Vehicle Recovery Questions

[Borrego60]

I would go with the V chain. It has alot of options on how to hook up to a vehicle, I would also maybe contact your local tow truck company and see what they use. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Sabre]

A length of chain with hooks on each end will work as a towing bridle on nearly any vehicle. Hooking on to the front or rear crossmember, axle or even lower control arms doesn't require any factory recovery points. Of course, if they've buried it to the frame rails it would take a bit of excavation, but not a lot.

As a lower-cost alternative to Maxtrax, you might try a set of the Maxsa Escapers. They review very well and are quite inexpensive.

I worked for a volunteer fire, rescue & EMS department for years and sympathize with cost considerations. Any possibility of adding, "we do accept donations to keep this volunteer service operational" to the "you're welcome" after yanking them free?

 

[Rumpig]

We're getting a bit off the track of the original question, which was how to hook newer vehicles that don't have connections built in to do so, ie: no tow hooks.

Maxtrax would be nice, seeing as they are a non-profit someone should donate them a set or two, like say.. Maxtrax. They are not an end all solution to all problems.

they may not be an "end all solution" but they certainly work fantastically well in the sand for recovering vehicles. I have a set which i bought secondhand (practically as new condition) and have used them (well not just mine but ones friends own also) numerous times for beach recoveries here in Australia on people who most times haven't reduced their tyre pressures. To be brutally honest, give me Maxtrax over a snatch strap recovery any day of the week for a sand recovery. Knowing how to use them is important, and having the person being recovered follow your instructions is just as important also....simply jamming some under the tyres and the driver then flooring the go fast pedal will just end up melting lugs off of them (have seen this done on several occassions), i've also seen a newer version Maxtrax have the front fold up under itself when used on super hot Summer sand and the driver floor the accelerator, so i will admit they aren't indestructable which could be an issue if some clown was to destroy them not following instructions, and then just drive away afterwards not caring about replacement of damaged item...but used correctly they work remarkably well and are a much safer option then trying to recover a vehicle stuck in the sand with a strap IMHO.

 

[unseenone]

Your points are well taken, thank you.

 

[Pathfinder]

One nice feature of Maxtrax is that they can be used as a shovel to help dig the hole needed to get them beneath the tire to start with. This is a great feature that is under estimated. Getting them in the right spot to start is key to their success.

Now don't throw your real shovel away if you have a good one, you will prefer your shovel over the MaxTrax. But if you don't have a good shovel.....the MaxTrax will dig a whole lot better than your bare hands, and your skin will thank you for that too.

If you have a choice, get four MaxTrax so you can pair them longitudinally with rope or velcro loops, or place one under each of the four tires of the stuck vehicle. With four MaxTrax you have four shovels so four people can be digging and burying their MaxTrax to their tire. Tie a bright colored ribbon or light rope to each MaxTrax so you can find them after the vehicle is free. They are easy to lose in deep sand, and a long tether makes it easier to pull them free when deeply buried as they may become.

While they won't always save your bacon, they can make a lot of recoveries much easier. And safer than highly stretched nylon recovery straps with metal fittings on their ends, and inexperienced off road drivers standing around watching.

We all get stuck in sand from time to time, but it is easier to get out before you really bury the rig trying to get out.

I think the folks who get stuck because they ignore the posted warning, should help extricate themselves by doing some digging, rather than just sitting in their vehicle while you crawl around in the sand hooking, winching, and unhooking their way free. If they have to help extricate themselves, they may learn something in the process, and even help teach their friends how to avoid having to dig their way out of the sand. Just a thought...

 

[Scoutn79]

Since you are a non-profit you might try pleading your case directly to Max-Trax and see if they would give you a discount. Couldn't hurt anyway.
Also couple of strips of used heavy backed carpet might help get some people out, it would spread the load out and not allow the tire to dig in as easily as well as it won't flip up and damage rocker panels etc.

Darrell

 

[libarata]

Since you are a non-profit you might try pleading your case directly to Max-Trax and see if they would give you a discount. Couldn't hurt anyway.
Also couple of strips of used heavy backed carpet might help get some people out, it would spread the load out and not allow the tire to dig in as easily as well as it won't flip up and damage rocker panels etc.

Darrell

Just weight it down with a shovel load of sand on top, and carpet certainly helps quite a bit when coupled with a sturdy shoulder or two pushing.

 

[amo292]

Thank you for all the input guys. A lot of solid helping ideas.

This past week we had a couple special cases that were the top recoveries in my book so far. For a first time in awhile this guy actually had tow hooks but it was his other decisions that made it interesting. A gentleman in a land rover drove over the berm and got himself stuck pretty much in the water. Of course the tide was coming in to make life that much harder for the guy. In a panicked attempted to get himself out before having to call us he let ALL the air out of his tires. 12psi works… 0 psi does not. As he tried again to get out with fully flat tires he rolled three of the four off the bead then called us for help. My co-worker arrived and winched him up on to dry land. Once he was high and dry he realized that the guy had four flat tires and was about 3 miles on beach away from an air source. We took the portable tanks and were able to get two set on the bead again and the other back inflated. The problem was that one of the fronts had been filled with sand from being spun flat for quite awhile now. Unfortunately the rover wasn't carrying a full size spare as we require so we had to remove the wheel and tire drive it back to our shop were we took it off and rest it on the tire machine. About 4 hours after the initial emergency call we finally had the guy back up and running and off the beach.

Think that one was bad? We also had another gentleman drive his jeep grand cherokee through a fenced area and into a saltwater pond at 2 am after fishing. Surprisingly enough after he was pulled out at 4 am the jeep started right up and was able to drive off the beach. Who knew jeeps could be submerged for so long and still run….

What did I learn this week? you can't teach common sense and you can't fix stupid.

 

[digitaldelay]

Wow, sounds like you had a couple good ones!

Jason

 

[zelatore]

Think that one was bad? We also had another gentleman drive his jeep grand cherokee through a fenced area and into a saltwater pond at 2 am after fishing. Surprisingly enough after he was pulled out at 4 am the jeep started right up and was able to drive off the beach. Who knew jeeps could be submerged for so long and still run….

What did I learn this week? you can't teach common sense and you can't fix stupid.

So, was the 2 hours the truck was in the pond enough time for the driver to sober up?

 

[Borrego60]

I think the folks who get stuck because they ignore the posted warning, should help extricate themselves by doing some digging, rather than just sitting in their vehicle while you crawl around in the sand hooking, winching, and unhooking their way free. If they have to help extricate themselves, they may learn something in the process, and even help teach their friends how to avoid having to dig their way out of the sand. If you get stuck and just sit in your vehicle while I help dig, guess who is staying stuck.

 

[transporterjr]

I just hit Nantucket last weekend and followed the 15psi rule (With an rental Xterra) and while it did well, I would run even lower next time. You did not name your organization, but I recognize the logo and have been a member for years. I do hope those people you recover make at least a $100 donation!
As a side question, 4WD is required, but would a 2wd dune buggy, with proper tires be 1) able to make it in the soft sand 2) be allowed?

 

[amo292]

I don't quite think the two hours was long enough for him to sober up as he was still drinking. We usually appreciate help from someone who knows what they are doing but the ones who are stuck are usually a hazard to themselves and others. Safety is a big concern and we like to be in control of the situation with usually means us doing the work. Every time we contact someone on the beach we try to educate people. Im actually not sure about Buggys or sand rails. The cut off I could se being a problem is they have to be a registered vehicle for the paperwork. Other than that they may not be allowed due to damage to the trails. Ill have to ask about that one.

 

[JimBiram]

Toss in an X-Jack to go with the MaxTraxx and you have a winning combo

 

[AFBronco235]

While I'm glad you're a non-profit group, you should still require a hefty "beach damage" fee for people who get stupidly stuck like the guy in the land-rover or the jeep you mentioned. That would be better than having them help, since they obviously don't know what they're doing to begin with. I wouldn't let them help, even if they volunteered, mainly because I like having all my fingers intact. If they want to learn, they should taking a class or at least learning from someone experienced. Not tearing up the track by doing something stupid.

You're right, you can't fix stupid. Otherwise, tow truck drivers couldn't pay the bills.