Frozen Lifeline
The Argo is our lifeline in winter. Our hunt camp home is about a mile off a seldom travelled gravel road and the trail leading out is navigable only by Argo. If the Argo is out of commission the next option is snowshoes. So, if you are a mile into the bush and you have some emergency and the Argo doesn't work, well, you have a problem. For many Argo owners, it's a toy, but for us it's a lifeline. I am aware of the importance of keeping the Argo maintained and in good running condition but there is always the unexpected and that's what happened here. I was prepared for any mechanical issue with a selection of tools and spare parts but there was no way to predict what would happen...
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If you do not remove the drain plugs from the bottom of your Argo and the snow melts it will fill up the chain channels and then freeze your chains solid. I should explain that the Argo is an eight wheel drive vehicle and the wheels are driven by big chains that run in channels in the bottom panel. The Argo is an amphibious vehicle so the body is water tight, except for a couple of drain plugs. The plugs were in there when I bought it and I was unaware of the implications of leaving them in...that any water that gets in stays in and any water that accumulates in February is likely to freeze. As the Argo idled, the snow melted and ran down into the channels that the chains run in and, with nowhere to go, froze the chains.
Thawing out an Argo in winter is not easy. You can't build a fire under it as the body is some kind of composite material that would probably melt. A hair dryer wouldn't get close even if we had enough solar power to run it. Chopping the ice out might work if I didn't punch a hole in the bottom while I was at it. We were lucky this time...it was at the road when it froze and it has a winch to get it on the trailer. It's now sitting in a garage in town thawing out.
This experience leads us to thinking about what you do when the unexpected happens. Do you have a plan B for every potentially dangerous situation or do you have a general emergency plan for any situation? Have you had similar potentially dangerous experiences or even actual dangerous experiences? Were you prepared? How did you handle them?
Frozen Lifeline
Hi Warren and Diane,
In your case, where you seem to have your share of snow,
although a little exspensive, perhaps a snowmobile
as well as your Argo is something to consider.
Snowmobile
Hi there,
I agree with you 100%. Thanks for your comment.
Diane
Brrrrrr!(frozen lifeline)
Bummer you two!But keep your chins up....and look at it as one problem solved!I'm sure it wont happen again...and better now than happening during an emergency with a "need to get out scenerio!"
Learning experiences....not always fun!
Hey Diane...good for you for not breaking out into laughter,but sometimes it's all we can do!
Keep-up the great work you two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Julie
A Lesson Learned
Hi Julie,
You are so right...this was not an emergency situation, although
it was extremely cold to have to snowshoe in. Experience is the best
teacher.
Thanks for your wise words and following us on our Challenge journey.
Diane and Warren
frozen lifeline
hi there,
i am in a similar situation (without the winter element)
i have grown to live with the fact that there are insecurities
with this life i am living. i feel the peace i enjoy from living
in my isolated homestead far outweighs the secure feeling of knowing there
is the help of nosey neighbors nearby. "F"
Nosey Neighbors
Hello Fizzer,
Your slant on the subject is very interesting. In a a way
I suppose people who buy large acreage have a similar mind set
such as yours. I suspect those who live in suburbia on small postage
stamp lots have all the
security (ie: car breaking down,runs to the hospital etc.) that they
could want:)
Diane
Emergency prep/unexpected
Never far from help, but we moved to coastal FL a while back and driving over all that water with a baby (and a nightmarish stuck under the ice story I read as a girl) had us worried. So even now when we're over water (little AL rivers) less than 2 minutes a week we still have our smash the windows/slash the seatbelt tools in every car and remind the kids how to use them, usually when we visit FL!
Also living in TX and then seeing the weather issues in the past few decades (and getting out of the military) I no longer feel indispensible. Getting to the kids at school or daycare is high priority but I feel no more 'I'll get in to work if I have to steal a car'. No, if a tire's suddenly flat and the other cars won't go I'm just going to be several hours, or maybe a day or two, 'late'.
I Know What You Mean
Hi "J" from HT,
I know exactly how you feel when travelling over
large bodies of water or undergrond tunnels beneath the water.
I am sure a lot of people feel uncomfortable, even if it's just a teeney bit
driving through or over lots of water. Thanks for the advice on taking
percautionary measures.
Diane
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