Winch Alternatives

What about a Bush Winch? Works forwards or backwards.

Rob i have had exactly the opposite worked on cattle stations a long time never had a vehicle fitted with a winch got stuck numerous times long lonely walks back once over a day and a half, other times stuck for a few days slowly extracting ourselves out, always wanted a winch. Finally bought one put it on the wagon used it the very next day, I know it might be years before i need it again, i will service it and look after it until then because the day you do need it, it makes all the drama worthwhile. Thought about having one that i can swap around even drew up plans for one but in the end stayed with the front mounted one, (plans were a tow hitch receiver mounted front and back winch on portable cradle with a tow ball tongue) not that you still can't get stuck even with a winch but it beats most other ways of getting unstuck. Have used a hand winch to pull a vehicle out, but in forty plus degree heat and ninety percent humidity, in the middle of the wet, not my favourite way of spending the day.

Rob, my theory about a winch is always put yourself in a position that avoids you having to use the thing in the first place. In the five 4x4 vehicles I've owned in 34 years I've used my winch twice. Once to pull myself out of a bog...see below



and the other time to pull anpother EO member out (backwards) from a bog somehwere deep in the Great Sandy Desert.

Heh HehClick me - Sorry Petey :-)

Better to have and not need than need and not have. Warne??, check out this thread and don't spend a million.

Winches - When to support and when to walk

Cheers Mick

Very hard to beat a winch , but if you don't go where they are needed or don't travel alone then I guess it doesn't matter as much.

But we do and I couldn't imagine travelling without one.

Already this year we have extracted a 200 series and our neighour abandoned his 200 and took the chopper home from the Canning.

Nothing provides traction like a set of chains in HC so consider that.
(and Maxtrax for dessert)

Our winch installation on our GU was without a heavy steel bar and added 28kg only in nett weight.

Our winch can pull backwards , and the GU is lighter than a 200 series and can easily fit lockers.

Overall our GU 4800 can go further than a 200 series and with less weight winch is more effective on it - so a lot depends on how good your installation is.

better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

All good and valuable comments, thank you. The issue with the Bull bar around the city is that they are pretty intimidating but have just discovered that ARB might have the answer..http://www.arb.com.au/products/arb-protection-equipment/bull-bars/sahara-bars/3915150/

Effectively the lower half of a steel bar, so it can take a winch + a nudge bar. Looks ok and other than hitting a camel will protect against 90% of animal strikes....

Rob

When Living on Groote Eylandt (1993 - 2004) my wife and I would prefer camping by ourselves (less compromises required), so for safety I decided that I needed a winch. The 4WD I had then had a bull bar already fitted that wasn't winch compatible so I bought a Tirfor style winch with a pulley in case extra pulling power was required. Needed it 3 times in that period and found that it took 15 - 20 minutes to get out, use and pack up again, which I estimate would be about 5 - 10 minutes longer than a bar mounted winch recovery would have taken. To me the important part was to not bury the winch under your gear so you cant get at it easily.
I made up a box open at one end so I could open the rear door and slide out the winch, handle, rope and shackle, straps, etc. without disturbing the rest of the camping gear. Those with draws wouldn't need to do that.
For those that ask me about wether they should have a winch my answer has always been that you may never need to use it in anger, but it will give you confidence to go places that you would otherwise not because the risk of getting stuck is too high.

Hope my experience is of benefit to you.
Mal

I have seen portable or boat winches advertised.
Would something like that do the job??

They usually come with a towball mount and should also be able to hook onto a front recovery point.
I have never used one, so would like someone with more knowledge give an opinion.

I think they are only 5000lb rated.

I know a couple of guys with hitch mounted normal winches that slot into the towbar receiver. Some have put a towbar receiver on the front of the car as well as the back so they can winch forward or back. You really need a ute to carry the unit and it isn't light.

Detachable winch receiver

I think the principle of having what I have heard referred to as a "multi mount" style of winch whereby you can store the unit out of the elements and attach it front or rear as required is great in theory but presents some, maybe not insurmountable, problems. Mainly the weight that is needed to be lugged into place when needed. 30 or so kg for a reasonable capacity winch. A considerable weight saving if synthetic rope is used of course. Not that hard to do for two reasonably fit people and doable for one on a nice flat firm surface. Unfortunately we seldom get bogged on such a surface. Usually slippery uneven sand, mud or rocks.
If I could work out such a system I might be tempted to build one that doesn't see me wearing a back brace for whatever is left of my life.
Then there is the problem of what to attach the other end of the rope to. Never seen one of those ground anchors used in person but they also don't look like a particularly light weight bit of kit and a nice sturdy tree or rock is not always available.
The good old "bury the spare wheel" option is possible a la Mick O but not always practical in some ground types.

Cheers
Pop

With a multimount, Dont for get the extra weight of HEAVY cables to send 200-400 A to the back of the vehicle.
Winch in a frame takes up a lot of room and wouldnt be much fun in an accident or rollover