Vote on fitting a winch?

[Leonard Hugo]

Having my previous G fitted with a winch and contemplating fitting one on the current one a thought occurred.

If the vehicle is in good order: how many G drivers have needed a winch to get themselves out of trouble? Not talking about the guy in the Range Rover that was with you that needed help, just the G?
Ive used the winch in previous G only to get other things moved...

So, in fitting a winch to a G, how often has anyone actually needed it?

Leonard

[Andrew]

Good question.

I grew up in the bush in a neighbouring country and we went everywhere with a 2 wheel drive and tyre chains.

Then I lived at the coast before the beach driving ban for a couple of years and spent a month of Sundays on the beach with a 2 wheel drive Ford bakkie (with "fat" 205's!)

And now after many years of driving all over the place in Southern Africa I can count on one hand when I NEEDED 4 wheel drive, let alone low range and diff locks. I have obviously used low range and diff locks etc because I have them and therefore go through or over a thing I could have just as easily avoided.

Point is - I dont need a 4x4 but I want one and I think the same can be said for all the peripheral stuff you can stick on it.

A winch looks the goods - stick it on if you like it and want to play on Baboons pass or pull trees out the ground but i personally think the G is such understated overkill in the traction department that it is an ornament.

Just an opinion.

[Alan]

My opinion:

You spend a lot of money which could be used better elsewhere. Mostly you would probably use it to winch someone elso out as you also stated.
Use the money for better tyres...

[Gelände]

Second that, you will feel 'forced' to attempt obstacles just because you paid for it...

[amzimmy]

I had a hydraulic "MileMarker" 4T winch on my earlier "Muffetta", yes it was used a couple of times but mainly to get other people out of trouble. If I would consider to fit again a winch on my 300CDI I would again choose a Hydraulic winch with plasma rope! IMHO if you have a G you don't need a winch, only if you want to be "The-(LandRover)-Recovery-Vehicle"!!!!

BTW: Front Runner can supply you a special reinforced-Swiss-Military bumper to accept any type of winch, even a "Rotzler".

amzimmy

[Marius Grobler]

I had a hydraulic "MileMarker" 4T winch on my earlier "Muffetta", yes it was used a couple of times but mainly to get other people out of trouble. If I would consider to fit again a winch on my 300CDI I would again choose a Hydraulic winch with plasma rope! IMHO if you have a G you don't need a winch, only if you want to be "The-(LandRover)-Recovery-Vehicle"!!!!

BTW: Front Runner can supply you a special reinforced-Swiss-Military bumper to accept any type of winch, even a "Rotzler".

amzimmy

I've done quite a couple of 4x4 trips and trails, and only needed a winch once when travelling on the 'Hunters road' between Zim and Botswana. My friend and I discussed it recently again and here I must agree with Alan that a good set of tyres, in this case MT's would have most probably saved us.

[munga]

...want to play on Baboons pass...

Have you played there Andrew? Anyone? Not to hijack the thread. How did the G fair? All the write ups I have seen are mostly by guys who have lifted 'Cruisers or Jeeps.

My bad! Just found a post by Zimmy:

http://www.mb4x4.co.za/forum/showthr...t=baboons+pass

[munga]

Having my previous G fitted with a winch and contemplating fitting one on the current one a thought occurred.

If the vehicle is in good order: how many G drivers have needed a winch to get themselves out of trouble? Not talking about the guy in the Range Rover that was with you that needed help, just the G?
Ive used the winch in previous G only to get other things moved...

So, in fitting a winch to a G, how often has anyone actually needed it?

Leonard

Coming back to topic. Best winch is the one on your mates car IMO. More maintenance, sticks out too far on the G, etc. etc.

[amzimmy]

Munga, it really boils down to what are you going to use your G. If you intend to to do really "serious" off-roading, then a winch is necessary.

amzimmy

[paulventer]

Leonard

I see a winch more as additional assurance, than as a necessity. On my cruiser I've only had to use the winch once for self recovery, but several times on recovery of others. In all of these situations (except perhaps the one where I recovered myself) we would have been able to get out of the problem without a winch, BUT it would have taken a lot longer, and much more digging...

One area where I really like a winch from a safety point of view is if you often encounter deep mud, where the winch will slowly extract the vehicle from the sucking power of the mud. In my mind this is a much safer way of getting a vehicle unstuck than to try and snach a vehicle stuck on it's belly in the mud (if the winch is used with the right safety precautions).

On my mog I've never used the winch for recovery, but I have used it many times for moving heavy obstacles and dragging felled trees around to chop them up.

In summary - as others have said you're unlikely to use the winch much for self recovery. So it depends on what you use your G for - do you want to be nice and help your fellow travellers and/or do you perhaps do other work with the G where a winch could be handy...

There's no right or wrong answer here