M
milb440
GUEST
Ok, it wasn't exactly of "Olympic" proportions,
but it was more than I would have bargained for intentionally!
We had just left a Christmas Eve party. We had been getting freezing rain and sleet for a few hours, so the driveway at the party-host's house was extremely icy, but the roads on the 5 minute drive home were mostly just wet... very few minor slick spots, but nothing "bad" at all - had it in 2WD, and hadn't even been thinking about the roads, since we had no problems.
My concrete driveway is about 75' long, and fairly steep.
Did I happen to think about the possiblilty of ice when I pulled in at about 20 MPH? Nah... ?
Well, it didn't take more than a second for me to realize that we were on ice the instant we turned in... absolutely NO RESPONSE when I hit the brakes or tried to steer into the yard, so I let off the brakes, straightened Magnus (my AV) out, and tried again partway down the hill - we sped up! ?I could see the Wife's Micro-Lanche (Frontier Crew Cab) directly at the bottom of the drive getting closer QUICKLY - so I let off the brakes and headed for the opening between the garage and the Nissan. (Not "ideal" as thereis WAS a very small pine tree there, as well as about a 24" drop - spread over about 3 feet of landscape bed... but it beats the heck out of hitting her truck or the garage! ?
FORTUNATELY Magnus cooperated! ?
Steered at an angle to the right and split the difference between the garage and the Nissan perfectly! ?
We "flew" (ok, not really) but sped over the landscape bed down into the back yard. (I'd score it about a 9.3) ? ? ?The Pine tree now has a different outlook on life, but other than that I could see no damage to the AV or anything else! ?(It was dark, so I was looking with a flashlight.) I will check it out in the morning and post a few pics! ?
Funny thing is, Mrs Seven thought I was playing around until we went soaring through her flower bed... (I've been known to play the "No Brakes" game a time or fifty.)
The very fortunate aspects, aside from the obvious, are ?that I normally always keep my 5x8' enclosed trailer right at the bottom of the drive, exactly where we went through, AND I had been keeping my 5x8 Utility trailer just on the other side of the Flower Bed! I just did some rearranging a few days ago so I could use the Utility trailer to help my brother move! If they had still been in their "correct" parking places, I'd have had at least a few grand in damage on the front of the AV, the Enclosed trailer would have been a total loss and it probably would have been laying on it's side or top, right on top of the Utility trailer! (Did I get lucky or what!?) ?
Guess the trailers have found new homes... out of the way of the emergency launch ramp! ?
So, how did YOU spend the first few minutes of Christmas?! ? ? ? ?
?
Seven ?
but it was more than I would have bargained for intentionally!
We had just left a Christmas Eve party. We had been getting freezing rain and sleet for a few hours, so the driveway at the party-host's house was extremely icy, but the roads on the 5 minute drive home were mostly just wet... very few minor slick spots, but nothing "bad" at all - had it in 2WD, and hadn't even been thinking about the roads, since we had no problems.
My concrete driveway is about 75' long, and fairly steep.
Did I happen to think about the possiblilty of ice when I pulled in at about 20 MPH? Nah... ?
Well, it didn't take more than a second for me to realize that we were on ice the instant we turned in... absolutely NO RESPONSE when I hit the brakes or tried to steer into the yard, so I let off the brakes, straightened Magnus (my AV) out, and tried again partway down the hill - we sped up! ?I could see the Wife's Micro-Lanche (Frontier Crew Cab) directly at the bottom of the drive getting closer QUICKLY - so I let off the brakes and headed for the opening between the garage and the Nissan. (Not "ideal" as there
FORTUNATELY Magnus cooperated! ?
Steered at an angle to the right and split the difference between the garage and the Nissan perfectly! ?
We "flew" (ok, not really) but sped over the landscape bed down into the back yard. (I'd score it about a 9.3) ?
? ?The Pine tree now has a different outlook on life, but other than that I could see no damage to the AV or anything else! ?(It was dark, so I was looking with a flashlight.) I will check it out in the morning and post a few pics! ? Funny thing is, Mrs Seven thought I was playing around until we went soaring through her flower bed... (I've been known to play the "No Brakes" game a time or fifty.)
The very fortunate aspects, aside from the obvious, are ?that I normally always keep my 5x8' enclosed trailer right at the bottom of the drive, exactly where we went through, AND I had been keeping my 5x8 Utility trailer just on the other side of the Flower Bed! I just did some rearranging a few days ago so I could use the Utility trailer to help my brother move! If they had still been in their "correct" parking places, I'd have had at least a few grand in damage on the front of the AV, the Enclosed trailer would have been a total loss and it probably would have been laying on it's side or top, right on top of the Utility trailer! (Did I get lucky or what!?) ?
Guess the trailers have found new homes... out of the way of the emergency launch ramp! ?
So, how did YOU spend the first few minutes of Christmas?! ? ?
? ? ?Seven ?
.
