Tow Straps (Recommendations, Ideas, Suggestions)

[Project X]

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[tmg19103]

I want to get some tow straps to store in the back just in case I need to pull someone out of a ditch.... or if I ever needed to be pulled out.

I've seen assorted brands at Walmart, Autozone, Pep Boys, etc, ranging from $20 to $90 and there's not much reliable insight on these products. But when it comes to buying something potentially as important as this, I'd rather shell out the money to a reasonable degree knowing the straps can live up to their name.

Any recommendations on brand/type to buy? Break strength (in terms of lbs)?

Personal experiences with tow straps would also be helpful.

I keep two different brands of tow straps in my Escape at my beach house. One with hooks and one with loops at the end for beach driving in case you get stuck. I have had them for years so I can't recommend a brand as I don't recall and they are not accessible to me right now. All I remember is doing research on weight they could pull and length. One is 15 feet. The other is 20. I've probably pulled 30 trucks/SUV's out of the sand by novice drivers (most did not air down enough) over the years and have needed help once myself. Just Google around. You should be able to figure it out by what is advertised and description. You can probably do without the cheapest or the most expensive.

 

[Maniak]

I want to get some tow straps to store in the back just in case I need to pull someone out of a ditch.... or if I ever needed to be pulled out.

I've seen assorted brands at Walmart, Autozone, Pep Boys, etc, ranging from $20 to $90 and there's not much reliable insight on these products. But when it comes to buying something potentially as important as this, I'd rather shell out the money to a reasonable degree knowing the straps can live up to their name.

Any recommendations on brand/type to buy? Break strength (in terms of lbs)?

Personal experiences with tow straps would also be helpful.

You don't have to go nuts on buy some tow straps. What you do need to remember is that a strap with hooks is not a recovery strap which is what your are really looking for.

Most Recovery straps have "some" give which will give you some extra oomph when pulling another vehicle. A Snatch strap is like a recovery strap BUT it has much more give which gives you even more rubber band effect to help unstuck another vehicle.

I carry 20k lbs and 30k lbs recovery straps in our X when wheeling (I actually have 3 straps). I have multiple brands including the 4wheelparts house brand, desert rat brand and I can't remember the other brand. They are all 2" & 3" straps.

That is something else you need to think about. How are you going to connect it to the vehicles? I'm assuming you have installed some tow points on your vehicle but how will you get it on the other person's vehicle? I have a shorter strap (tree strap) that I will wrap around the frame/subframe and then use a d-ring to connect that short strap with my actual 20-30ft straps.

~Mark

Edit: I forgot to mention Bubba Wrope. It isn't cheap but it does stretch to give you extra pull and they start at 19k lbs capacity and go up from there (over 100k).. They are one of the stronger recovery straps out there.

 

[tmg19103]

You don't have to go nuts on buy some tow straps. What you do need to remember is that a strap with hooks is not a recovery strap which is what your are really looking for.

Most Recovery straps have "some" give which will give you some extra oomph when pulling another vehicle. A Snatch strap is like a recovery strap BUT it has much more give which gives you even more rubber band effect to help unstuck another vehicle.

I carry 20k lbs and 30k lbs recovery straps in our X when wheeling (I actually have 3 straps). I have multiple brands including the 4wheelparts house brand, desert rat brand and I can't remember the other brand. They are all 2" & 3" straps.

That is something else you need to think about. How are you going to connect it to the vehicles? I'm assuming you have installed some tow points on your vehicle but how will you get it on the other person's vehicle? I have a shorter strap that I will wrap around the frame/subframe and then use a d-ring to connect that short strap with my actual 20-30ft straps.

~Mark

The one I have used most is actually twisted nylon as if it were thick rope with hooks. Most trucks and SUV's on the beaches I hit have old fashioned recovery points so the hooks are easiest and quickest. It does have some give. The one with with loops instead of hooks that you can wrap and "tie" around an axle or whatever and loop over a trail hitch is sort of a flat nylon. Not sure what they are both rated but I am sure I got at least 5,000 pounds. They don't needed to be rated nearly as heavy as the vehicle for a pull out of sand, though I'd go at least 5,000. Nylon will "give" so that's the way I went and they seem to be most popular on the beach. I figure pulling out of sand is easier than a little mud and tougher than deep mud if that is a concern. When you pull someone out of sand the person you are pulling is also hitting the gas in low gear so it is not as if you are pulling dead weight. Just enough to pull out of the sand they have sunk into - and just a foot or two of pull is needed until they are driving off. If they have not aired down enough, I make sure it is done before they are pulled out.

 

[Project X]

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