Thread: Recovery points and liability.

I agree with you Dougal. I have recovered many vehicles with a traditional flat snatch strap and a black snake - see 4WD | GLB VIC BLACK SNAKE. I used the Black Snake to recover a 60 series towing a 22foot dual axle road van at a cutting at North Stradbroke Island - it was wholly in the sand. My Disco 2 was on the cording leading to the dirt road. The snake is excellent for this stuff - the one I used is not very long.

Sometimes with incoming tide there is not much time to dig a vehicle out and provided there are very strong couplings a flat snatch strap is a very sound way of removing the bogged vehicle from danger. If I had a 6x4 15 tonn army truck, then sure, just use a chain or rope and idle away, but a 2.5 tonn Disco pulling out a 2.5 tonn Cruiser bogged to the sills just isnt going to happen with anything but an inertia rope/strap unless the Disco is on hard bitumen and even then its asking a lot.

Cheers

There is no reason that you cannot use a snatch strap in a tow recovery, the issue is that many people seem to think that it can only be used in a charging bull type of way.

Dig wheels, clear the underside - no matter if a snatch or tow connect to a rated recovery point - try a tow recovery - if that does not work - maybe redig and try again - if that does not work then snatch with its associated safety protocols.

Everyone is in a rush these days - gotta get out in 2 secs.

Garry

Originally Posted by garrycol

There is no reason that you cannot use a snatch strap in a tow recovery, the issue is that many people seem to think that it can only be used in a charging bull type of way.

Bingo.

Originally Posted by Dougal

Bingo.

I agree and in this situation looking at the image it was the old bull in the china shop.

Looks pretty clear behind and obviously went in frontwards wouldn't you pull him out backwards so he ran down his wheel ruts he had levelled? Seems like common sense to me and poor connection with the strap where the issues here.

Cheers

Another fan of the snatch strap and snatch recovery, I have performed many of these over the years with no dramas including a Cruiser towing a large camper trailer up Big Red and a Taureg bogged to the chassis on Stradbroke.

Usually my recovery options in sand or mud start with shovel and maxtrax, then snatch strap, then winch. Cantbthinkmof a time I have ever tried a straight tow except just to move a mechanically incapacitated vehicle on clear ground.

As others have said you need some common sense, choose the most sensible angle and that might be reverse, do some digging if necessary to clear the escape path and always use proper recovery points and rated shackles to make the connections use a dampener and get bystanders out of the way because accidents can happen.

Let's not forget winching can be just as hard on recovery points.

A good heavy snatch will have about 7-8 tonnes of load (4x4 action measured it with a paj towing out an f series in the sand).
A double line pull on a 9000 can yield 8tonne.
I've had the back windows on my classic creaking when being anchor vehicle for a pathfinder and camper. I've never had that happen on a snatch though.

...

Another snatch strap fan here as a the first point of call, as long as it's used in a controlled manor! Have used it successfully on plenty of other 4wd's.

I will be however be triple thinking it before doing it off the front tie down hook of the Discovery. Can we get a definitive answer on this to give us all a peace of mind, if it turns out it's not 'ideal' for recovery what is the alternative? Recovery hooks bolted / welded else where?