A Class front wheel drive winch assistance?

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Deleted member 12539

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I have only been driving motorhomes for about 4 years, and the latest only since February this year, and until last month I have never had a problem with getting grip on loose surfaces with a front wheel drive m/h.
The A class I have now is the heaviest I have owned at a possible 4.5t, and it has ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) with a Fiat engine. I have seen the ASR in action and it seems to work, up to a point!
After spending 3 days trying to get out of a wood in south Wales, I am considering alternative self rescue methods.
Pierced steel planks are not the direction I want to go really, and I have also tried other 'under wheel' methods, unsuccessfully!
Ultimately, the method that did get me out of the 'mire' was a 'pull winch', this is a long steel cable connected to a 'ratchet' type winch working on a one metre chain, secured to a tree. As it moves the vehicle only one metre at a time, it took quite a while to move the distance required those days I was stuck.

Although a costly option, I am thinking about fitting an electric winch inside the engine bay, which would be out of sight when the large bonnet is closed.
I have had a look where the winch could be secured, and I believe there to be space enough to house, securely a winch and rollers.
I do not intend to go 'off roading', and would be avoiding slippery locations whenever possible, but to visit my parents down in Wales requires me to park in a nearby wood.

Has anyone else looked into this idea?
Has anyone got one fitted?
What capacity winch would I get away with?
What about the extra weight at the front?
Any recommendations?

Your help/advice appreciated. :D
 
I've seen your pics of where you park at your parents, so I understand the issue!

My van has relatively little weight over the front wheels & they spin on wet grass if I am trying to get up hill, I have considered a manual winch & a power one. As you say, manual ones can only move you a short way at a time, and electrical ones are expensive, plus you need something to anchor the cables to. In your woods there are plenty of trees. But the only time I let myself get stuck was on Islay with no rocks or trees nearby. You can use a "land anchor" but I would hate to think of leaving the huge torn up chunks of ground behind me when I finally got off.

Adding weight to the front wheels should improve their traction if only a little, but I don't know how handling would be affected or even your van's legal axle weights as we are a small coachbuilt (under 3 ton).
 
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Sparks said:
I was considering one of these:

View attachment 18658

Superwinch Winch in a Bag PLUS | eBay

But for the amount of time I'd use it I went for a manual/slower/hard work winch like the one that got you out of trouble.

Mind you, I'll probably still get one when any spare cash turns up.
Click to expand...

I see they have "forgotten" to list the current draw. ;) It could be significant, but you could probably sit in the driver's seat with the engine running & the remote in your hand so that you could add some drive from the wheels to the winch pull to get you out.

At 2,000lbs the pull doesn't seem an awful lot with most vans weighing over 3x that & I don't like the concept of an almost 1 ton pull on a 4.8mm "rope", but I expect they really mean that it is a WIRE rope. However, £180 is cheap enough if it IS man enough for the job - but it will still need an anchor point that will withstand a 1 ton pull.

EDIT, a cheaper 1 ton model from the same seller quotes 100A draw on full load & 10A on "no load"
 
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Tirfor winch?

We used these in the Army: they probably still do. Pull anything out of (almost) anything, the wire rope going through it can be as long as you like and loop it round a tree or rock. No electricity and all u need is a piece of bar to work it!
John

tirfor.JPG


tirfor winch | eBay
 
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For rare occasions I think I'd go for the Tirfor as well. Use at front or rear, (will you always want to be recovered forwards?).

Or get some M+S tyres, AT's even better.

If you carry a compressor, airing down increases traction by a considerable degree.

Does your handbrake work on the front, handbrake works better then ASR ever will in these situations. Plus you won't boil your brake fluid.

Of course, it there is no traction at all, back to Tirfor or winch.
 
I Carry a 4ft ground spike, set at an angle it's surprising what a Tirfor will pull I carry a one ton Tirfor one all the time but have a four ton one at home that I rarely use now
One of the simplest winches to use I suppose that is why the Army and NCB used them fairly foolproof

Alf



siimplyloco said:
We used these in the Army: they probably still do. Pull anything out of (almost) anything, the wire rope going through it can be as long as you like and loop it round a tree or rock. No electricity and all u need is a piece of bar to work it!
John

View attachment 18659


tirfor winch | eBay
Click to expand...
 
I have used snow chains to get me out of a few sticky situations in the past with reasonable success. If that failed I would then get the 30cwt (no metric rubbish here) Tirfor out. Unfortunately the tirfor is no longer an option because of disability so I have to try to avoid these situations as much as possible now.

TJ
 
wasn't there anybody with a tractor in the vicinity ? I've got myself stuck many times in different vans,i get a bit adventurous sometimes ,but never felt the need for a winch,as there was rarely a handy tree,but always had a good towrope.tirfors are great,but the ones I've used need a fairly heavy cable and that weighs a lot and takes up a lot of room
 
siimplyloco said:
We used these in the Army: they probably still do. Pull anything out of (almost) anything, the wire rope going through it can be as long as you like and loop it round a tree or rock. No electricity and all u need is a piece of bar to work it!
John

View attachment 18659


tirfor winch | eBay
Click to expand...

Yes, we used them too, when I was in the REs, to pull small Bailey Bridges, a Tifor winch. A substansive steel cable is required though, not something i could coil in the back of the m/h.
 
Beemer said:
Yes, we used them too, when I was in the REs, to pull small Bailey Bridges, a Tifor winch. A substansive steel cable is required though, not something i could coil in the back of the m/h.
Click to expand...

I was in the RE's for 12 years. Ex Chepstow boy, but being 66 now I must have been at least ten years ahead of you. I bet nothing changed over that time....
John
 
n brown said:
wasn't there anybody with a tractor in the vicinity ? I've got myself stuck many times in different vans,i get a bit adventurous sometimes ,but never felt the need for a winch,as there was rarely a handy tree,but always had a good towrope.tirfors are great,but the ones I've used need a fairly heavy cable and that weighs a lot and takes up a lot of room
Click to expand...

I think my father quite liked the idea of me getting myself out with the pull winch, although he did say on day three, that if he couldn't assist pulling me out with his Seat Alhambra, then he would get a friend down the road to help with his tractor...:mad1:
P1020818.jpg P1020812.jpg
The second picture is my son 'taking his turn'...;)

I quite like the idea of the 'winch in a bag'... as mark61 already said, I could then pull backwards if needed..:p
 
siimplyloco said:
I was in the RE's for 12 years. Ex Chepstow boy, but being 66 now I must have been at least ten years ahead of you. I bet nothing changed over that time....
John
Click to expand...

Joined as a Junior Leader at Dover in 73, my twin brother is an ex Chepstow boy, as is my father, and his father.
 
I must say that in the days when I drove round in old buses,if i'd have seen that winch in a bag,i'd have got one.i would have other uses for it,like pulling trees out of places after felling,just moving heavy stuff,as for the current draw,hopefully it's only under load for a short time . treat yourself !
 
Beemer, Simplyloco

Bloody hell lads, pull up a sandbag and swing a light, lol:dance::dance::dance:
 
If you do go for an electric winch, you'll need something a lot more beefy than the "winch in a bag" idea - thats basically an ATV winch!

Ideally you want a winch rated to twice the weight of the vehicle, including safety margin - typically something in the 9000lb range for a Landrover for example - that's for serious off roading, but the safety principle is the same. I would also recommend switching from steel cable to plasma bowrope - safer, lighter, easier to handle. You'll be looking at around £450-500 for a decent set up. No point buying a cheap winch that will likely fry itself the first time you use it in anger.

Personally - for your purposes I would stick with a tirfor, unless you want to spend the money on a proper electric winch.

For extra grip you can get plastic waffle boards now - lighter and easier to use than pressed steel sand ladders.
 
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theredman said:
Bloody hell lads, pull up a sandbag and swing a light, lol:dance::dance::dance:
Click to expand...

Give me a bucket of sand and I'll sing you a desert song as well!
Hurrah for the CRE!
John
 
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