Our Truck and Trailer Get Stuck Deep – TWICE
In our latest experience, we faced the unexpected challenge of getting our truck and trailer stuck deep—twice! With a tough truck like the Dodge Ram Laramie 3500 Turbo Diesel, we thought we were prepared for anything. However, as we discovered, the road to our island was full of surprises. Join us as we recount this memorable episode filled with creative rigging, the kindness of strangers, and a restored faith in humanity.
Table of Contents
- Who knows how to weld? THIS guy!
- Oh boy… we’re really stuck!
- Winching and rigging saves the day
- Super bad road, can only drive 14 km/h
- Stuck again… and much worse this time!
- John and his big CAT loader to the rescue
- Finally! We make it to the water’s edge
Today is an exciting day! We are just about ready to head to the island. We stopped off at Damien’s to pick up the barge that we left there last night. He’s busy putting the finishing touches on the bung he installed for us. This will be fantastic, because now we’ll be able to haul the barge out and drain it whenever we need to.
Who knows how to weld? THIS guy!
We’ve been looking at welds lately and it’s been kind of stunning actually. Damian does a beautiful job, and it’s clear that people often underestimate the complexity of welding. He then drilled additional holes for wiring and the bilge pump, ensuring everything would work smoothly.
Oh boy… we’re really stuck!
As we were trying to back out, we suddenly found ourselves stuck in Damien’s driveway. The barge was just too heavy for the fill. Our truck is a beast, but it couldn’t handle the situation. We felt terrible about the mess we made, especially since Damien and his wife had been so accommodating during our visit.
Winching and rigging saves the day
We had a 20,000lb winch on board, and Damian also had a 3-ton come-along. With a lot of effort, we managed to free the truck from the mess. It was a relief, but we knew the road ahead might still present challenges. We are sure Damien was glad to see our taillights as we left his property.
Super bad road, can only drive 14 km/h
As we continued on, we encountered a horrific stretch of road. It was rough, and the speed limit suggested 80 km/h, which felt utterly ridiculous given the condition of the road. We had to slow down to navigate the potholes, and our speed dropped to just 14 km/h. It was brutal for the trailer, the barge, and the driver!
Stuck again… and much worse this time!
We overshot the turn to the boat ramp and had to turn around. Just when we thought we were in the clear, we got stuck again—this time even deeper in a thick layer of silt. It felt like a no-win situation, and we were in big trouble. Our truck and barge were dug in deep, straddling the entire road. We were truly in a bind.
John and his big CAT loader to the rescue
Thankfully, help arrived in the form of Jim who stopped by to say hello and welcome us to the area. It turns out we were stuck only a few yards from his friends place – who could also help, so he walked down a driveway and returned with John — and his big CAT loader! We felt incredibly fortunate to meet such helpful and kind people. We were able to get out of the silt and back on our way to the boat ramp.
Finally! We make it to the water’s edge
It was a relief to see that the boat ramp was a gentle slope. After all the trouble, we finally made it to the water’s edge! It was a relief to see the progress we had made. We couldn’t have done it without the kindness of strangers who stepped up to help us when we needed it most.
Throughout this experience, we were reminded of the goodness in people and the importance of community.
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