One of the 2WD vs 4WD threads got me to wondering how useful could a boat anchor be, combined with a winch, to get one out of a sticky situation?An anchor is only as good as the ground it goes into & from my boating experience I have had anchor rode guitar string taught with multiple boats & high winds riding on it.One would not need a heavy anchor as it can be 'set' by somebody putting their weight on it to get it into the ground. Riding chain would not be necessary either as the angle of pull would be very low anyway.It comes down to type & size of anchor. Sizewise I'm thinking suitable for a 30-35' boat. Type I'm thinking the Danforth style but made of aluminium like the Fortress anchors.Thoughts? Maybe the past 4 days of rainy weather has affected my brain.I have a 2WD truck. Only been stuck with trailer twice. Always carry a length of tow rope. Never used it. Never really thought of having a winch before. In 1 of the 2 stuck incidents a winch, long rope & anchor in soft ground might have gotten me out.

Just a thought but you mention having an anchor anchor rode guitar string taught. If it had pulled loose in water it would probably just bounce across the bottom. On a winch in open ground that anchor would probably be snapping back at you like a cannon ball. Snapping a winch cable can happen but I would bet pulling out the anchor would happen much more often. Don't think I would use this except in an extreme emergency.

bdpreece wrote: On a winch in open ground that anchor would probably be snapping back at you like a cannon ball. Snapping a winch cable can happen but I would bet pulling out the anchor would happen much more often. Don't think I would use this except in an extreme emergency.X2

At work we used a Digging Bar. Sink it into the ground about 2 foot at a angle. Never had one to pull out.

When I had a 72 Bronco and did a lot of off-roading I made a 'sand wedge'1/4" steel plate cut in a triangle, 2 1/2' steel bar (1") welded to plate (full length), a 5 lb. mandrel on bar to use as a slide hammer with a 'T' handle at top of bar and a heavy ring welded at top of plate I would drive the wedge at an angle into the sand.......hook up my wench cable to the ring and pull truck towards the wedge....repeat as necessary until out.Got me out of several spots where nothing else was around to strap to.Looked like a short shovel.......just really stout

Get on some off road sites and you will find the Pull-Pal and probably other land anchors rated for land use.http://www.pullpal.com/Use a synthetic winch rope to eliminate the rubber band effect.Even standard steel cable does have some spring back if something goes wrong.

Using an anchor | Good Sam Community

DiskDoctr
Explorer
Mar 05, 2014
A set of tire chains may be easier to store and more effective. They don't require more than one person to use, either
AO_hitech
Explorer
Mar 06, 2014
Chains will typically work, but they are a real mess to put on when buried to the axles in mud. Guess how I know.... :E
ol_Bombero-JC
Explorer
Mar 06, 2014
Shearwater wrote:
i second the concern about using rope - particularly nylon. This stuff stretches 20-25% pretty easily and if it broke it would come back like a rubber band. Chain would be a safer, but much heavier material.

Whether it's rope or cable, place a heavy jacket, blanket, or? in the middle of the line. Stand clear!

Any tow operator "worth his salt" knows this - but they don't bother....so, If you are around a tow operator or anyone else using a winch and *not* using this simple safety technique - put lots of distance between you and his tow cable/line (no matter what it's made of).:R

Ask any guy that has worked the deck of an aircraft carrier what a broken arresting cable can do - and - the USN routinely check *their* cables!..:W

~
mlts22
Explorer
Mar 06, 2014
I've seen some webbing that supposedly won't snap... but after seeing those cables snap, I don't want to take a maker's guarantee as a 100% thing.

This is a good thread... I should see about a heavy duty wench I can bring out to get unstuck, especially if I go with a low clearance MH like the ones on the Ducato/ProMaster chassis.
Rbertalotto
Explorer
Mar 06, 2014
I should see about a heavy duty wench I can bring out to get unstuck

Just be sure she is a good strong wench! Don't need no weak wench when there is a truck needing to be pulled out of the mud!

(I know...I'm an ### hole.....But I couldn't resist! Cold weather and cabin feaver has me doing strange things!)
RWDIII
Explorer
Mar 06, 2014
Rbertalotto wrote:
I should see about a heavy duty wench I can bring out to get unstuck

Just be sure she is a good strong wench! Don't need no weak wench when there is a truck needing to be pulled out of the mud!

(I know...I'm an ### hole.....But I couldn't resist! Cold weather and cabin feaver has me doing strange things!)

You beat me to it:h
Wench for winch
breaks for brakes
your for you're
jenoble99
Explorer
Mar 06, 2014
rockhillmanor wrote:
Shearwater wrote:
i second the concern about using rope - particularly nylon. This stuff stretches 20-25% pretty easily and if it broke it would come back like a rubber band
. Chain would be a safer, but much heavier material.

X10

Been there done that!!!

I have always carried one of the big yellow thick braided nylon tow ropes. Big huge metal hooks on either end.

Last year a big DP got stuck in the sand behind my MH. He tried digging it out to no avail. I offered my tow rope and a big dually truck dropped his FW and offered to pull it out.

That rope did just what you said. One BIG snap, broke the rope and that rope AND the
huge hook became a missile
and damn near decapitated one of the campers standing there.

Those big thick yellow nylon ropes are not recovery straps, they are tow straps. Useful for getting a broken rig out of traffic to the side of the road, potentially lethal when used as a recovery strap. Recovery straps are designed to stretch. A mobile vehicle hooks on to the stuck vehicle and gets a run, then stops, when the recovery strap recoils it tends to pull the stuck vehicle out. Recovery straps are much more expensive than tow straps.
wintersun
Explorer II
Mar 06, 2014
As mentioned, in sand a sand anchor is invaluable. Otherwise best to have a nylon strap you can wrap around a tree and then attach the winch cable to the strap.

I had winches for years on my trucks but I never used it for myself only to pull 2WD vehicles that were foolishly driven into trouble. One guy I pulled out twice and then I left the beach before he got stuck a third time.
wintersun
Explorer II
Mar 06, 2014
Dick_B wrote:
I prefer road service.

Where we go there is often no cellular service so we would have to hike 25 miles to where we could use the phone or flag down a passing car and have them take us to the nearest town and then pay the tow truck to go 100 miles round trip.

Road service is an option for us less than 50% of the time and even then I can change a tire in half the time it will take for a road service person to arrive. Someday I will be too old and frail to change my tires but that day is hopefully still a long way off.

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