G-Wagen Camper with Tibus Portal Axles
Some people may wonder what is so special about the G-Wagen and some of the mods we do? This is a great story explaining the practical applications of such a vehicle and its mods with the portal axles.
Here is an owner of such a vehicle and a story of the flooding 2 weeks ago in the area he and the rescuer live. The hero of the story also has a G-Wagen and is currently getting the Tibus portal axle mod for his vehicle. Portal axles save lives!
“At 5:30 today a dry riverbed in my neighborhood turned into a violent raging torrent. Many feet of water flowing over it with 6′ plus standing waves.
A neighbor coming home texted me and advised that there was a car on the southeast edge of the torrent, buried in water, that looked like it was just about to get sucked into the main current. He then texted that he saw a person clinging to some trees on the far side of the river screaming for help.
It was coming down hard at my house, flash flooding everywhere and the three arroyos I have to cross to get to the people were 6-8′ deep and I was 4 miles away.
So I texted the my friend that lives right next to the normally dry riverbed and advised him of the situation. He headed down to towards the river in his lifted f250 with mud terrains.
His floodplain driveway was under a couple feet of flowing water (you can’t tell where the road is) and he had to turn back.
The guy on the other side of the river (200 – 300′ wide by this point) said the faint screams for help were getting more desperate.
The neighbor on the other side then reports that he sees a backhoe moving towards the river. It’s the guy I’m talking about – our silent member….He proceeds to drive thru the insane flash flooding river bank/flood plains, bashing some trees I’m sure cause you can’t even walk thru there, and two women were able to crawl from the water into the bucket of his big backhoe!!!!
He gets them back up to his house and texts me that they are okay.
The guy on the bridge then texts me that he still hears screaming for help and sees somebody clinging to a tree in the water.
So the backhoe shows up again, going into the insane torrentially flooding river that is now even higher. By this time the Fire Department rescue has shown up on the other side of the river – I had called them earlier. Zero chance any vehicle known to man can cross it so they could just watch.
Somehow he finds the guy and gets him.
I then get a text from the neighbor on the bridge that the tractor is in the water and it isn’t moving.
At this point I say f#%£ it and slog thru 5″ of standing water on the ground, out to my portal camper. I went into 3 flash flooding arroyos that I shouldn’t have but luck was with me.
I made the 4 miles to the river and drove out to the car – water was about 3′ -4′ deep with a strong current. The river was 3-400′ wide by this point. I could see the backhoe lights down stream.
I backed up a few hundred feet and headed thru his gate and moved towards the backhoe – got near him and he was buried, nose down in a hole – underwater – likely quicksand from the liquefaction. He told me to drive around and they made it to my camper.
Got the guy back up to the house to his wife and other friend…
The folks in the river were 2 women and 1 man, all from Germany – visiting someone up the road. One of the women was quite shocky and on n the edge of being hypothermic.
I got them to some warm beds in a warm house on the ranch I manage, worked with the FD on getting her stable, got them wine and food and later I just barely made it home – 40′ of quicksand but speed got me thru.
I hope his backhoe is still there in the morning, I doubt the car will be there – it was a rental.
Holy hell! This turned out well! Some strangers are safe! Quite a Wednesday night.
I have to say, I would have had zero chance of getting thru the deep mud, water and quicksand without the G and definitely not without the portals – that little bit extra height was enough to get me thru….”
Owner of a G-Wagen with Tibus portal axles installed by OCD Custom Cycles & Auto Repair
