Lower rating winch with a pulley?

[Brianjwilson]

I just think it's something to be aware of, that's all. Comeup (and probably most others) publish their rated pulling weight on each wrap of the drum.

That being said, every stuck and recovery is different. If someone is only planning to need a small tug from sliding off of a snowy road, high centered or barely stuck with open diffs, a smaller winch will probably be ok most of the time. But if you're stuck (or recovering someone who is stuck) in frame deep soupy mud and steep incline you might need a lot of pulling power. Also if you're planning on having to use a snatch block, you effectively now have a 40' rope. Not counting the 5+ wraps you should keep on the drum as a minimum when spooling out.

Again just some things to think about.

[Wrinkledpants]

We'll definitely be in the category of high-sided and other relatively simple situations. We won't be traveling with people offroad, so no real need to be pulling a frame-deep jeep out of the mud. Nor will be be in any crawling situation or serious type of offroad.

The only hesitation I'd have with using a shorter rope is that I'm not entirely sure how you'd pass a connection between the line from the winch, and an extra rope connected to a block to extend the line. If you buy a 50' rope to extend the winch, how would you pass that through a block?

[BroncoHauler]

Originally Posted by Wrinkledpants

... If you buy a 50' rope to extend the winch, how would you pass that through a block?

You don't. You would have to get to a safe stopping point on the winch evolution, stop and then re-rig without the extension.

FWIW, Bill Burke and I'm sure others offer Recovery classes which are well worth it IMO.


Herb

[Wrinkledpants]

Thanks. That's kind of what I thought, and how we've done it with other winching applications. I think that's probably more of an issue for us than the strength given that there aren't always good anchor points out here in Colorado. At least not like when you're in a forest with well-rooted trees.

I added up the weight of a snatch block and 40' of rope, and it's not meaningfully different from some of the winches proposed that simply come with longer lines. Not to mention you're carrying less stuff elsewhere in the van.

If we do a winch, it'll probably be something around 12K lbs as that does seem like a good compromise. Agile Offroad posted a photo of a really clean looking winch install on a Sprinter using the factory front bumper and no additional exterior attachments (brush guards, etc). Not sure if they've posted any details on this setup elsewhere.

[Carl]

Another option may be a More-Power-Puller if concerned with weight. Under 30lbs with synthetic line and can dead lift 6,000lbs and drag/pull approx 12,000 lbs.

I've owned one for about 30 years and seem to always fine uses for it, plus it can be carried in a small ammo can/bag for use in any vehicle.

[larrie]

Here is the link to the Power Puller, https://www.wyeth-scott.com.

Been thinking about a winch for the front of the rig. This is definitely a less costly solution. Especially if you are not spending time in the sand or mud where a winch I see used a lot. Looks like this, a good set of recovery gear, and your mussels is all that you need. A hi-lift jack can also be used as a winch substitute but this look safer.