Rear bumper winch

[Excursioner]

I am looking at a new rear bumper for my Ford Excursion that can come winch equipped, or not. Just wondering if, while out on the trail, a rear winch is something that people use in self recovery that often? Or possibly, do people wish they had a winch on their rear bumper to assist with self recovery that one time it got a lil' hairy. The ol' Excursion does not have a lot of manufacturers willing to make rear bumpers for her at all, but this one company does and they seem to offer a ton of lighting options as well as the winch option. Looking forward to your input. Thanks in advance.

 

[OffroadTreks]

Seems like one of those things everyone thinks would be awesome, and thinks they want, but no one uses or has ever posted how they used it to recovery themselves.

Save some money, buy a winch line extension and 3-4 Snatch Blocks.

 

[Excursioner]

While money is usually a top consideration for my overlanding purchases, I have saved and saved for a rear bumper with tire swingout for my excursion so I am OK with a little bit extra to get a great bumper for my rig. This company includes the winch as an extra $350 add on which is very reasonable. It's not a Warn or SmittyBilt brand so I don't know what to make of the quality of the winch.

The snatch block idea is a good one because I have limited experience with them and it would force me into situations to learn those techniques. What about helping others, though. Wouldn't a rear winch be helpful in extracting other folks that might need assistance?

 

[TOMB]

My last 2 work trucks had front and back receivers so I could move my winch to either. This was very handy.


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[58-fc170]

Front and rear winches are a great idea. Not just for off roading but that rear winch can be used to pull things up onto a trailer and save messing with come alongs.

I have front and "rear" mid mount winches. The mid is frame mounted at the front of the bed and is for pulling rearward or pulling things up onto the bed.

 

[Jason Shelby]

While money is usually a top consideration for my overlanding purchases, I have saved and saved for a rear bumper with tire swingout for my excursion so I am OK with a little bit extra to get a great bumper for my rig. This company includes the winch as an extra $350 add on which is very reasonable. It's not a Warn or SmittyBilt brand so I don't know what to make of the quality of the winch.

The snatch block idea is a good one because I have limited experience with them and it would force me into situations to learn those techniques. What about helping others, though. Wouldn't a rear winch be helpful in extracting other folks that might need assistance?

I also have a Ford Excursion, and a rear winch bumper with tire swing outs would be great. Who is the company you are talking about?


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[Excursioner]

Hncusa.com

They are out of Vancouver, Wa

Front and rear bumper options for our beloved Excursions. The tire swing out is a special order,but everything else is just a simple option add on.

 

[Jason Shelby]

Nice looking stuff, saving that info for later


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[Neil Q Smith]

Arctic Trucks has a front and rear winch mount, both with electrics points, so that you can take one winch, and use it either fornt or back as required.
Simple interchange.

Due to the universal fitting by Arctic Trucks, we tend to take just one winch on each expedition, which is shared by the other 2,3,4 Arctic Trucks also on the expedition.

It's a good way to save money (buy one winch between a group), save on weight (and therefore fuel consumption), reduce environmental impact (less materials used, less fuel consumed, etc.).

 

[58-fc170]

Not to sure I would like only having a single winch to rely on in a group of four trucks. There is something to be said for having a back up.

 

[professorkx]

99% won't use a rear winch enough to warrant the cost, and there is a simple solution for winching yourself out backwards. Run the winch rope under the front and rear axles from the front winch mount, put a D-ring on your hitch chain eye, run the winch rope through the D-ring to keep it straight, and then to your pull point. I've used this method a number of times to get myself out of trouble, and it works great.

 

[The other Sean]

99% won't use a rear winch enough to warrant the cost, and there is a simple solution for winching yourself out backwards. Run the winch rope under the front and rear axles from the front winch mount, put a D-ring on your hitch chain eye, run the winch rope through the D-ring to keep it straight, and then to your pull point. I've used this method a number of times to get myself out of trouble, and it works great.

Are you running steel cable or synthetic line?

 

[The other Sean]

Arctic Trucks has a front and rear winch mount, both with electrics points, so that you can take one winch, and use it either fornt or back as required.
Simple interchange.

Due to the universal fitting by Arctic Trucks, we tend to take just one winch on each expedition, which is shared by the other 2,3,4 Arctic Trucks also on the expedition.

It's a good way to save money (buy one winch between a group), save on weight (and therefore fuel consumption), reduce environmental impact (less materials used, less fuel consumed, etc.).

While that sounds like a good idea, I can see it being dependent on local terrain. I've been in groups where the location of the stuck vehicle is in such a tight spot that even getting the cable spooled out to a proper winch point is a chore, let along lugging a winch on a mount from a few rigs back.

 

[58-fc170]

Depending on the vehicle attempting to run the line underneath could resulting in bending the front steering links.

 

[professorkx]

Are you running steel cable or synthetic line?

Synthetic. Had to pull a broken rig 8 miles through deep snow, over 100 winch pulls. Would not have been possible with a steel line, too heavy. 3 of those pulls were backwards with the broken rig attached to my jeep with a strap. 14 hours of hard work...

 

[professorkx]

Depending on the vehicle attempting to run the line underneath could resulting in bending the front steering links.

If a rigs steering components are that low, probably shouldn't be where you need a wimch...

 

[000]

If it’s more than likely just for an occasional short pull to back out of a sticky spot a hi lift jack and a couple straps and chain should be plenty. If it’s something that seems to happen a lot to you and you travel alone it might be handy. I would skip it myself, but your situation may necessitate it.


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[Neil Q Smith]

While that sounds like a good idea, I can see it being dependent on local terrain. I've been in groups where the location of the stuck vehicle is in such a tight spot that even getting the cable spooled out to a proper winch point is a chore, let along lugging a winch on a mount from a few rigs back.

We do take along additional slings, ropes, and general shackle equipment, shared between vehicles, so that our single winch has a set of adequate and appropriate necessities.

As you say - it all depends on the terrain to be explored, and the level of risk to be expected.

Having run a number of expeditions and trips of this nature, and never having any serious situations where more than one winch was ever required, we decided to reduce the weight load, save on fuel, reduce our "carbon footprint", and overall costs.

Its all about sensible Risk Management.
The delicate balance between over equipped / adequately equipped / under equipped.
Each trip has a risk evaluation during planning.

But I think one interchangeable (front / rear) winch per vehicle is adequately equipped.

 

[buckwilk]

Rigs in Oz often carry a rear mounted winch.

 

[Excursioner]

Placed my order last week and looking forward to seeing it in 4-5 weeks. I'll post some pics when it is mounted