Winching & Recovery Safety

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I, for one, did not read it like that...

I think this has been a good opportunity to get this on the table and talk about it.

Without talking about safety and observations of how things could be done better, there is no learning.

Just reading this post, if nothing else, refreshes one self on some of the ins and outs of winching etc. and brings to light some common areas that could be improved, (for safety sake).
 
Randy, I also did not read it that way. That's what stinks about forums and such, all the benefits of context, tone, body language, etc. are lost, so a simple statement of facts can easily be taken the wrong way. But I don't see that in the thread, I see a good discussion. :)

Everything I've learned/know about extrication has been self taught or picked up from others (not on "official" trail runs). This includes both good and bad. Problem with that is, you never really learn what's truly dangerous unless you see an accident. I took a tree felling course last year, and it opened my eyes to some really stupid things I was doing.

On the trail we need to have an atmosphere where anyone feels comfortable speaking up if they see something unsafe. I've never seen anyone reject or ignore a safety concern when someone makes a point of it on the trail.

A tech day is a good idea, is there anyone available who does this type of thing? That's something that can be done without having a trail available.
 
Cruiser_Nerd said:
so a simple statement of facts can easily be taken the wrong way.
Click to expand...

I think this is where some of the problem lies.

In my case it was stated that the hitch pin came flying out. That's simply not the case.

I think it's good to diagnose situations where things don't go as planned. But let's at least start out with the facts of what was done and what happened.
 
Cruiser_Nerd said:
so a simple statement of facts can easily be taken the wrong way. But I don't see that in the thread, I see a good discussion.
Click to expand...

Rick,
Corrections to statements made as fact are very important to a good discussion. :) They also can be taken the wrong way. ;)

Anyhow, keep up the extrication discussion, good job, and excellent topic to get out there.
 
"In my case it was stated that the hitch pin came flying out. That's simply not the case."

I would call it the D-ring block that slides into the 2 inch reciever hitch, which in turn is anchored by the hitch pin.

Anyways, it did do a nice impression of a low speed projectile!

Lane
 
great discussion. i think its a good idea, even when other people are helping out for the owner of the truck to review all attachment points and the overall plan. i know i had a ton of people helping me out and staying in the truck while they worked their asses off and attached and reattached recovery points.

i am going to make it a point to review everything.

also, if you need help please ask for help , i am going to from now on. i am a novice at this stuff...

oh yeah, 82cruiser, i was offended:flipoff2:

acutally, i was wondering, when i was strapping landtanks tuck from the front, is it safe to take a "running start" like i was? i have a strap that is meant to stretch but i am not sure it is the safest thing.
 
here is a picture of what I was using for those who weren't there.

I was stuck in the mud and the receiver was full of it. While I was pounding it in with my right hand I was checking for the hole alignment with my left finger.

What I thought was the inside of the hole was actually the edge of the block.

The pin was inserted and the spring clip used.

It felt secure but that was only do to the dirt inside the receiver.

The mud really gave me some problems inserting it in the hitch. As I posted earlier it should have been installed prior to going out on the trails when everything was free of mud and more easily evaluated.
d-ring.gif
 
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Rick, like you said earlier, its probably a good idea to have these things
in place before everything gets filled with mud.
I use the same kind of attachment on my 40, I plan to get a 5/8ths grade 8 bolt and use that instead of a pin. But I plan on leaving it on.

Lane
 
Great discussion all,
safety should be our number one concern for sure.
I would be happy to set aside some time/area at our run here for some winching talk/practice. We prolly won't get Bill B., but we can definitely cover the basics and get the newbies some hands on experience with no issue or worry of holding up a run or such.

everyone's points are all quite valid, and I know no one is trying to point fingers;quite the opposite. Real-life observations and experience shows us what we need to know and learn for the future.
 
Hey YT'rs!!! I'm soooooo bummed I missed this event...Hopefully I'll be able to make the run at Kina's.

I wanted to chime in on this conversation. I personally believe winching is *the most dangerous* part of wheeling.

I saved these links for a conversation such as this:

http://www.offroaders.com/tech/Recovery-Strap-Accident.htm

This links is a video I'm sure most of you have seen...good reminder of how quickly things go wrong, and how NOT to extract someone from deep mud. If this guy had a passenger, they would have been DEAD. Oh yeah, make sure to watch then end of the video, so you can see the dumb $&*% who just stands next to a truck doing the *exact same thing* that caused the first strap to break. Simply amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFlnwZHb334



Peace out!

Jon
 
Jon, thanks for posting that. I read the article....Makes me feel afraid, that is a good thing. Wow, that is an amazing story. I will think of that every time I hook up, (I hope). That could obviously been so horribly worse....

I will watch the video at home later.
 
Great links! Reminds me or a thread I saw in the 80's section when a D ring on the end of a strap came loose and nailed the pillar on the side of the rear hatch creating allot of damage. The wife just went out and bought me some 5 lb leg weights that Velcro on so I can use them as a dead weight on the cable, should work allot better then a rubber floor mat
 
Hi,

Just a little more food for thought from a gray head. I'd say that if you own a strap or winch, it is your obligation to learn how to use them as safely/properly as possible before using them under any circumstance. (BTW, there's no place for a tow rope or tow strap with attached hooks on any trail run.) If you are out with someone who is using their equipment to help you OUT of a big bind, be sure they know what they are doing or stay far out of their way. Being older, I sometimes worry about four wheeling on my own and what could happen without anyone to help. On the other hand, it might be worse to be in a situation when anything could happen with the helper.

If you are worried about liability, you need to either avoid situations that create more liability than you are wiling to bear, buy a lot more insurance, or become more proficient at what you are doing. The old saying is SAFETY FIRST. I think we can still wheel and have fun with that in mind, just be sure your fellow wheelers agree.

Say you?

LC
 
UPS left this today!

I'm getting safer!
rope.webp
 
82cruiser said:
nat88toy - good idea on using leg weights as winch line weights. I'm gonna have to borrow that one!
Click to expand...

I have an old saddle bag with a couple of bricks in each side. I carry that in the cruiser all the time. Doesn't take up alot of room and is more than heavy enough to do it's job.

Remember folks the general rule of thumb for winches is to buy one rated for double the weight of your rig. Why would you not want to do the same for our straps? I know the stuff I run is overkill but, I rather have too big than not big enough. I have seen this s*** break and it's not fun.....
 
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