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I would ask where do you think you might get stuck? If you are in a forest, full of large trees or boulders, a winch is handy. If there is nothing to tie it to, it's useless. The recovery straps are really good to pull or be pulled out, but not much use by yourself. I've got many stuck trucks out with a shovel and a jack. Be creative. Pick up a tire and throw sticks, rocks, pieces of old carpet, anything under it to get traction. If you're in the desert with a winch and a shovel, you can bury a log or spare tire, to give yourself something to winch against. I have seen winch anchors that are similar to a plow that you can use when the is nothing around to tie too, but I haven't personally used them. ****** blocks are great for smaller winches, but again you need something to tie to.
have to agree... dont go alone....or have the gear.... this was my stupidity last winter.... winch straps hi lift Jack...used it all to spin the truck on the trail ...
Just remember if you have an ecoboost, you don't want to block that lower opening where the intercooler is.
Not applicable on the 15+ trucks. Notice that the license plate is now dead center and not off to the left as in previous generations. Plenty of airflow around it, even with the winch in place.
Not applicable on the 15+ trucks. Notice that the license plate is now dead center and not off to the left as in previous generations. Plenty of airflow around it, even with the winch in place.
I disagree, given how badly the stocker heatsoaks without anything in front of it, any decrease in airflow to it is just bad, period. License plate placement doesn't change the fact that blocking it is not optimal, and also why the engines run so much better with an aftermarket intercooler...……….or perhaps why the raptor IC has fans...….
If there is nothing to tie it to...bury a log or spare tire, to give yourself something to winch against. I have seen winch anchors that are similar to a plow...
So there's ALWAYS something to tie to, even if you have to supply it yourself.
Originally Posted by l3rian
The recovery straps are really good to pull or be pulled out, but not much use by yourself.
You should read those manuals - there are MANY uses for straps in self-recovery.
Originally Posted by l3rian
****** blocks are great for smaller winches, but again you need something to tie to.
Samething as you'd tie to without a ****** block. The line hook comes back to the stuck truck to double the pulling force (at half the speed).
I'm a total lone wolf, so think the electric winch would be a good idea. Towing a camper so do a lot of dispersed camping in forests. Fingers crossed it never happens, but if I did get stuck in some mud pit by myself in the forest, think one of those electric winches would really come in handy. Recently bought Rhino Ramps, have a shovel in the back and a jack... but if I sink deep that might not be good enough.
Also, bought those Rhino Ramps on sort of an impulse at Walmart... but looking online it seems they have pretty mixed reviews? You guys have any thoughts on the Rhino Ramps?
On the airflow subject, it's not just the total opening to the front that matters but also the fluid dynamics. If you go with an off-road bumper and hidden winch, you'll probably have to remove the plastic ducting in front of the intercooler shutters in order to fit the winch (I did, and looking at the space, I don't see how you could avoid doing so without having a huge protruding bumper). I haven't noticed any performance impacts, but I'm also not racing my truck, nor do I have before-and-after data logging in similar conditions to compare.
As noted above, a good shovel (hopefully not just an entrenching tool) and the ability to think through the problem is probably even better to have than a winch. Riding a large on/off-road motorcycle for several years rather helped my problem-solving skills in that regard (a 500-pound motorcycle that's off the downhill side of the "road," wheels uphill, is an interesting engineering challenge for a solo rider). Knowing when to air down the tires (and having the ability to air them back up when you get back to pavement) is helpful, too, without the cost commitment of a winch.
If you do get a winch, I'd go 12k, because by the time you put people and cargo in an F-150, it's probably going to be over 6k pounds (especially after you add 200+ pounds of winch and bumper to it).
Also, make sure that you have both reasonable attachment points on your rig (I'd get a shackle insert for the hitch to have a rear point available) and, if you want to help others, have some options for vehicles that lack good attachment points.
have to agree... dont go alone....or have the gear.... this was my stupidity last winter.... winch straps hi lift Jack...used it all to spin the truck on the trail ...
12-31-2018, 11:21 PM
