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The 7000 Pound, $40,000 SKI JUMPING AV!

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... ? :rolleyes:

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 is 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! ? :D
Steered at an angle to the right and split the difference between the garage and the Nissan perfectly! ? (y)

We "flew" (ok, not really) but sped over the landscape bed down into the back yard. (I'd score it about a 9.3) ?:rolleyes: ? ?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! ? :D

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!?) ? :eek:

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?! ? ?:D ? ?;D ?

Seven ? :cool:



 
Well, my first minutes of Christmas weren't nearly THAT eventful >:D.

That's a great, very wild, and most of all lucky end to what had to of been a frightening experience at the time ;D.
 
I also had my first ice encounter tonight..mother-in-law lives way up high on top of a hill..but my trip wasn't as exciting as yours..i took garbage out before i left and slid from front door to dumpster like on 2 skis..about a 50 ft slide ..so i was careful when leaving...merry christmas too all..
 
OK, here are some pics...
the ice is all melted now, as it warmed up overnight.

Unfortunately, the pics do not do it justice -
they especially fail to reflect the steepness of the drive,
and the depth of the dropoff, but this will give you some idea...

This is from about 75% of the way up the drive, looking down at "my choices" below. :rolleyes:
17400841.jpg




Here is a pic from the bottom of the driveway, in an attempt to show the depth of the dropoff... you can barely see the top of the AV in the back yard.
17400866.jpg




"Looking back" from the back yard up through the landscape area to the driveway where we had come from.
17400874.jpg


Again, the pics do not really accurately reflect it, but you can at least get an idea... sliding down the drive with next to no control was a "rush" - but I don't think I'll try that again anytime soon. ;)

Seven :cool:

 
I can't belive the judge from China only gave you a 3.8 for that. Total ripoff.

Could you imagine the fear in the Nissan's eyes to see this 7000lb truck sliding down the hill towards it and powerless to do anything about it?

Glad to see everything was missed!

David
 
Hey Seven,

Nice job "threading the needle."

Was there any front end damage to Magnus when you creamed the tree?

pedr0
 
mmdavidw said:
I can't belive the judge from China only gave you a 3.8 for that. Total ripoff.

Could you imagine the fear in the Nissan's eyes to see this 7000lb truck sliding down the hill towards it and powerless to do anything about it?

Glad to see everything was missed!

David

Actually, the Chinese judge was holding a grudge that I didn't smash the (Japanese) Nissan! :D

Yeah, it is a good thing for the Micro-Lanche that he was facing the other way... although I did notice a big brown puddle just under his exhaust pipe this morning! >:D

pedr0: Yeah, I was really sweating while we were sliding down the drive at that pace... Magnus would have knocked the Micro-Lanche halfway down the backyard!
I think Magnus completely escaped injury! (y)
I haven't crawled underneath yet, but I doubt that 3' tall pine was any match for the 2500! ;) And the suspension and ground clearance were just enough to make it over the landscape timbers... they show no signs of scrapes or anything! (y)


 
What a story, glad everthing worked out.

I just showed the wife the pictures, and as I was showing that last shot with the pine tree on its side, I think I heard a whimper of sympathy from the Christmas tree! ;)

Good thing you missed the Micro-Lanche! On your own private property, hitting your own truck or trailers, your insurance probabaly wouldn't have covered anything! :eek:

I hope the rest of your Christmas is happy and uneventful!

-- SS
 
Glad to hear you are OK.

Your AV was the irresistible force--the Nissan was the not so immovable object. Boy you can predict with certainty the outcome of that collision.

I used to live in Akron, OH. I know what black ice is all about, along with fishtailing, sliding, and all those other dreaded winter words associated with driving. I certainly don't miss any of it. That is why for 6 mos of the year, I never drove my Camaro.

We fondly called it the "Big Black Winter Sled".
 
Quite a story 7WOTW!

Glad to hear everything turned out ok - except for the shrubs of course...
happy55.gif


Sorry that you can't make the NEO gtg's this week.
Maybe we'll be able to get something together in Jan for the CAFCNA 1 year anniversary.
 
You were a carrier pilot in a different life-
Nice 3 wire Seven.

Roger, I have the ball-
Seven, Calling the ball-
Power, power-
Wave OFF, Wave OFF!


Carsh and burn Mav!!!!!!!!! >:D

Just (very nicel) busting your chops-

Great SAVE man....

Later David
 
sands611 said:
You were a carrier pilot in a different life-
ROFL! ! ! !

Very funny! Almost as good as the original story! >:D

-- SS
 
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