Tips For Safely Utilizing Your Truck's Self-Recovery Winch
Posted on: 29 August 2016
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Whether you installed a winch on your new truck or it was installed at the factory, it is vital that you know how to properly work this very important piece of safety equipment. A self-recovery winch will help you extract your truck from deep sand or soil and get it quickly back onto the road. Without knowing how to properly utilize your truck's winch, if your truck becomes stuck somewhere well off of the beaten path, then you could be stuck out in the elements for many days.
Here are some time-tested tips to ensure you are safely utilizing your truck's self-recovery winch.
Think Through the Situation Thoroughly Before Taking Any Action
While it is never fun to have your truck stuck in the sand or mud, you can make the situation a lot worse if you take hasty action to try and recover your vehicle. For this reason, take the time to thoroughly think through the situation and all of your winching options before you take any action to remove your truck. By thinking things through and making a solid plan for recovery, you can save yourself a lot of added time and frustration.
Never Handle a Winch Wire or Rope with Bare Hands
Since metal winch wire will have burrs that can easily cut your hands and synthetic-fiber ropes can burn your hands, make sure that you never handle your winch's rope or wire with bare hands. While you should always carry a pair of leather gloves in your truck, in a pinch you can wrap your hands with a rag, spare t-shirt, or even an extra pair of socks. In a pinch, some protection for your hands is always better than none.
Always Use Proper Rigging Techniques and Solid Anchor Points
Regardless of whether you are going to winch your truck out of its stuck position using another vehicle or a tree as an anchor point, make sure that the anchor you choose can hold the weight of your truck. For example, never winch using brush or small trees, and try to avoid using a smaller compact car as a winch anchor. Instead, look for an older tree that has very well established roots to connect your winch rope or wire to. You also need to be very mindful that you use only time-proven winching configurations. If you do not know how to safely configure your self-recovery winch, then you will need to consult your owner's manual or take lessons from a local professional.