Well it started off as a great weekend. Left Veteran's Day about 5 hours north of my house to central Florida for a camping trip. My daughters first camping trip so I was excited. She was...well, nervous! It was me and about 6 other Jeeps heading there for a fun weekend of camping and wheeling.

Well, Friday went well and my daughter was getting in the groove. The next day we went to explore some trails. Some fun spots and I really had a good time. Went to a flat location for some pictures of all of us and then, "Hey guys, if you want to play, play now because we're about to leave and eat." So I decided to follow a trail my buddy did. Basically up, to the left, and down. Cool! Well, I couldn't find the trail my buddy went down so I "thought" I was good on one I chose.

Going down the incline, my right passenger tire gave way to the ground as the washout just collapsed. The Jeep dove forward and titled to the passenger side. Immediately, I heard a horrid sound! The Jeeps momentum was letting it still slip down and I jammed as much brake as I could. It was too late. A root had slid down my windshield frame, my two doors, and opened my hard top like a can of tuna.

Stuck, I yell down saying I goobered up! Everyone runs up and my daughter does as well...saying, "Well Daddy, you did it now huh?!" Due to the angle I was hooked to two Jeeps. One to pull me off the root and mitigate further damage and the other to pull me up. As I was clearing everything, my drivers rear tire was hung up on a stump or a ledge...can't remember. "Bro...Try to assist us...lock it front and rear and go in reverse". Click the switches and give it some gas and BOOM! Compressor just stays on. No fun.

We get it on flat land finally and pull the diff cover as I'm spewing fluid. Looked like the air fitting blew off and maybe pushed fluid out so we refilled and went back to camp. Yesterday morning I woke up and lost all my fluid. Decided to pull the shafts and lo and behold the passenger side shaft broke at the splines.

My daughter and I made the 300 mile trek safely and I hate to say it, I had a great time regardless of the carnage. Total damage, $7000.

 

Were you at the Holder pits? The spot looks familiar. Sorry about the damage but glad you remained shiny side up.

 

Hernando....it was my first time there. We camped at Holder Mine.

 

Someday you will look at this and laugh. You will never forget what happened. It builds character and memories that last a life time. I had a prosthetic knee put in my right leg. After 4 months I was able to drive my 1961 Willys wagon with a 550 h/p engine and a one ton drive train. I basically blew up the Engine the first time I was able to drive it. So far it has cost me about 10 grand and it's not done yet. It is my fun toy, not my daily driver. It wasn't fun running that one past the wife. I think you are lucky ! lol

 

We were there on Friday. Those trails can bite pretty quick. Sorry you had that experience but like the others have said. It will be something you look back at and laugh. Might take a while but you will. Crazy part is this happened without any rain in weeks...

 

Thanks all....We are already looking at it an laughing...kinda! Since it was my daughter's first time camping, she's got more to talk about now. Yesterday at school apparently her friends asked how it was and she started of with, "My daddy broke his Jeep!"

It's going in the shop soon so it's ok...as long as it can be fixed!

 

Too bad man!! I guess its a memory you and your daughter will have the rest of your lives and I suspect it will be talked about at Thanksgiving for years to come!!

Good luck on the repairs.

 

Yeah...I took it to my shop I usually get work done and they're like "Bro! You managed to do more damage in a day than we manage a week at Windrock!"

And yeah...definitely good conversation fodder.

 

Live on the sunny side of life....you got to practice some recovery techniques in a real world situation! Man, sorry about the damage. That really sucks, but as others noted....what a memory. Important part is nobody was hurt.....all this other junk is easily fixed with a bit of money...unlike ourselves.

 

Looks bad. Chicks dig battle scars, wives, not so much.