So far Bob has not been able to join the forum for unknown reasons. I sent an email to Janet, but never received a reply. For now Bob sent me the following, along with some video I'll try to post in a different reply. Thanks for your time Bob.....................
"So, regarding the Sportsmobile - Canyonlands tip over, I don't have time to run through all the various details, point-by-point. Suffice it to say, we initially worked VERY hard to first "try" various rigging configurations to keep from placing a polyester (low-stretch) winching strap around the top of the vehicle. I didn't want to put stress on the fiberglass pop-up top, as I was afraid we might either tweak it or crack it. The passenger side of a van doesn't really have the "normal" or "strong" B-Pillar from which to connect the strap high enough near the roof from which to pull the vehicle up and on to it's tires. On a non-van vehicle, this is generally where you'd attach a strap or winch line to right the vehicle. If the vehicle has a roll bar or robust roof rack (think Kargo Master Safari) near the roof, this is better place to connect the winching strap.
After multiple attempts to NOT put a strap around the top of the vehicle (over solar panels and roof-top carrier), we were unsuccessful at obtaining the higher leverage needed to upright the van. I sensed from the outset that we would NOT be successful with these attempts, but I wanted to exhaust the options. We had the time. We tried to attach to the top of the passenger side of his Aluminess bumper tubing. But that didn't give us the leverage we needed. Other attachment points and winch-rigging were tried; all not successful.
The basic winch rigging for all these tries was as follows:
1) My Power Wagon was in front of the van, I had to turn it around on the trail (this was very hard - narrow trail) and point my front bumper/winch at the van - we used my winch to right the van; 2) We took my winch rope up high on the trail's downslope and fixed a tree strap around a stout juniper tree at it's root base; 3) we ran my winch rope through a pulley block for a "change of direction" down to the van; 4) we placed a MaxTrax under the winch rope near the pulley block so the rope would not rub on the rock; 5) we had two vehicles behind the van (Wrangler and Tacoma) - we used both of these vehicles to daisy-chain with polyester straps to the van to act as anchor points. These two vehicles had their tires chocked, parking brake on, engine running, foot brake on hard, and ready to put the vehicles in reverse if needed to hold the van. We did not want the van to roll away once up on it's rubber (you HAVE to think ahead). It was this winch-rigging configuration that allowed us to connect my winch to the various points we tried in the recovery.
Once we exhausted all possible connection points, other than putting a strap around the top of the van, we then needed to route a wide strap over the top of the roof (at the strongest location we could find) down the driver-side of the van, and around the bottom to connect to the driver's side frame - under the vehicle. I liked putting the strap near the rear of the van's top for leverage and strength. The wide strap (other than a thin winch rope) was important as it spread out the stress on the van's fiberglass top.
Once the van was righted, we noticed we did absolutely NO damage to the pop-up top on the van. It was perfect. The van suffered NO broken glass; not even the mirror on the driver's side. All the van had was a small dent in the pinch weld below the pop-up top. The van was resting nicely on the driver's side ladder. A miracle - even if I'd planned a tip over, I could not have set it on its side more perfectly.
Lessons to be learned: 1) Carry extra fuel. The van was the only diesel vehicle in the group, but he carried no extra diesel. He dumped all his fuel onto the trail. (Had to drive all the way to Green River, UT to get fuel cans and diesel; then return to vehicle parked at end of trail, so others could pass). 2) GET a darn winch for your vehicle - this person did NOT have one. Had he been solo, he would have walked out to get help. 3) When you drive up high on a downslope, you CAN tip over. The maneuver to remedy the possible tip over is NOT to brake, but to steer quickly down hill and accelerate a bit. There are other lessons, but these are the generic items.
Hat tip to the fine team of overlanders that were with me on this trip. Everyone pitched in the recover this van. We followed my "STOPA - Stuck Assessment and Recovery Plan Checklist" I give all my students. This is a methodical and mature approach to organizing a recovery. STOP, THINK, OBSERVE, PLAN, and then ACT. If anyone wants this assessment or checklist, email me at
bob.wohlers@discoveroffroading.com. I'll send you a PDF for your glovebox."
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Bob Wohlers
bob.wohlers@discoveroffroading.com
www.discoveroffroading.com
Owner - Instructor
Blue Sky Adventures, Inc.
DBA: Off-Road Safety Academy
704 East Evans Reimer Road
Gridley, CA 95948
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