The Benefits of Having a Winch for Off-Roading – Buying Tips and Usage

Whether you are just getting started in the 4×4 world or you are a serious off-roader looking to conquer new terrains, winches are a valuable addition to your arsenal of tools. Off-road driving can be very exciting, but sometimes you might find yourself stuck on some rocks or in a pit of mud. Luckily, if you have this recovery tool mounted on your vehicle, you shouldn’t have any problem getting unstuck and continuing with your adventure. However, there are a couple of things that you will need to consider before making your final buying decision.

How Much Does Your Vehicle Weigh

Before you get your 4×4 electric winch, you need to know how much your vehicle weighs so that you can get the appropriate one. You can find the GVW (gross vehicle weight) on the riveted metal tag on the driver’s door. After you have determined how much your vehicle weighs, you need to calculate approximately how much it will weigh when it is full of the items you plan to have with you. To be on the safe side, add 30% more than the total weight of the vehicle. This is helpful for a couple of reasons – first, you’ll be able to pull your vehicle out even when it is fully loaded and you will gain extra pull power if you happen to get stuck in a very deep hole.

The Right Suspension

A very important factor to consider before buying a winch is your vehicle’s front end weight. The heavier model you chose to get, the better suspension you will need to support the weight. What makes one model heavier than the others depends on the type of cable they use. The ones using synthetic rope will weigh significantly less than the ones using steel cables. There are benefits to both versions. Steel cables are much stronger and can pull heavier weights but they also weigh a lot themselves. They can also be quite dangerous if the cable happens to break, it can flail around fast and cut anything that comes its way (usually happens if a truck tips over while it is being pulled out and snaps the cable). Synthetic ropes, on the other hand, don’t have the same weight endurance as the steel cables but they are much lighter and you don’t need to change your suspension to install them.

When push comes to shove, many people find themselves rushing to perform the recovery. However, there are a couple of things to bear in mind first in order for the entire process to be successful.

Assess The Situation

Safety is of the essence when using an electric winch. Although they are very useful tools, if you are not careful, they can be dangerous due to the huge forces they generate. Something that’s powerful enough to move your stuck vehicle won’t really care if your arm or leg is in the way when spooling in. For that very reason, in case you get stuck, just take a deep breath, put on your gloves, and start assessing the situation. Begin by analyzing what you are going to winch to, which other recovery items you need, as well as whether someone should help you. Oftentimes, even strangers might offer help in any form. Nevertheless, keep in mind that this will can sometimes cause more trouble than it will resolve. You just need a few people to be able to perform the recovery. The best people to help you are the ones who have experience doing this. Everyone else should just stay back beyond the distance that the rope is spooled out. This way, in case the cable breaks, it won’t harm them.

Recovering Yourself

If you are recovering your own vehicle, my advice is to operate the 4wd electric winch and drive at the same time. Although it might be harder for you as you will be busier, there are advantages to having one person perform the recovery. This is so because the tires should be moving at the same speed as the winch. This will reduce the strain on the tool and will help you to know when the vehicle is free. If you feel a great strain on the tool or vehicle, operating both will enable you to stop and reassess the situation. Plus, the cable of the controller on most models isn’t long enough to allow someone to operate it safely next to a moving vehicle. Still, having a second person outside of the vehicle can be of great help to spot and act as a second set of eyes from a safe distance.