Fun with Propane

[jwstewar]

After being jerked around by our propane provider the last couple of years, when the contract expired we decided it was time to switch providers. By the advice of the new provider we wanted to use as much propane out of the old tank that we could. We ran it down to about 8% I called them (wasn't sure how accurate the gauge was and we were predicted to have some pretty cold (0 - 5, I guess it depends on where you are /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif) weather, I thought we would be pretty close. I called them a few days before Christmas. They didn't make it out until New Year's Eve. By this point we had started our January thaw early. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

This is location the first attempt for the driver to back straight up to the tank from the driveway. Unfortunately, he crossing the new waterline & electric line that I had put in for the garage in late October.

 

[jwstewar]

Another shot a little bit closer of the first attempt. Decided we had better stop before we get stuck. Even though he had a Ford 550 w/ 4WD, it was sinking & spinning pretty good. Got out here w/o any issues. Hindsight is 20/20. Guess we should have pushed on. I then could have kept my truck on the driveway and probably pulled him right back out. I was afraid that he was either going to take out my electric conduit/pole or the corner of my garage if got fish tailing pretty good.

 

[jwstewar]

We decided we were going to go around the garage and back behind my sheds - making sure to avoid the garden - so that we didn't get stuck. I'm walking along and he his following me in the truck. All of sudden I can tell he isn't right behind me anymore, but yet I can hear the PowerStroke going up in RPM but he wasn't getting closer. When I turned around I knew that we had a problem. Didn't get any pictures until later in the adventure. First thing we tried was hooking my little NH up to the Big Ford. My little NH couldn't budge it. The tires were spinning and/or hydrostat slipping. Decided that wasn't going to work. I was a little skeptical to get my truck out as I had just gotten it back from the body shop the day before getting the bed repainted from some of my adventures. We hooked my Silverado up to it. Attached you will see the only thing that happened is my truck got a little bit muddy. Body Shop looked at me kinda funny when I went back in that afternoon to have the Z71 stickers put back on the side of the bed. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[jwstewar]

The other side of the truck.

 

[jwstewar]

Here are the ruts that my little NH and my truck left while they were both pulling their guts out.

 

[jwstewar]

For the most part, this is just where my truck was pulling. We tried blocking my truck and using it as an anchor to pull against with his winch. We couldn't get his winch to work. He said he had just used it a couple of days before, but it wouldn't engage. We could hear it pulling the PowerStroke down, but nada.

 

[jwstewar]

Ended up having to admit defeat and calling a tow truck. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif His company is the one that called the wrecker. They probably should have called a little bit bigger one, but this is what we got. In the end it got, so I guess it was big enough.

 

[jwstewar]

This is going across 2 neighbors driveways. One is an actual driveway, the other is a right-of-way pretending to be a driveway. Guess I'll have some work when it dries out a little bit more. This is where the tow truck was stuck/spinning. I think one of the problems is the driver of it was afraid to "drive" the truck. I don't know if he didn't want to get it dirty or what. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[jwstewar]

This is the truck as it is being dragged backwards by the wrecker. By this point we had already unloaded our 500 gal. tank trying to lighten the truck up somewhat. The driver stayed in the truck and kept it "spinning" slow to ease the strain on the wrecker.

 

[jwstewar]

This is how far we ended up dragging the propane truck. I would guess 150 - 160' maybe a little more. That is what the wrecker driver based his bill on.

 

[jwstewar]

We ened up having to drag it straight through the garden because we couldn't get around it.

 

[jwstewar]

Wife is a little upset. This is now what the yard looks like in front of the entrance to her flower garden/pond. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Part of the reason this is so rough is this is where truck pretty came to a rest and we had to use a couple of things that I try not to use to much since I got the tractor - shovels /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif They didn't work either. Still couldn't get the truck up out of its hole.

 

[jwstewar]

Another shot of the garden/pond entrance including the harbor I made her for her birthday last year.

 

[jwstewar]

This is another shot of what damage was done to the neighbor's right-of-way/driveway. At least we were able to miss all of my little white pines that I planted 3 years ago.

 

[GeneD14]

It looks like this spring you have another project: using the NH to fix the yard. Good Pictures.

 

[jwstewar]

Here is a picture of the propane truck driver showing off his handy work. I told him they should use this as a marketing picture of how gentle they are on your land. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif All-in-all he and I had fun with it. Neither of us were upset - wouldn't have done any good - the truck would've still been stuck. He jinxed us right off the bat though. Got out of the truck and said, "It's New Year's Eve, Should be a pretty easy day. I've got 2 tank sets, and a repair call." /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[jwstewar]

BTW, just as a little follow-up and to make it more tractor related. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Where we had off loaded the tank was even close to where it needed to be, but we knew worse case scenario we could make a temp hook up. The tractor couldn't pick the whole tank up, (he helped me take the blade off and put the cutter on for extra weight so that we could try that while we waited on the wrecker /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif). I could pick the one end up though. I ended up dragging the tank into place on Janaury 2nd. Was also able to drag the old tank to a location so they could pick it up - they waited until the ground refroze. Another situation that developed out of this whole scenario - I ended up having to replace the water heater. It had started leaking just a little bit. Glad I was trying to relight it when I noticed. I hadn't checked it as it was only 5 years old. Nothing like an emergency water heater replacement after you've already done the tasks you had planned for the day. (Couldn't get the cover off the relight either, once I discovered it was leaking I decided to cut my losses. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif)

 

[hazmat]

I thought we were going to see pictures of an explosion... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Mud is almost as much fun /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Thanks for sharing.

 

[jwstewar]

Even though it was a bad situation, we (the propane guy & myself) had a lot of fun with it that day. I kept telling him that people pay big bucks to go 4 wheeling and here he was getting paid to do it, didn't have to pay the tow bill, and it wasn't his bill to fix the trucks if something broke.

I would've like to have gotten pictures of my little NH dragging the propane tanks around a few days later, but it was raining on and off and was fairly cold. Was just trying to get the job done. Dad didn't seem to be enjoying the process quite as much as I was either. He wouldn't have been super excited about telling him to hold on while I go grab the camera. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Cactus]

Its not bad until you get a 4wd wrecker hung up and you do not have enough cable on the back to reach the intended target or do not have enough cable on the front winch to reach anything else to pull from including another wrecker.