need if you did have to walk back to your cabin or the 8 miles to the next house.

Lastly how about some sort of emergency communication device like a Spot or Garmin in reach?

Stay safe out there.

 

Drive faster. Much faster. Good luck with that trailer. If it's an OR crawl out.

 

Branches cut from fir or cedar trees layer out on the ground and under tires can help give you traction to get unstuck,works on slippery muddy sections also.

 

Thanks for replies but afraid they are now quite what i was looking for. I have almost new off road tires. i have a Garmin In reach. I was about 1/2 mile from my cabin where i have food/water/firewood to last me 3-4 weeks. What I am wondering is are there any features of my truck (settings other than 4x4 Hi&Lo) that I could engage to get unstuck?

Thanks

 

Winch

 

Extra info maybe of importance. My vehicle has a standard (stick shift) transmission.

 

Thanks, I have a winch. I was wondering about tricks using the capabilities of the truck itself.

 

Is your Tacoma a TRD Off Road or Pro?

 

TRD Off Road

 

Do you have a locker? If not try slightly engaging the parking brake.

 

Ah ok. That means you have Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Select, and a rear locker at your disposal

 

The 6mt does not have crawl control or MTS. It does have a rear locker and ATRAC. The locker isn’t particularly useful in snow in my experience if you have ATRAC. Wheel spin is unavoidable.

 

Yup. I was not keen at fooling with that at 5am, in the dark, snow falling on a mountain side. I will have to go get stuck in the spring g on warm day, to practice
Which mode should I have employed??

 

Hopefully you had ATRAC engaged. There’s no reason to turn it off in my experience.