R.I.P.

[BDASH]

I just wanted to inform anyone who cares...my WJ has gone to god.

While doing a recce trip for the Jambo last Saturday, I slipped into a deep bog hole. Although it is a hole I've done a number of times over the last few months, it seems that someone had been in there over the previous few days and really churned up an exit/entry point. On closer examination (after I was out) there was a slow continual filling of this bog hole from snow run-off water. Whatever did the churning must have had larger diameters tyres than mine because the bottom of the hole gave way and I slipped all the way in (about 1cm below the rear step of my 70mm lifted WJ) and was sitting on the diff with all 4 wheels turning...going nowhere.

The freezing water made it hard to get to the recovery point and I'm presuming the temperature of the water started shrinking the door seals, because after about 4 or 5 minutes I started to take water in the cabin. This alone was annoying but not a huge concern...until I was being recovered. I was the lead car and unfortunately without a front winch or another way around the hole for another vehicle, recovery backwards was the only way out. Hindsight is a wonderful thing because in the same situation again there are a number of diferent thigns that would have been done (so I guess a wonderful training situation )and although the water was only a few inches above the bottom of the door in the foot wells, the angle of the recovery backwards forced a wave of water under the dash.

We decided to go a different way and put some temporary barriers at the hole to warn others. The motor seemed fine (sucked a bit but it never stopped) and except for an occassional large crackle from one of the speakers, there was no apparent problem with any of the electrics. I stayed with a friend just north of Jambo country on Saturday night, ready to go again on Sunday morning. We then spent 2 or 3 hours draining and repairing the hole so that we could use it for the Jambo. We redirected the water flow into the hole, created a drain that drained about half the water and rebuilt one side with a high rut and a more built of bottom by knocking off the crown to allow adequate diff clearance. The stero system decided to die completely mid-afternoon and the blower fan became stuck on High (even with the climate control system off)...was this the start of things to come???

I called insurance on Sunday night and took it to get looked at on Monday morning, they took a numebr of digital photos of everything and the insurance company (RACV) decided that it needed a live assessment. This happened Tuesday, they decided that it needed an auto elec to have a look at it, they did and I got a phone call just before 8am on Wednesday from the assessor..."Good morning Mr. Dashwood, unfortunately we are going to have to total loss your car"..."What?!?!?!?!?!?!?! but...yeah but..what the...yeah, but the...little bit...and the...um...F@#$!" After chatting to the auto elec and the assessor again, mid-morning Thursday the decision was final...TOTAL LOSS! So I arranged to rip the month old Mud Terrains and the Nudge bar off it and said good bye.

So, a week before the Jambo and I am no longer a Jeep owner. I am getting paid out (not great but OK enough I guess) but of course wont have a cheque until Thursday or Friday (the day the Jambo starts) so no way to get a Jeep for the Jambo...anyone got a spare Jeep their not using for a week in a week's time?

Lessons learnt: the (big) lesson learnt I guess is that no matter what anyone else has said about the obstacle, no matter what rating the track is supposed to be, no matter how many times you have done the obstacle, no matter how many times you've done the track, if something looks like it has the potential to be a problem, make sure you check it properly everytime! Other lessons learnt were about water penetration prepation/prevention of the vehicle, what water in the cabin does in a recovery situation, recovery direction and always insure for agreed value.

Cheers,
Brett...

[Saxon]

That is not good at all My condolenses to you and your jeep

[froop]

That's a damn shame Brett. Hopefully you can get hold of another one for Jambo, and a replacement one before too long.

Also goes to show that a car doesn't need to be in a bad crash to be deemed a write-off. After seeing the WJ in action after you dunked it in the bog hole, it surprised the hell out of me that the assessor wrote it off

[Jimmyb]

UM OK........

[Jaffas]

sorry to hear

[BDASH]

Originally Posted by JimmyB

UM OK........

Mate, I'm presuming this reaction is to the write-off option chosen by RACV.

As Froop wrote, I did a full day of more recce trips with no problems (other than the radio and the heater) on Sunday and the actual panel damage to the car wouldn't have cost $500 (rear bumber on recovery).

I'm still in shock myself

[billsta]

are they going to tell you exactly why it was a write off??