Recovery Points and Equipment
From Gold Hills Posse 4x4 Club
Vehicle recovery is a reality on most trips and the Posse takes our safety and yours seriously. Our bylaws require that your vehicle be equipped with front and rear recovery points. The discussion below outlines recovery points that we consider acceptable.
Front
The stock tow hook is acceptable but we’ve found that hooks tend to rip straps and in general don’t think much of them. Tie down eyes used to secure the vehicle during transport are not acceptable. A number of aftermarket replacements are available and range in both cost and ease of use. In general, they’re all acceptable.
Rear
A shackle mounted to either a sturdy bumper or receiver hitch is the most common among club members. Some use the stock spiral thing on the back of a Jeep, others don’t like it. Under no circumstances will a towing ball be considered an acceptable recovery point. In general a stock bumper isn’t acceptable.
If you’re not sure if the recovery point you’re planning to use is acceptable take a picture, post it on the forum, and ask. We know that there are a lot of creative solutions that will work. Some of our ideas of what is and isn’t acceptable are shown on this page. Keep in mind that YOU are responsible for any damage to your vehicle that occurs during a recovery no matter which end of the strap you are on, but, the corners you might choose to cut could endanger others on the trip. We will do our best to get you home, we expect you to do the same.