Heavy vehicle recovery gear
- Thread starter Ramdough
- Start date
colodak
Adventurer
If you are going to use airbags, get extensive practice with them before you go out in the field the first time. Fire Dept.'s and HD wrecker companies practice with these things a couple of times per year, and they still have accidents with them, some times with catastrophic results. Friend of a friend drives an HD wrecker, they practice with theirs 8 hrs every 3 months, and inspect them after every use, few years back they used them on a rolled semi, one of the bags was pin pricked by a piece of steel. Next day while using them, that bag blew out and knocked a fire fighter standing nearby on his butt, breaking his tail bone. They are not under much pressure, but, are still capable of great harm.
Ramdough
Adventurer
Reviving this old thread. I ended up getting a truck with a hydraulic winch. The winch is mounted mid truck and can pull front or rear.
The winch comes with 280 feet of cable on it.
I am still working on the wiring, so I do not know if it can push the PTO while driving, but I heard no.
As far as the sand ladders go..... are they worth buying and carrying? If so, which ones do you all recommend?
I have the two 20 ton bottle jacks, will get land anchors, carry cribbing, shovels, snatch rope, and a snatch block.
Thanks!
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The winch comes with 280 feet of cable on it.
I am still working on the wiring, so I do not know if it can push the PTO while driving, but I heard no.
As far as the sand ladders go..... are they worth buying and carrying? If so, which ones do you all recommend?
I have the two 20 ton bottle jacks, will get land anchors, carry cribbing, shovels, snatch rope, and a snatch block.
Thanks!
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DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
Scholars differ, but I swear by sand ladders. Especially in sand. See my avatar photo and this:
I also carry two GoTreds as my new truck is even heavier.
And don't forget your shovel. (Don't ask me about the time I did.)
I also carry two GoTreds as my new truck is even heavier.
And don't forget your shovel. (Don't ask me about the time I did.)
Ramdough
Adventurer
Scholars differ, but I swear by sand ladders. Especially in sand. See my avatar photo and this:
I also carry two GoTreds as my new truck is even heavier.
And don't forget your shovel. (Don't ask me about the time I did.)
Where did you get your sand ladders?
I will be closer to 28,000 lbs, so I am concerned that sand ladders may just end up getting bent.
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DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
The ones in the picture I found in a market in Cameroon. The ones on my truck were there when I bought it. Sorry.
Look for Marston Mats: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marston_Mat
Doesn't matter if they bend. Also consider GoTreds.
Look for Marston Mats: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marston_Mat
Doesn't matter if they bend. Also consider GoTreds.
Ramdough
Adventurer
What length do you recommend? The truck will be 8’ wide, so I could put long ones of need be. I was thinking of cutting a couple 10’ ones down to 5’.
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DiploStrat
Expedition Leader
Typically the mat is wider than a single wheel, say 2x and whatever length is easy to stow. I would have to go measure, but I would guess no more than three feet wide and no more than eight to ten feet long. Five would probably be fine.
The ones that I bought had already been cut down, probably dumped by some overlander who had never heard of the mud in Zaire. (Back in the day overlanders sold off lots of recovery gear in Nigeria and Cameroon, figuring that as they had crossed the Sahara, the hard part was over. Little did they know … )
The ones that I bought had already been cut down, probably dumped by some overlander who had never heard of the mud in Zaire.
(Back in the day overlanders sold off lots of recovery gear in Nigeria and Cameroon, figuring that as they had crossed the Sahara, the hard part was over. Little did they know … )C p weinberger
Active member
Ramdough
“I ended up getting a truck with a hydraulic winch. The winch is mounted mid truck and can pull front or rear.”
I can never find much info on how mid mounted winch cables are strung to service both front and rear...
How do you winch wire in and prevent a big mess on the drum when you can’t see drum or guide the wire?
“I ended up getting a truck with a hydraulic winch. The winch is mounted mid truck and can pull front or rear.”
I can never find much info on how mid mounted winch cables are strung to service both front and rear...
How do you winch wire in and prevent a big mess on the drum when you can’t see drum or guide the wire?
Ramdough
Adventurer
There are a series of rollers that run along the frame rail to guide the cable to the drum. At the drum, there is a small sheave that guides the cable into the drum to help it level wind. It has one in the front and back so that it can pull from either side. The drum is skinny and tall, so it has a small fleet angle, which helps. The first and last roller fairleads have removable pins to pull the cable through.
It is a purpose built system, it would be very difficult to reproduce yourself.
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waveslider
Outdoorsman
Sounds cool