A dedicated recovery hook that slides into a standard tow-hitch box.

Why bother, just push your strap into the receiver and push the pin thru. I train my people using this method and have done litterally hundreds of recoveries from deep sand using this method no bent pin or any other adverse effects. $85 for a dedicated recovery hook held in place by the same pin Doh!! Cheers Rob
PS for only another $75 you can by a small piece of pressed tin called a "hiclone"

I saw one of these on the weekend and it did look like the go. It had an upwards facing hook with a small retaining latch to stop the strap slipping back out. I know that you would be fine just using the pin but this seems better, particularly if you get stuck in a deepish puddle and the towbar is just below the water level. Much easier to slip the strap eye over the hook than to frig around feeling for a pin hole in the slushy stuff. And if you drop the pin you are really having fun!

I also know that it might also be prudent to put the pin through the strap PRIOR to going through something sticky and then putting the rest of the strap on the roof or wrapped around the spare but how many of us would actually do that???

Just my opinion.
Steven

Alex,

I think your mate had too many beers around the barbie. I think the correct figure might have been closer to $65 not $85.
It is a product that you want or don't want. It is convenient to just slip on the strap plus you don't have to muck around getting down on your knees in the mud water or whatever and you don't worry about dropping the pins in the mud.
Some towbars now come with bolts through the receiver rather than pins making the attachment of straps harder/longer.

Also women doing the training courses find it much easier to hook on the strap. we have all spent that kind of money on things in the past so it is just another one of those things that people will buy if they want too.

I don't agree with using the "strap-in-the-hitch-secured-by-the-pin" method (Bent pins, torn skin, torn straps etc), but wanted a quick conveniant way to attach the strap. So I bought a rated hook from ARB ($15) and mounted it, using highest grade high tensile nuts and bolts, on a spare "tongue" that resides in the drawer until it's needed. Usually if the terrain is such that I think I'll need the recovery point on (for others or for us) then it gets put on first, so we're not 'dicking" around trying to "lose" the pin in the mud.
Works for us!

I just emailed the guy to find out a bit more info, and got a reply with in 30 mins, $60 posted in Vic, and $65 east coast. I use the pin method too, but I might put one of these on the list, each to his own

I know others have mentioned they don't see any advantage in these devices. However they do eliminate the chance of bending the tow pin and the subsequent damage to your tow bar.

ARB also sell a similar hitch that gives you a shackle lug style recovery point. I've carried one for quite a while. It also provides better winching point.

Is there a good reason why you shouldn't remove the tow ball and put a rated shackle through the hole? You could still lose a pin in the mud but it's not as fiddly or out-of-the-way as the pin and its retaining clip (and you would avoid the sharp edges of the receiver hole if fitting directly to the pin).

Hi Fellas

Just thought you might be interested check out the website bigballsoffroad.com and they have what they call a hitch receiver. It's a solid bit of metal with the ends turned down to accomodate a bow shackle. Looks like a good bit of kit to me.

Swerv,

That idea's neater but not very different from what I suggested. Why not just fit the shackle pin through the towball hole on your standard towing hitch and save $60?