Vehicle Recovery Questions

[amo292]

Hello all, I am looking for some input from some experienced professionals!

I work at a drive on beach on the island of Martha's Vineyard and we have people get stuck almost every day. Our regulations require 4WD or AWD and tire psi to be down at 15 even though most people don't follow that rule. Now you may think that 15 psi is way too low but it is critical on the super soft sand that we have. When folks get stuck they usually try and dig themselves out which generally makes it worse. When they finally call us for recovery we usually drive on the scene to find no tow hooks…. Our winch trucks are newer Ford F250's set up with WARN 9.5 CTI winches and about 125ft of cable. Recently we have been discovering that fewer and fewer modern vehicles are coming with tow hooks and even fewer coming with the recovery eye bolts that they have a spot for.

So here is the question:

Is there some place I can find to supply me with an assortment of eye bolts to work for various SUV's?
If not, what is the best way to hook up to vehicles without any tow points?

I thank you for your help in advance!

 

[libarata]

In before everyone yells "MAXTRAX!". Before you start tugging on folks, have you tried a 2x4 about 5 foot long with bolts drilled through(and a shovel for digging tires out) for added traction? I would assume your nearest hardware store could source you the eye bolts needed.

 

[unseenone]

First off, thanks for doing what you do. Also, thanks for taking the initiative to find a better way. I think you'll find most folks here are recovery minded.

It seems like you need some advice from towing operators or professional towing accessories. You probably have something in mind, based on what you have seen, but maybe some of this tow truck gear will work. There is an assortment of various hooks and so on. It would be an interesting exercise to take a particular vehicle you have noticed, and figure out how to do it.

I'll post some links below as food for thought / discussion.

Resources:
http://towingmentor.com/store/

For example;
http://astore.amazon.com/towingmentor-20/detail/B001GOOL2M
Features

R (Ford) hook has 25,000-lb. breaking strength and 8333-lb. working load limit
T (GM/Chrysler) hook has 16,000-lb. breaking strength and 5333-lb. working load limit
J (Foreign) hook has 12,000-lb. breaking strength and 4000-lb. working load limit

http://astore.amazon.com/towingmentor-20/detail/B004JPAQR4

One Heavy Duty G70 Tow Chain. One End Links to an RTJ Cluster Hook, The Other End Hooks To A 15" J Hook. Grade 70 Chain and Hooks For Heavy Duty Towing Use.

http://astore.amazon.com/towingmentor-20/detail/B0028OM8L0

Product Description

1 New Towing V-Bridle with Cluster Hooks.
Legs made with 3" strapping
Straps are 24" with total length 34" from end to end.
15,000 LBS Breaking Strength.
5,000 LBS Working Load Limit.
15,000 LBS Webbing Breaking Strength.
This Product exceeds guidelines and standards published by the DOT.

 

[digitaldelay]

Maybe something like this?

http://www.hookswreckersupplies.com/V-Chain-with-cluster-HTS-N711-8LU2.htm

Jason

 

[unseenone]

Nice one, I also like the looks of this one. http://www.hookswreckersupplies.com/Chain-assembly-HTS-N711-6D6.htm

I'd definitely be careful though, and remember winch with a winch, don't tow. A kinetic recovery rope might also be useful when a pull is required.

There's one heck of an assortment on that web site, nice... http://www.hookswreckersupplies.com/Grab-Hooks-J-Hooks-Chains-Accessories_c2.htm

 

[amo292]

I have been looking into MAXTRAX they seem like a great idea but pretty expensive (we are a nonprofit organization) I hope we can find some to test out before fully committing to them. Shoveling in the soft sand here is just about the worst thing you can do. It usually results in people being buried even further to the frame rails. And unfortunately our nearest hardware store is a few hours away between drive time and the boat ride. The eye bolts scare me a little with amount of force we would be putting on them. We have a set of various frame hooks but in cars such as the new ford escapes (Todays tough one) they are useless. Thanks for the input!

 

[libarata]

New CARS are such a pain to try and figure out how to recover. Even some SUVs and trucks have me scratch my head. I am used to hooks and suck to grab. What I keep in my vehicle is 3 foot sections of 2x4, that I have taken hex headed screws such as this, http://vodafast.manufacturer.global...13913/Hex-Washer-Head-Self-Drilling-Screw.htm pushed into the board every 1/4''. Aside from "bridging" I like to assume that they work just as well for a fraction of the price as maxtrax. In sand though, getting it under the tire may be a pain. You would probably have to use some kind of jack/lift on the tires to lift them a bit.

I always doused sand with water before I dug, to try and give it some cohesion. Always made digging a little easier for me.

To help alleviate the force needed to tug out, have you though about using cultivating tines to break up compacted sand ahead of the tugging route of the stuck vehicle? Soft, loose sand is much more forgiving than compacted sand I would assume.




Also, where are you in NH that you are so remote? Sounds fun!

 

[digitaldelay]

I have been looking into MAXTRAX they seem like a great idea but pretty expensive (we are a nonprofit organization)...

We have a set of various frame hooks but in cars such as the new ford escapes (Todays tough one) they are useless.

Sounds like you would get your money's worth out of a set of Maxtrax. They work on any vehicle and are a lot safer than dealing with hooks, straps, cable, etc.

Jason

 

[amo292]

I think MAXTRAX are going to be the way to go. In our utility box we have all the various hooks and what not, but was just curious to know if there was something else we were missing. A lot of the time we are working against the tide from when people drive over the berm on the beach so other options like jacking up wheels and digging are too time consuming when the water is rushing in.

In the winter months I'm in NH but in the summer Im on the island of Chappaquiddik off the Island of Martha's Vineyard which is off of Cape cod. Kind of remote and not a wide selection of anything lol.

 

[libarata]

Maxtrax will work exactly the same as board and bolt in that you have to get it under the tire to work. The only reason I mentioned jacking, is because of what you said about digging in your sand.

 

[craig333]

Tire pressure all depends on the vehicle. I'd consider that very low in my truck. In my Jeep thats almost street pressure.

 

[amo292]

Yes tire pressure depends on the vehicle but the sand is a whole new game for most people. Most vehicles with standard tires cannot get away with anything more that 20psi. Even then the trails get ruined. We run all our trucks including the f250 winch trucks and the f250 tour trucks carrying 10 people in the back at 14psi. It leads to sidewall failure within 3 years depending on the brand tire but it is a necessity in our situation. A lot of the time our recoveries can be solved by just letting someones tire pressure down to 15 or below.

Thank you all for the help by the way.

 

[crismateski]

I have carried Maxtrax in the truck for 2 years, and finally got to try them out last week. My rig is pretty heavy, and I was towing a small trailer playing in Oregon Dunes. Long story short, got myself stuck, stuffed a set of maxtrax under the tires and popped the truck out like nothing, did not even unhitch the trailer. I was pretty impressed with how well they worked.

 

[unseenone]

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.

 

[crismateski]

I have not tried it personally but have seen a lot of tow truck drivers use a long strap, open both front doors and pass it through between the door and a pillar, then close the doors, making a "bridle" to get a point in front of the car to attach to