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hi
In a philosophy of saving weight I think I will go like Sam :-) ... no sand ladders. 4 jipes, to of them with winches will be more then enough.... I whop!!! thanks to all ------------------ best regards from Portugal bernardo feio lightweight |
"4 jipes, to of them with winches will be more then enough.... I whop!!!"
4 Jeeps, two of them with winches will be more than enough.... I hope!!!" Sorry Bernardo, but it took me a little time to understand your post - but then my Portuguese is non-existant! On a separate point, winches are pretty useless in the desert (even with other cars about) - go for light cars, with correct tyre pressures. Sam. |
hi sam
in portugues JIPE is a all road 4x4 vehicle. JEEP is a band was much as LAND ROVER or SUZUKI. some times, when I'm writhing in english, I writh a portuguese word like JIPE because it sound the same as JEEP... :-) why do you think that "winches are pretty useless in the desert"? with 35 mts of cable and onother 4x4 near by it would solve almost all problems. for me the only problem with a winch the the extra weight... ------------------ best regards from Portugal bernardo feio lightweight |
hi sam
in portuguese JIPE is a all road 4x4 vehicle. JEEP is a band was much as LAND ROVER or SUZUKI. some times, when I'm writhing in english, I write a portuguese word like JIPE because it sound the same as JEEP... :-) why do you think that "winches are pretty useless in the desert"? with 35 mts of cable and another 4x4 near by it would solve almost all problems. for me the only problem with a winch the extra weight... ------------------ best regards from Portugal bernardo feio lightweight |
Sam,
I beg to differ with you on the winch usefulness. I found out that is saves a lot of time and a lot of energy. I don’t use sand ladders or snatch straps anymore (I still carry them though, read above). Whenever a car (or myself) gets stuck, I just reel out the cable, hook it up to the stuck car, and reel it back in. Every once in a while I respool the cable to keep it tidy and that’s it. The process is much faster and consumes a lot less physical energy. Also since there is no “Snatch” motion, its effect on the chassis is not as harsh as with the use of a snatch strap. Having said that, you can definitely get almost everywhere without one, it will just need some more elbow grease. It’s not a priority, but it’s really nice to have. ------------------ A.B. OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara. ShortWheelbase.com – Jeep preparations. Coordinates Converter – Lat/Long <-> UTM Conversion Tool. |
Id agree with AB, inasmuch as I have found a winch very useful in recovery operations in the desert. However I fitted mine originally for European mud and didnt bring it with the Sahara especially in mind. I do think they are very susceptible to dust and overheating and they are heavy when fitted to small cars. There is also the battery issue, especially relevant when alternator failure etc and flat batteries can be awkward in remote areas.
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------------------ A.B. OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara. ShortWheelbase.com – Jeep preparations. Coordinates Converter – Lat/Long <-> UTM Conversion Tool. |
I have hydraulic and pto winches on my LRs - so no boiling batteries and screaming engines.
Hardly ever used either as it happens, and never in in the desert. Winches: 'pretty useless in the desert' is something I stick with. You have to have another vehicle, it needs to get itself to a good pulling position without getting stuck itself and they cost a fortune. Once all the pulling etc. is done, you are pulled back to where you started (unless you are very lucky to be the number two through...). If you already have one fitted, then you are not going to take it off for a desert foray. But if it'll take a chunk out of your trip budget to buy and install then I don't think they're worth it. But, like sand ladders, they do look good! Sam. |
Good points Sam. Winches are only ever useful IMHO in the sands for recovering *others*, and only then where there's a place to pull -from-.
I went for electric winches because they can run from a dead engine (admittedly not for long!) in a rivercrossing etc whereas the others cant, though I know what you mean about the drawbacks. How have you found the hydraulic winch? Is it a Milemarker? I must admit Ive wondered about them...... One point I forgot about sand ladders is that they are great for anchoring things down in sandstorms. Bury a sand ladders and run a rope to it and they make great holdfasts for tents, windbreaks etc. I guess you might even be able to make a winch anchor point from a steel one in the same way you can (theoretically) use a spare wheel |
It's a Milemarker, and it's fantastic.
That's it - no hesitation, no 'buts'... Runs all day, boringly easy and quiet - perfect. Have you ever tried running your electric winch without the engine running? It's a question of seconds (with reducing strength), at a pull line speed of... probably through a snatch block which halves that speed... ...hopefully it's a VERY narrow river! Hydraulic or PTO, with a wading kit, and you'll trundle right across. Sam. |
Yeah I did - just to see what happened! It did cross my mind. I run a beefy battery set up though, to get round that. It does the job too, when a friend used my winch once in the desert to shift his Nissan he didnt turn the engine on and it pulled it free.
I know what you mean though, it wouldnt get me out of anything serious. To be honest Ive always been slightly freaked anyway by the heat buildup etc from an electric and I have had my eye on Milemarkers for a while..... thanks. Food for thought. (edit; got a wading setup, I just believe in multiple redundancy http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif ) [This message has been edited by Runner (edited 08 June 2004).] |
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