Winch 101/102

Would you be interested in a Winch 101/201 course


  • Total voters
    17
  • Poll closed .

R3

Offroad Committee Lead
Trail Instructor
Member 2024
Blue Ribbon Coalition
VA4WDA
Looking for some club feedback here. Over the years a winching course has been brought up as a topic of discussion. For various reason this class has never taken hold. So I am running a simple pole to see what kind of membership interest there is winching courses.

101.... "This is a winch" a beginner course for folks that have no experince or never operated a winch before. Goes over the basics of what a winch is , how it works and simple operation. You do not have to own a winch for this course.

201.... Builds on the 101 course. start with now that you know what a winch is...... this is how you apply it safely. Will go over gear and it use steel and synthetic tips tricks and techniques.

Ps you can vote for both 101 & 201
 
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Will the 201 course show proper rigging for winching your vehicle backwards off the front winch using an array of snatch blocks? Because even though I understand in it theory, I’ve never seen it in practice in real life…. And I’ve always noticed an unfortunate lack of snatch block anchoring points out in the mud in front of where I’ve been stuck on those occasions!

In all seriousness though… I’m giving serious thought to fabbing up a rear mount ATV winch that will go into the tow receiver, that I can mount up if I get stuck going into something. It’s always easier to pull a vehicle backwards the direction it came from than forward through a mudhole where it’s mired. So a 3500lb ATV winch running through a snatchblock (or two!) would definitely be adequate for getting it back out the way it went in. I do lots of solo trips, out of necessity, and this is something that would be of particular interest to me.
 
I love that you are moving on this Rob. Thank you. My vote was cast for me personally. But I would love to see both options if the membership decided that way. And hopefully, the 201 class would have a quick refresher type of catch up at the beginning that covered some 101 basics, but as I said, quick reminder.
 
Will the 201 course show proper rigging for winching your vehicle backwards off the front winch using an array of snatch blocks? Because even though I understand in it theory, I’ve never seen it in practice in real life…. And I’ve always noticed an unfortunate lack of snatch block anchoring points out in the mud in front of where I’ve been stuck on those occasions!

In all seriousness though… I’m giving serious thought to fabbing up a rear mount ATV winch that will go into the tow receiver, that I can mount up if I get stuck going into something. It’s always easier to pull a vehicle backwards the direction it came from than forward through a mudhole where it’s mired. So a 3500lb ATV winch running through a snatchblock (or two!) would definitely be adequate for getting it back out the way it went in. I do lots of solo trips, out of necessity, and this is something that would be of particular interest to me.
This all depends on the outcome of this pole. Yes we can certainly go over how to rescure you rig in an advanced class.

Winches on tow recievers is just abad idea from a strength aspect. tow points secured to the frame are far more secure/safe.
 
I love that you are moving on this Rob. Thank you. My vote was cast for me personally. But I would love to see both options if the membership decided that way. And hopefully, the 201 class would have a quick refresher type of catch up at the beginning that covered some 101 basics, but as I said, quick reminder.
Thanks Dain, let see how much interest we get here. the 101 course you don't need a winch for the 201 would be designed for folks with winches.

We can always put on a clinic to demonstrate various way to recover a rig at a meeting or club event.
 
I voted for winching 201 but I would attend a 101 class as well. I've used my winch a couple times winching others but you can never have too many refresher trainings. Thanks.
 
Winches on tow recievers is just abad idea from a strength aspect. tow points secured to the frame are far more secure/safe.
I’ve wondered about that, and I think in some cases with aftermarket style hitches that consist of a receiver frame that bolts to the frame rails it’s certainly true. On mine, the receiver box bolts through the rear crossmember of the frame itself using 4 10mm bolts. Aside from being much smaller (and less affected by leverage forces) than the larger aftermarket style receivers, the frame crossmember itself is far stronger than both the aftermarket receiver assembly and the attachment bolts that secure it to the frame rails on either side.

I’m definitely going to be reading up on tensile strength calculations.
 
I’ve wondered about that, and I think in some cases with aftermarket style hitches that consist of a receiver frame that bolts to the frame rails it’s certainly true. On mine, the receiver box bolts through the rear crossmember of the frame itself using 4 10mm bolts. Aside from being much smaller (and less affected by leverage forces) than the larger aftermarket style receivers, the frame crossmember itself is far stronger than both the aftermarket receiver assembly and the attachment bolts that secure it to the frame rails on either side.

I’m definitely going to be reading up on tensile strength calculations.

I haven't seen it on Jeeps, But on the new Broncos where the hitch attaches in the same manner as the stock JL/JK, I've seen several cases now where that rear cross member gets twisted by abusing the hitch (I looked at mine when I installed the hich, it's definitely lighter than Jeep crossmembers). Attachment to that crossmember allows a twisitng force if the leverage is applied anywhere but in a straight 90 degree line to the parellel of the crossmember. The Bronco cases have generally been when a drop hitch was in use, providing more twisting leverage to the force.

The best recovery points are attached directly to the frame rail, and any pull done from the recovery point should be done with the load as close to in line with the frame rail itself as possible. That's almost never possible except when pulling straight out of a situation with a strap. But it's something that should be considered and mitigated in every recovery.
 
I would love to know how to use a snatch block, or a tree hugger, etc. 201 is beyond my knowledge of how to use a winch! I used my winch to help me pull out a stubborn azalea bush that I could not dig up! I actually snapped the handle on my shovel! :ROFLMAO:
 
FYI first post has pics of an injury. Anyway recent post on using a winch incorrectly, and then other people commenting on things they almost did wrong too: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/nsfw-respect-your-winches.101884/
Yup therer are a bunch of stories and videos out there. People lose bits parts and pieces and some don't come back. The whole idea of this poll is to see if we have enough interrest in getting together a course or seminar or two on this topic. There seems to be either an unhealth fear of winching or complete complacency.
A winch is little more than a tool. Use it incorrectly or beyond it limits and bad things happen. Understanding the total picture of what you are winching helps make for a safer environment. Pairing the right equipment is also a huge factor in safe or unsafe operation.

You don't have to have a winch to learn more on how this stuff works... At some point if you wheel, you will be involved with winching either your rig or someone in the group...

Cheers
 
Might add selection of bumper and winch in the 101 class. I wished I added the steel bumper group on my jeep before purchase. It was hard enough finding a manual transmission 2-dr JLR... I'm currently leaning toward OEM tested bumpers. I'm a firm believer in air-bag compatibility and crumple zones now. Most of my wheeling will be spent as a daily commuter, dodging all the idiots with their heads buried in their "smart" phones.
 
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