HikeArizona.COM

If you have a vehicle stuck in southern utah---- [ youtube video ] ; one of my favorite you tube channels

@rustyshackleford135
It's at Paul's shop and that's the plan for a full resto ( apparently Ed thinks it is just to get it running as is as much as possible) Fab Rats you tube channel but sure can get link from Matt's to see what goes on with it.

Story is getting some attention

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusi ... ar-AAPWE4v

cw50must wrote:Story is getting some attention

I hope Ed doesn't see all the "attention", and the surprise gets blown!

Looks like they are having some billing issues.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/12/01/ ... -off-road/

Hopefully it'll be cleared up. But if you do the crime you need to do the time. It's like the lives of folks on all these social media sites are definitely not the whole picture.

Yeh, seems somewhat "harmless" but seems pretty clear he's already admitted to the fraud but trying to make it... less bad. His argument appears to be, "Hey, I won't charge you for this but when you need a real tow, let me know and I'll put in a claim for that, wink wink, nudge nudge."

Honestly, I've been on the receiving end of this before and appreciated it but it's still definitely illegal and doing it while you have a youtube channel is... not smart. My biggest takeaway is that AAA is a nonprofit. Had no idea of that

@cw50must
"Say it ain't so, Joe"
I'm a Matt fan...

According to the Utah Insurance Fraud Division, some of the tows performed by Wetzel’s Winder Towing — including at least one featured in a video — were misrepresented in claims to AAA. The insurer paid out over $15,000 for those claims. One of which was this tow, which was featured on the channel:

https://jalopnik.com/off-road-recovery- ... 1848682414

Looks like he gets probation, pays out some cash, and lost his AAA business and other stuff. He had better hope the you tube channel continues to grow as it sounds like his day job of regular tows from the interstate by St George is now not gonna be called out if the customer has AAA. Still like his vids though.

@Pivo
Maybe take that website off your "trusted source of current news" list.

This story was first reported (and shared in this haz thread) in December. The court "settlement" happened in February, and it was reported by a real news source at least 18 days ago.

Yay internet!

@chumley
Chums, spreading joy one day at a time.

Matt has a new video up with Trail Mater ( off road wrecker) Rory of a NEW jeep rescue in the Dollhouse/ Maze canyonlands. They go in via the Hite route. Where it gets rougher is Teapot rock area then you can see the Wall area a min or so later. I didn't watch the whole video but apparently a starter problem and It appears Chrysler ( or whoever they are now) wanted the Jeep towed to a dealer in Salt Lake so they called these guys to get it to pavement.

@RedRoxx44
Saw the video last night... we skimmed a bit but watched the part closely once headed into The Maze.
It brought back plenty of memories from our trip to the Maze in 2016. When Tracey saw Matt and Rory driving up the big step she remembered filming me driving the Cherokee down the same step.
VIDEO: Teapot Rock Four-Wheeling
Shortly past that area we encountered a VW bus sitting still but running. Turned out the starter was shot and some folks in a Jeep had just pulled the VW to get it started and they were taking their time before starting to head back out.

That is my favorite area of canyonlands; over the years been to the Maze 7-8 times mostly via Hite but Flint trail a couple of times, done most of the hikes on and off trail. The only area I would like to have spent more time in was Ernies' and the Fins.

RedRoxx44 wrote:The only area I would like to have spent more time in was Ernies' and the Fins.

Same here.
But then we would gave just plain liked to have spent more period... having to bail early due to unrelenting high winds was a bummer.

Nother really excellent recovery by Rory with Trail Mater out of Moab.
[ youtube video ] also another Trail Mater video he welds a broken tie rod on a Rivian which allows it to get out of the backcountry.

Matt inspired Recovery in Alpine, WY I saw today walking into town.

This looks interesting and possibly more technical recovery challenges than in the desert.
Upcoming TV series to spotlight Colorado tow company working on I-70 mountain corridor.

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/colora ... show-i-70/

My favorite was the pickup truck high on a hiking trail and the person who tried to drive a rented mustang on a hiking trail. But hey, it's a rental, they go anywhere. These shows are following in the footsteps of ice road truckers etc, and the recent you tube rise in lots of off road recoveries.

RedRoxx44 wrote:the recent you tube rise in lots of off road recoveries

which came first, the chicken or the egg?