Winch and four-wheel drive

If you’ve done a lot of four-wheel driving before, there’s a good chance you’ve gotten stuck at one stage or another. How you got out of that situation would have varied depending on how stuck you were, the people you had with you, the recovery team that was available, and the knowledge you had on how to get out. By having a winch on your four wheel drive, you have the best insurance for when you get stuck. No matter where or how you’re stuck, a winch will be able to get you out if you know how to use it correctly. Of course, if you need to drive in the opposite direction to where your winch is mounted, things can get a bit tricky, but you can figure something else out without using the winch. Some people mount winches on both ends of their vehicles, for this very purpose!

Of course, you have to have one that’s rated to haul your four-wheel drive through mud on a steep incline, fully loaded and towed (if that’s what you do). As long as you have that and know how to use a winch you shouldn’t have a problem. I find that using a starter strap is usually an easier option, but there are several times where I’ve used a winch instead, because it’s safer and you have a little extra control.

Winching when you get stuck is a great way out, but it’s also a very easy way to cause damage to yourself or a vehicle. There’s a lot of power in a winch, and it wouldn’t be the first time something has snapped when a retrieval is in progress. Make sure you have a cushioning bag over the cable and that you are lifting safely. No one should be standing within 20 meters except the winch operator (who should hide behind the vehicle door!)

If I can offer any advice, it would be to take your time when deciding how to get four-wheel drive back. By standing for 5 minutes and observing the situation, you will come up with several different ways to regain four-wheel drive, and you should be able to do so without harming people or vehicles.