A 4x4 is not a vehicle to buy so it can sit pretty on your drive without a speck of dirt on it – such a waste if this is the case. A 4x4 is designed purely to handle the rough terrain, mud and serious off roading conditions. As soon as you take your nice clean 4x4 off the drive you have to be prepared for the good and bad. Good being the fun driving around the hills and splashing through huge puddles of water. The bad - becoming stuck in inches of mud or becoming stuck in water. This part of four wheeling does not have to be classed as bad, if you have the correct recovery gear.
Before venturing out into the rough terrain take the time to go shopping and invest in some quality recovery gear. However, before spending the money, take out some time and read through the owner's manual to find out the weight of your vehicle. This will tell you the tow capacity and what sort of recovery strap you need for your 4x4. When using a recovery strap the best point to haul from is the chassis as this is the single strongest point on your 4x4. If you are pulling from the rear bar or front pull bar, use the sling version recovery strap so you can even out the pressure on the chassis. This will give you maximum strength and minimise the chances of causing damage to the vehicle.
As well as your recovery gear including a tow strap you will also need one or more shackles to connect your vehicle to the tow strap. The most appropriate type of shackle is a screw pin anchor shackle. However, you must make sure the working load limit is appropriate for your 4x4.
