Last week I compiled an article about AWD and 4WD vehicles, how they work and why you need them. But there is a joke in 4x4 circles which states “A 4x4 doesn't keep you from getting stuck; it just gets you stuck even worse”.

And there is some truth in that. While 4WD technology has come a long way and vehicles can now venture further and deeper into inhospitable territory than ever before – they are not invincible. At some point, you are bound to run into trouble and or find yourself in a tricky situation.

It’s December and time for sharing some light hearted anecdotes which I found on a Reddit forum (https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/43aqzh/all_you_4x4_people_share_your_stuck_stories/). If you’re a 4x4’er and would like to share, drop us an email and we may feature your encounter in a subsequent blog

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“Worst I saw was when the trip leader tried to cross 'damp sand' near waters edge at high tide. Just sunk in to his axles, then as the tide came in it washed sand out and in through the wheels. It may as well have been cemented in there.

We dug pits around the tyres between waves, then used recovery tracks and a gentle recovery tow to lift it out of there.

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Right then, a story of "a bit stuck". It was May 2012, and we (my friend was driving, I was co-driver) were racing in the Proto class of the Ladoga Trophy. For those that don't know, this is a week-long off-road race around the largest lake in Europe, lake Ladoga near St. Petersburg, Russia. It is known for its swamps. Many, many swamps.

The first stage started off well, we were having fun. We got to the first proper swamp, sank down, but managed to winch out, pulling down a few less-anchored-than-they-looked trees in the process. Aired the tyres down, and continued.

I walked in front of the car over the swamp, knowing that where I could walk and not sink, the car would do the same. It went fine for about 200m, until there was a soft spot I didn't see. Shouldn't have been a problem, but the front locker on the Volvo portal axle had been giving us trouble for ages, and had once again decided to give out and allow a wheel to dig into the swamp. Then the other wheels followed. And it looked like this. 200m from the nearest tree, in the middle of a swamp that our support cars could in no way cross.

We started walking towards the finish line, where our support crew was waiting. About 3km through the swamp and forest (which apparently had bears, didn't know that at the time), carrying as much of our gear as possible that we'd rather not leave behind.

Back in camp we managed to scrounge together enough rope so that we should be able to reach the nearest tree. So we went back the next day. All the ropes were together were just about long enough, and we started winching. Front and rear hydraulic winches, powered by a pump connected directly to the engine crankshaft.

She started moving, it was working! Trying a little driving assist... and the engine stalled. And it wouldn't start back up. The starter didn't like being submerged in a swamp for a night, apparently. No spare, and even if we did have one, no way to even reach it on the car. So that was game over.

Some crazy Russian guy named Dmitry tried winching from the tree line with his Land Cruiser, but that wasn't doing much. Almost burned up his winch, almost pulled a tyre off the wheel. We weren't getting out.

In the end, it took a week to get it out, with the help of a swamp logging truck. Sadly I wasn't there to see it, only a few people could travel back from the camp, which was moving around the lake with the race, and the rest of our team which still had another car in the race.

By the time we managed to arrange the logging truck, it was ~700km from the camp to the swamp the car was stuck in. That's probably the most stuck I've ever been. Not the only time I've been stuck though, if you don't get stuck on a day out you're not trying hard enough!

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I have mud/snow stuck stories for about 4 automobiles, but I like this one best... XJ on a very steep clay hill. The truck couldn't crest the top on account of some roots I couldn't get past. so I went to back down. Right as the sky opens up making everything super slick. Backing down the hill in low range to control the speed (no ABS). The Jeep slides off its line and positions its rear end in front of a moderately small tree. Spent half an hour working back and forth on the hill trying to get around the tree before having to cut it down. Still feel bad about that tree.

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This was about 10 yrs ago in My buddy's Rubicon. He owned a few acres in southern Ohio where we grew up. We been in the woods together since we were kids, started with wheelers, then a couple beaters when we turned 16 so by this time when we had better money we some nicer toys.

So he buys this brand new Jeep with a winch and we go out to play like we're still kids. Anyways, I go over to his place to see this new trail he's been working on, no intention of being out all day so we don't tell anyone where we are or anything and this is the kind of place cell phones don't do much good.

This trail has a spot where you have to cross a ravine about a half mile from the road, basically so tight that once you get the front tires in the water the front bumper is touching the other side and its almost straight up.

We get through no problem, go back another few hundred yards once we winch to the top and hit a dead end, basically the property line so we get out a look around.

After a few minutes we decide to leave and he has to do a 12 point turn to get us headed in the right direction, I didn't get back in to help him watch for trees and I wasn't too focused on the little ones apparently.

I still have a crystal clear picture in my head of the plug on the front of the winch for the remote bumping a sapling no more than 1/4" wide and sparks strart flying and the damn thing shorts out.

Winch start winding its self up and straining against the guard, we freak, throw up the hood and both of us try to bare hand no tools rip the fucking battery out to make it stop, but it's too late. The rollers did their job and didn't let the hook come thru before the cable snapped.

So here we are, late winter no cell reception, no one knows where we are, soggy ground, nights coming, busted winch caused by a f@&!ing thick weed, were f@&ed.

So best thing we think of to give it a shot, might as well try. We get back down the hill and actually were able to power through the ravine and at least get our nose point back up the trail.

Hike back to my truck and call his brother for help, now this guy shows up two hours later in a '89 Mazda. But this guy is one of those hillbilly savants, so he brings hundreds of feet of 2" rope. We get my truck within a couple hundred feet of the jeep, as close as we thought we could get without getting both stuck and this guy starts running ropes from me around several trees making loops and "pullies" and then to the jeep.

I throw it in reverse an hold pressure on this rope, my buddy hammers his jeep, we can't see each other in the dark, but we both see his brother running thru the woods full speed and body slamming this f^#@ing rope.

Apparently he was smart enough to know that the little pressure he put on the rope, combined with all these "pullies" would be enough force to yank the jeep a couple feet every time. I now realize that in getting traction and after about 20 lunges here comes this jeep up over the crest.

TL;DR the small trees can hurt ya, and never doubt a hillbilly.

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If you’re a 4x4’er and would like to share, drop us an email and we will try to feature your encounter in a subsequent blog. We might also be able to organise a Start My Car gift voucher if your submission is chosen