Soft Bridal Strap For Sprinter Van?

[Bravo30]

I’ve seen these bridal straps used effectively in various situations but I’ve never seen one used with a Sprinter van. By recovery i mean a light pull out of sand or snow, nothing crazy. My van is 2wd and we mainly travel on forest roads here in Pa.

1- is this something I should carry in my van as a recovery option?

2- where on the front end would be best to hook up?

 

[Winterpeg]

No.

Use actual recovery gear that is rated for the recovery of your specific vehicle.

 

[Bravo30]

"Winterpeg" is 100% correct. Do not just buy anything. Learn about the proper recovery gear before you get hurt! There are many threads on the forum about recovery gear. The best deal is to get into a Recovery Class then you will know what you need before you make a very wrong mistake. The I4WDTA offer these classes and they are certified teachers and educators.

Da Frenchman

Besides the training, which I agree with, is there any specific reason why these straps wouldn’t work? I talked to the guys at BA products and they recommended them.

 

[verdesard0g]

Besides the training, which I agree with, is there any specific reason why these straps wouldn’t work? I talked to the guys at BA products and they recommended them.

What are the specs of that bridle? Does your van have tow hooks? Lots of questions before even attempting to do a recovery.

 

[Bravo30]

What are the specs of that bridle? Does your van have tow hooks? Lots of questions before even attempting to do a recovery.

I don’t have any aftermarket tow hooks up front. My van came with a threaded tow eye that screws into the front bumper but that’s only rated for winching up on a flat bed etc.
I just ordered an aluminess front receiver hitch kit so that will give me a shackle up front. I’m interested in the soft bridle just to have another option available incase the front hitch Fails and also maybe to help somebody else out who doesn’t have recovery points etc.

I don’t off road the van beyond its capabilities so any “recovery” is going to be on flat ground in sand or snow where I just need a tug with a kinetic rope or strap/chain. I avoid mud like the plague. I also need to be able to self recover or have the equipment on hand for another vehicle that’s there to help out. We see a lot of other trucks out there but I doubt they carry more than a chain.

My kit so far:

-kinetic rope
-soft shackles/d-ring shackle
-chain
-straps/tree saver
-snatch blocks
-synthetic winch line extensions (for added length if I need it)
-traction boards
-arb air bag
-bottle jack with base
-shovel/pick etc
-

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

That bridle is not designed for recovery. It is designed as a tie down with solid axle wrap arounds when trailering a vehicle with solid axles.

 

[2.ooohhh]

Besides the training, which I agree with, is there any specific reason why these straps wouldn’t work? I talked to the guys at BA products and they recommended them.

BA specializes in towing and rescue applications. While it’s good equipment for that purpose, I wouldn’t want the metal link as built into that strap if planning to use it in a dynamic recovery. In a recovery such as this with one vehicle pulling another forces are very different and should that strap fail or come free those metal bits can be dangerous. For recovery off road I use a tree saver from ARB as a bridle, the dual use reduces space taken in my recovery kit.


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[Bravo30]

That bridle is not designed for recovery. It is designed as a tie down with solid axle wrap arounds when trailering a vehicle with solid axles.

Exactly what I needed to know! I though they were similar as j-hooks and chain just soft so you don’t damage anything.

Would I be better off with steel j-hooks and chain? My van is unibody so I’m sure there’s holes underneath to attach the hooks etc

 

[Bravo30]

I’m open to any and all options.
Right now I just the front receiver hitch with shackle so I need a plan B incase that fails.

 

[Winterpeg]

Do not buy a rope with hooks.... those are "tow straps" not "recovery" straps.

The rule of thumb for buying recovery straps is 1.5 x your vehicle weight so it has some stretch.

And use appropriately rated shackles... whether you go with the "newer" soft shackles or the standard D shackle clevises.

As stated above... a tree saver strap is what I use to wrap around an axle if there are no recovery points.... and use appropriate shackles to connect the tree saver to the recovery strap... or loop it through the tree saver and then shackle it to the recovery vehicle.

If someone is recovering you and pulls out a rope with a hook on it.... it's safe to assume they aren't experienced/qualified in safely recovering anyone.

 

[krick3tt]

I was involved several years ago with an off road group that stated in their requirements for trips that there would be 'NO' metal ends on any recovery straps or ropes. they become missiles if something breaks, and in truth a human does not have the reaction time built in to duck such missile, no matter how good you think you are.
Get the device built for your vehicle and do take a recovery class by a qualified instructor, not the guy that often says 'hold my beer, I want to try something'