Full Size Expedition Vehicle Recovery Gear

waveslider

Outdoorsman
I'm curious if anyone is willing to share their lists -and probably more importantly the actual manufacturer model numbers - of the recovery gear for their full-size exped vehicles.

Since our new truck is going to weigh considerably more than the SMB we used to have we are going to have to "upsize" virtually every component of our recovery kit from tree wraps to shackles to pulleys. As well as jacks, air wrenches/nut buddy and repair equipment.

Seems like a lot of the consumer name-brand items fade out as the GVWR, pull weights, and breaking strengths start to climb so I was just wondering how US domestic folks deal with it.

Do folks pretty much stick with Crosby and don't look back or are there others out there worth looking at?

Thanks.

P.S. I tried to search the forum and really couldn't find a similar discussion for this size gear (unless my search skills are screwy) so if this has been hashed out previously, please provide link if you know where the thread is.
 

Bubblegoose1

@PNWINFERNOPRO
What weight are you expected to be at, fully loaded for adventure?

General rule is all recovery gear, including winch, should be rated at 50%+ larger capacity than your running weight.
 

Scoutn79

Adventurer
I am not familier with Crosby and I can not offer up any particular names. From time to time I visit wrecker/tow truck recovery suppliers sites. You can pretty much bank on that gear being able to handle the occasional self recovery and they would have the weight ratings you are looking for.

Darrell
 

waveslider

Outdoorsman
Thanks Darrell.

45lpv, have you had to put any time on the winch for your EC? If so, how did it perform and what were the conditions? It looks like that HD kit would work great for your rig. What the fully loaded weight? Around 16k?
 

Bayou Boy

Adventurer
I live right in the middle of oil and gas central here on the coast in Louisiana. I have a ton of friends that own businesses that build things that have to be transported with harnesses out to the rigs. They will use nothing but Crosby shackles as the businesses they are moving equipment for will accept nothing else from a safety standpoint. Literally, they will not accept a shackle on the basket that is not a Crosby.


I would bet that overpriced Warn setup is made in China with very little to back up the ratings. Crosby is the way to go for actual rated shackles at a reasonable price. Also, 18k is about what an HD Ram or Superduty needs. A 20k pound truck needs significantly more than that.
 
Agree completely with Bayou Boy
I use a 20k hydraulic DP on the front of my 26k U500 camper, a mere but hydraulic 15k Superwinch on the rear
I have 1.5” and 2” kinetic straps
 

waveslider

Outdoorsman
Hey Charlie, (and Bayou) what ratings are you looking for on your hardware with those winch choices? Crosby obviously has stuff that goes well past overkill for this application (and also would require a hired sherpa to move around) so I don't want to go too far overboard.
 

Bayou Boy

Adventurer
I'll preface this by saying that I own a Ram 3500 and not a huge truck like you guys. Empty it weighs about 8500#. I look for gear rated for double the empty weight of the truck or 1.5x the GVWR. Thats why the Warn 16.5 is the winch of choice for diesel HD trucks. The Crosby 209 shackles in 7/8" are only rated at 13k. My GVWR is 11700. That isn't nearly enough. The 1" are rated at 17k. Just right.

FYI Crosby does make the 209A series which are substantially stronger for the size. 7/8" is 19k# and the 1" is 25k#. That's really the way to go with 3/4 ton and larger trucks as 1" and larger shackles just start to get huge and heavy. Pickup a 1.25" 209 shackle rated at 24k# that weighs 10# and you'll see what I mean...haha.
 

waveslider

Outdoorsman
I was looking at that 209A series also. That’s some hefty kit.

I always think Billavista's epic is worth a read every now and again :)

https://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/

I also find the Expedition Portal article on winching to be informative. I will find the link but the takeaway is that there is a large discrepancy in the amount of safety margin different individuals propose. True in life generally speaking as well.
 

waveslider

Outdoorsman
For the record, this isn’t a discussion about cost. Especially considering the vehicle I will be sucking out of the mud is worth a far sight greater than that. So yes, a $70 shackle isn’t an issue.

My goal is to strike the right balance for not only getting my rig unstuck but within reason other similar vehicles. However taking equipment into the wild that is only needed for a construction crane isn’t sensible either.
 
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grizzlyj

Tea pot tester
Personally, having read on Billavista how much of a pull is needed if a vehicle is sitting on the chassis combined with maybe uphill too, and the occasional You Tube video of a big truck winching trees out of the ground instead of self recovering, I don't think as a solo vehicle bigger than perhaps 7500kg a big driven winch is worth the payload it takes up. In a convoy of similar weight vehicles then that might be worth it. Otherwise the anchor point will, in my opinion, mostly be the missing link.
When we got our 9500kg Mog a bit stuck in the past, but stopped driving before it got too bad, we aired down, shovelled for hours then drove out.
I seem to remember Charlie's tale of self recovery that made use of his anchors and winches which proved his philosophy, but I have my fingers more crossed than his must have been ;) or I don't try as hard as him :)
So I have several ex-fire brigade air bags that will lift one axle. And I have a Tirfor that is rated to lift 3200kg with 25m 19ton breaking strain cable. It doesn't list a pull rating (full load weight on the operator handle is listed as 54kg so it'll be hard work) and snatch blocks suitably rated to end up with hopefully enough pull from the theoretical anchor. Shackles, strops (30m strop at 30ton pull, two 5m slings at 6ton lift at 7:1 safety ratio, 30m at 7 ton pull, a few smaller strops to go with a 1 ton chain hoist for tyre moving.), shovels, sand ladders, a 2.5m solid towing bar and most importantly tea bags.
 

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