Arclight
SAR guy
You might want to start with the basic concepts of getting stuck and subsequent recovery. These are the things I have had happen:
1. Losing traction in deep sand, mud, or snow. This may or may not be accompanied by getting the truck's axles and underthings buried in said material.
2. Driving the right side into a ditch or similar.
3. High-centering - you tried to drive over an apex that was too tall and the middle of the vehicle got hung up.
4. Getting hung up on a departure - i.e. you tried to cross a washout in the road and the truck was too long and/or low to negotiate it.
Here in the California/Nevada West, the shovel has been the #1 most valuable tool for me. Next would be the jack (Hi-lift and/or hydraulic jack). Most of the places I drive have few trees, so I've never had a winch.
The first order of business when I get stuck is to stop getting myself more stuck.
Once I get out and and survey the problem, my next step is almost always to break out the shovel and start working to remove anything that is hanging up the truck. In conjunction with the jack, you can use a shovel to remove the high-spot of dirt that is hanging up the rear axle, and then put that dirt under the tires. In snow or other loose stuff, I might shovel to remove a berm of material from in front of the tries, or to modify the road to make getting out easier.
For me, the jack is often a tool to get access to underneath the tires. Being able to lift from the front or back bumper and get the tires 6" in the air will let me put dirt, wood or brush under those tires. Being able to plant the jack right into the rim or on a corner of the bumper is very handy here.
The next thing that works really well is a tow strap and a second vehicle. This is where having heavy-duty shackles that will not break and are mounted in a way that won't twist your frame rails is really nice to have.
A tree saw, pick and shovel are also great for modifying infrequently-used trails so that I can take an easier line and not have to take a rougher or off-camber path.
Recovering from a roll-over or slide-off-a-hill is usually a 2 or 3 vehicle effort, and sturdy recovery points are what's going to be handy here.
For your project, I might look at lightweight front and rear bumpers that combine sturdy recovery points with a stiff, ribbed design and jacking points on the edges. For a "new concept" project, you could look at "porta-power" devices that let you use compressed air hookups and a single hydraulic cylinder to jack, push, pull, etc without having to carry multiple tools. Look at the hydraulic push/pulling sets that Harbor Freight sells for an idea. If you put appropriate accessories in a kit and made bumpers that would accept those attachments, you could have a lot of options for quick recovery. You could even use it like a winch with chains or cable. The marine salvage industry uses techniques like this all the time.
Just a few thoughts...
Arclight
1. Losing traction in deep sand, mud, or snow. This may or may not be accompanied by getting the truck's axles and underthings buried in said material.
2. Driving the right side into a ditch or similar.
3. High-centering - you tried to drive over an apex that was too tall and the middle of the vehicle got hung up.
4. Getting hung up on a departure - i.e. you tried to cross a washout in the road and the truck was too long and/or low to negotiate it.
Here in the California/Nevada West, the shovel has been the #1 most valuable tool for me. Next would be the jack (Hi-lift and/or hydraulic jack). Most of the places I drive have few trees, so I've never had a winch.
The first order of business when I get stuck is to stop getting myself more stuck.
Once I get out and and survey the problem, my next step is almost always to break out the shovel and start working to remove anything that is hanging up the truck. In conjunction with the jack, you can use a shovel to remove the high-spot of dirt that is hanging up the rear axle, and then put that dirt under the tires. In snow or other loose stuff, I might shovel to remove a berm of material from in front of the tries, or to modify the road to make getting out easier.
For me, the jack is often a tool to get access to underneath the tires. Being able to lift from the front or back bumper and get the tires 6" in the air will let me put dirt, wood or brush under those tires. Being able to plant the jack right into the rim or on a corner of the bumper is very handy here.
The next thing that works really well is a tow strap and a second vehicle. This is where having heavy-duty shackles that will not break and are mounted in a way that won't twist your frame rails is really nice to have.
A tree saw, pick and shovel are also great for modifying infrequently-used trails so that I can take an easier line and not have to take a rougher or off-camber path.
Recovering from a roll-over or slide-off-a-hill is usually a 2 or 3 vehicle effort, and sturdy recovery points are what's going to be handy here.
For your project, I might look at lightweight front and rear bumpers that combine sturdy recovery points with a stiff, ribbed design and jacking points on the edges. For a "new concept" project, you could look at "porta-power" devices that let you use compressed air hookups and a single hydraulic cylinder to jack, push, pull, etc without having to carry multiple tools. Look at the hydraulic push/pulling sets that Harbor Freight sells for an idea. If you put appropriate accessories in a kit and made bumpers that would accept those attachments, you could have a lot of options for quick recovery. You could even use it like a winch with chains or cable. The marine salvage industry uses techniques like this all the time.
Just a few thoughts...
Arclight
