Recovery strap size

[crispyboy]

I was thinking about purchasing a recovery strap to keep in the truck for "emergency purposes" such as when pulling the travel trailer through a grassy field.
I see there are many sizes to choose from: 2", 3" and 4" along with various weight ratings. The truck weighs 7400 and the trailer ~8,000 lbs.
From my reading I have found that a nylon strap without hooks should be used.

What width or weight rating would you recommend?

 

[Mark31]

One thing to remember about recovery or "jerk" straps that stretch is to use much heavier duty clevises and pins with a clip in the end of the pin. If the pin breaks or comes out under load while the strap is stretched, the strap can/will throw the clevis to the other end faster than a major league pitcher's fastball. The reason some say don't use hooks is that if they are given a "jerk" and the hook straightens, then you've got that "fastball" again. The area should be cleared. The driver of the pulled truck isn't safe either. Mark

 

[JR]

It depends on what you are looking for. There are tow straps and then there are recovery straps. Tow straps are designed for towing or winching a vehicle, as in take the slack out and then apply tension. They are not rated for jerking (but yes they will take it to an extent ). Generally they are rated as a straight line pull and whatever the rating is on them is what you can safely pull.
Recovery straps or ropes are designed to withstand the kinetic energy of a tow vehicle yanking on a disabled vehicle. The general rule of thumb is to use a strap that is rated for 3 times the weight of the vehicle. I keep both in my truck, as they both have their advantages.
Viking makes pretty good straps of both kinds. Check out Bubba Rope too, I have seen those ropes take ALOT of abuse and not fail.

 

[WCPoe]

I ended up with one of these from Sportsman's Guide. http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=450228

Here's a recovery strap they offer for an alternative: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/...overy-tow-strap-with-loop-ends.aspx?a=1502185

I already have a good collection of clevis ends and other hardware so the loop ends work for me.

I keep it in the storage bin under the rear seat. Always let these things dry out before storing them. Just my 2 cents.

 

[seafish]

My truck weighs #8000 unloaded and unstuck.

Your truck is also HEAVY, your trailer will make it heavier, and if it is anything but a level, free- rolling pull, it will stress the tow strap even more....do yourself a favor and buy a 4" recovery strap, anyting less may still leave you stranded, or actually become dangerous if it breaks, depending on the situation. Plus there is always the chance you will want to use your strap to pull someone out who is REALLY stuck. That is a really good price on the Sportsmans outlet strap that WCpoe linked to, though I like the professional equip from http://www.awdirect.com/

Just my .02

 

[Bob4x4]

I have been using a good quality 3'' strap for over 20 years. Mostly desert and some sand rescues. It is very rare with a heavy truck to need much run to unstick anything if on a high traction surface. When the puller is on a low traction surface a bit of a snatch works wonders. The attachment points are critical for safety The 4" straps are a bit cumbersome

 

[NGuzik]

If you buy a quality 4" 30 foot long strap with loops you should have years of use out of it. In the end you can never have to big of a strap. Say away from anything with built in hook because they will break far before the strap. Spend the extra money for a strap that is made 100% made in the USA. Don't wast your time and money on some hazard freight special, I even question the farm store straps. For around $50 bucks I got a 4" 50 foot strap that was weaved and stitched together in Detroit that a member of a local 4x4 forum sells. Best money I've spent, in the last year I've pull out all kinds of people at the sand dunes, stuck tractors deep spring mud and got my self out after being fully loaded with fire wood.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

If a guy is really concerned about a strap breaking while recovering a vehicle, the throw a blanket or heavy jacket over the center section of the strap. The added weight will help throw the strap into the ground verses having it whip back wildly.

I've been using a 3" x 30' 30k strap for years. Once it tears or shows signs of loose fibers, I replace it.

 

[BDaugherty]

I've used and broken multiple snatch straps over the years. I currently keep a 3" 30' 30k lb procomp strap in each of my trucks. I used to use the larger 40k size in my trail rig. One benefit to the procomp brand is the leather sewn into the end loops to resist wear, cuts, and abrasion.
As stated above, it's important to take good care of your strap. Sunlight is the #1 killer but dirt and mud trapped in the fibers don't help matters either. Since you're mainly talking emergency use, you will probably be storing it clean and dry in a toolbox or behind the seat. Also, make sure you have good solid atachment points. I have front and rear receivers on my truck and use a bracket that goes into the 2" receiver and has a shackle on the other end.
One last thing, recovery gear can be a significant investment so always pay attention to not only the connection at your vehicle, but to the other one as well. I can't tell you how many times someone I was pulling out tried to choke my strap around a leaf spring. For that sole purpose, I carry a very large shackle from tractor supply that's big enough to fit around a spring and hook my strap to.

 

[crispyboy]

Wow lots of good info from you guys. I believe that a recovery strap is what I'm looking for. I have used chains in the past on the farm but I wanted something that would have some give in case some 'yahoo' is pulling me out. I don't like the vehicle to be jerked around, it just bends/breaks things.
It seems that a 3" x 30' would work with a 25k+ rating. I'll start shopping the net.

Here is a picture of what got me started in thinking about a recovery strap. Last fall we attended a trailer rally in an open park and we received about 3+ inches of rain overnight. The motorhome made it partially through the field. One of the guys hooked up his GM truck but couldn't get traction. I had borrowed my brothers 2012 Dodge for the weekend (my truck had the turbo blues at the time) and pulled them both out. As you can see there were yellow tow straps between the rigs. The Dodge was sitting on an area of mixed gravel/grass. I had to give them a bit of a tug to get them moving and pulled them both out.

 

[Bob4x4]

Stuck stories are always fun. One year while manning a pit near a narrow water crossing in Baja Ispent a good bit of time towing dead or stuck racers out of the river. At one point there were 2 dead class 7's. Hooked them up in series with 3'' straps and yanked them both out at once with chants from the crowd about Dodge power

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Crispyboy- although will have all done it, chains are very dangerous for vehicles/equipment recovery. When a link breaks, that heavy chains can become a deadly whip.