RV FEATURE
Ready to be saved.
A bridle strap or tree trunk protector is
vital when being towed in rough terrain.
I jumped out and walked around the Prado,
hoping I’d only cracked the bead on one of my
low-pressured tyres. Seeing nothing, I checked
under the vehicle to see if there was any oil or
other liquids leaking onto the track. Finding
nothing, I restarted the 4WD and reversed
back down the track, very noisily as my rear
differential crunched and groaned.
Somehow, I managed to turn around and
slowly drive to a saddle in the range where I
knew I would have some phone coverage.
I first let my wife know what had happened
before posting my predicament on Facebook.
Within an hour, I’d been contacted by ARB
Albury, who had organised for a couple of
members of the Albury 4x4 Club to recover me
and my vehicle. In the meantime, I tried to
disconnect the rear tail shaft so that I could
have two-wheel-drive at least, but the nuts
were too tight for me to lever loose, so I sat
and waited.
22 \
Four hours later, the recovery crew arrived.
After turning the Prado around, they towed
me up to the summit of Mount Pinnibar and
down Pinnibar and Dead Finish tracks, before
getting the Prado onto a car trailer and driving
to Albury. In the morning, I contacted the
RACV, which picked up the vehicle and
eventually drove me and the Prado to my
mechanic in Melbourne.
The lesson learned was to not become over-
confident because you’ve driven that track
before. The track can change over the
seasons, so it's always better to walk it and
assess the best option.
I also used the wrong gear and took the
wrong line which, in the end, cost me my pride
and a lot of money.