What would you do if this was your spotter?

Not sure exactly what I would do in a situation like this. Can't remember if this is a repost - but it does bring up a good topic of the proper way to spot someone over an obstacle....

What a freakin idiot! Yeah, the correct way is too not let a stupid idiot spot for you. I mean holy cow. I am a novice for sure, but that was a wreck coming in slow motion. What I also don't get is how the people around there didn't say anything. I watched it 3 times to see if I missed anything.

I looked for the same thing. With so many people standing around, you would think someone would have stopped the lunatic doing the spotting. Poor guy seemed like he didn't want to do what she was telling him, but she kept insisting, and no one else stepped in. What a shame. Waste of a new $40k truck.....

Pretty sad indeed. I never take spotting advice from someone I do not trust, period. All too often "bystanders" think that they can spot. It takes a seasoned driver to be a good spotter. Complete understanding of the entire vehicle is needed. All too often spotters are paying attention to one or two tires and not the rest of the rig.

I only spot for people who have a vehicle similar to something I am familiar with wheeling. I cant stand it when people who are used to wheeling realy flexy Jeeps try to spot an ifs truck because they expect you to have a ton of flex to keep the tires on te ground.

Normally I would not hit a woman...BUT...

was the "spotter" with the person in that Jeep? i mean did they know each other? thats what i would like to know....i will say this however...the driver should have gotten his Buh-tox out and looked regardless of knowing or trusting the "spotter"...

if i didnt know that "spotter" and they were in a different ride...mu bipolar Buh-tox would be beating the absolute crap out of the "spotters" vehicle...or letting it roll of a ledge...but seriously...its as much fault of the driver as anyone...sucks for him more though...

He clearly didn't know the vehicle and neither did the spotter.

any time I feel like my spotter might be telling me something stupid I stop get out and look myself.

Im really not sure why that jeep didnt just go straigh up the ledges instead of trying to make a turn across the ledges.

clear to me that there was no experience from either of them...i mean zero...

You have to trust your spotter and your spotter has to know what the heck they are doing and be confident. The spotter in the video seemed confident but she put the driver in a bad spot and the driver didn't know when to call it quits. You have to listen to your spotter but you have the final say so in/if/when you do something.

With that said, if your spotter is putting you in a bad position then you need to get out and check things out for yourself, or get a new spotter. I've done both. This past week at Golden Mountain I had a good spotter but twice called it quits and pulled line when I was on the brink of flopping. When the tip-o-meter is past 30 degrees and all I can see is sky then I'm past my comfort level and anyone in front of my rig had better watch out because a tree strap and winch controller are flying out the window in your direction.

Women Spotter was the first mistake. Buying a Jeep was the second.

I am definitely a novice when it comes to crawling, but having to rely on your vehicle to slide correctly doesn't seem right.

Maybe it's just me, but I can see where it's never a good idea to have the wheels at full lock either up or down a rocky ledge like that.

This spotter was f**king idiot, so was he as its obvious that he had a clean line about 4 feet to the right.

I retract my earlier statement. The spotter is a genius and a "ground breaker" in the offroading sport. Upon my 4th viewing of the video its clear she was trying to pull off a complete sideways climb. This has never been done before and they were reaching for the stars. I salute their can-do attitudes!

2011TRDIceberg wrote:

Women Spotter was the first mistake. Buying a Jeep was the second.

I don't know if I would go that far. One of the few people I (almost) totally trust to spot my vehicle is a woman.

totald wrote:

I am definitely a novice when it comes to crawling, but having to rely on your vehicle to slide correctly doesn't seem right.

Sometimes in certain terrain you can't steer into a line and you have to more or less slide into the line. Seen it done many a time, done it a few times myself, and even have seen video of a friend on a steep downhill trail put his vehicle into 2WD and reverse to slide into a line.

MadToy wrote:

Maybe it's just me, but I can see where it's never a good idea to have the wheels at full lock either up or down a rocky ledge like that.

Wheels at full lock often put your junk at a higher risk of breakage. I try to back off just a bit of full lock when turning and either on the skinny or in any similar situation where you can bind the front end and snap-crackle-pop your equipment. Being at full or almost full lock can help steady your vehicle by turning you into a flop and effectively chocking a wheel and making the vehicle more stable.

It all comes down to experience. Im gong on year 12 of trail riding in all kinds of rigs and still met people every time i go out that have no experience or that can teach me a lot. It all comes down to having the experience to know who falls into which category.

Any man or woman can be a equally good spotter, but it takes years of skill, and experience I wouldn't have remotely listened to that spotter I would've got out and spotted my self as soon as she beckoned me leftwards nono. She was a f------g moron and obviously a worthlees trail partner. My wife spots me all the time and has skills.

smoky cruiser wrote:

Any man or woman can be a equally good spotter, but it takes years of skill, and experience I wouldn't have remotely listened to that spotter I would've got out and spotted my self as soon as she beckoned me leftwards nono. She was a f------g moron and obviously a worthlees trail partner. My wife spots me all the time and has skills.

I really think she watched to many Moab videos on YouTube of people on rocker knocker. But that isn't rocker knocker.

Is this the same spot as in the video??? I believe it is the very same spot......Looks very familiar.....

no that spot isnt the same but the spotter was trying to make them take a line similar to the line you take to get up rocker knocker in larry's picture. Its a result of watching to many youtube videos instead of knowing what your doing.

crogers6569 wrote:

no that spot isnt the same but the spotter was trying to make them take a line similar to the line you take to get up rocker knocker in larry's picture. Its a result of watching to many youtube videos instead of knowing what your doing.

What IS the spot when the j**p failed then? Just curious.

nope i was off thought that was a spot on potato salad hill but its rocker knocker for sure... they are just way far right.

crogers6569 wrote:

nope i was off thought that was a spot on potato salad hill but its rocker knocker for sure... they are just way far right.

Ahhh. Thanks Chad. I know it was obviously shot from a different angle...and Larry does look like he is "perched precariously".....can't wait to talk to him in person to hear the stories....Glad Larry made it through with better results than our J**p friend......