You get stuck, you get pulled out. It's as easy as that, right? Not exactly. Vehicle recovery can be a complex process, but there are best practices to follow that'll help you get out safely and efficiently. There are also some common mistakes, however, that can happen and hopefully avoided. Here we'll look at 10 common vehicle recovery mistakes. These have been compiled over years of experience and decades of off-roading and we've (unfortunately) seen all of them in person; now let's avoid them!

1. Forgetting to Air Down Your Tires

Airing down your tires will help provide traction when you leave the pavement. It can make a tremendous difference in grip, no matter the surface. Different surfaces require different pressures but not airing down at all ensures traction troubles.
For trucks and SUVs, if you don't have bead lock wheels, staying above 10-12 PSI is usually a good idea so as not to lose a bead. However, if your rig has bead locks, you can go down to nearly nothing. But one thing is for sure: not airing down isn't going to help when you venture off road.

2. Not Digging Out in Sand or Snow Before a Recovery

If you're wheeling in deep snow or sand and get stuck, digging out an area around the tires and vehicle frame can greatly help with an extraction. But whether you're using a winch or a recovery strap/kinetic rope, digging out before you try to get recovered will make that extraction easier on you, your rig, and the equipment. So, if you get hung up in snow or sand remember this: when in doubt, first dig it out—then go for the recovery.

3. Little or No Communication During the Recovery Process

We've all seen it whether on the trail or in videos. A participant in a vehicle recovery starts pulling before the stuck person is ready. This results in damage to vehicles or even injury. It's important to clearly communicate every step of the recovery process to avoid these pitfalls. Keep all parties informed when you're rigging. Let people know when it's done. Ask if the driver of the stuck vehicle is ready to be pulled out. Ensure onlookers are out of the way. And, before pulling, get a thumbs up from the stuck vehicle's owner/driver. Pro Tip: Learn hand signals for winching. This non-verbal form of communication works very well for all parties involved. These can be found in our Basic Guide to Winching Techniques.

4. Going Too Fast During a Recovery

Most people don't like getting stuck, especially if you're in a hurry to get somewhere or you're plugging up a trail. But panicking and going too fast can lead to vehicle damage or injury. Slow down. Assess the situation. Use common sense. Make methodical choices. Someone once said the Camel Trophy teams would get stuck and someone would say, "Somone put a kettle on for tea and let's figure this out." Bad decisions get made in a hurry. When you're dealing with thousands of pounds of vehicle weight, you'll want to keep safety as your top priority. Slow down.

5. Failure to Identify Proper Vehicle Recovery Points

If you attach a winch line or recovery strap to the wrong part of a vehicle, serious damage can be done—or worse. When you're performing a vehicle recovery, thousands of pounds of force are being exerted onto a vehicle and things like axles, control arms, tie-down points, or trailer balls are simply not designed for that kind of energy.
Always use a proper recovery point when attempting to get a vehicle unstuck. A vehicle's owner's manual will often show where a vehicle should be pulled from. Use points attached directly to a vehicle's frame/chassis. They're designed to take the extreme forces of vehicle recovery. And never use a trailer ball for a recovery—they can turn into lethal projectiles. You can use a receiver shackle bracket in a trailer hitch, however.

6. Using Inappropriate Anchors or Using Anchors Incorrectly

Similar to a vehicle's recovery points, using inappropriate winch anchor points is a no no. Examples would include trees that are too small or rotten; boulders that aren't heavy enough; or stumps that can be pulled from the ground.
In this same vein, using anchors incorrectly is a mistake we often see. For example, wrapping a winch line around a tree vs using a tree strap around it. This will kill the tree, and killing trees leads to closed trails. Similarly, if you put your tree strap too high up on the trunk, it can pull the tree down. We've even seen people try to rig to large cactuses, which can destroy them.
Lastly, if you go to an area, such as the desert, and don't bring a land anchor of some sort, you'll have nothing to winch to.
Make sure you're using appropriate anchor points, using them correctly, and have the right tools for the recovery.

7. Using Recovery Gear Inappropriately

Most recovery gear is designed for a very specific task, yet people often use them in manners in which they weren't intended. For example, you don't want to use a tree strap or tow strap (which has no stretch) in place of a kinetic strap/rope for recovery. It can damage the vehicle or hurt someone if a bumper goes flying! Conversely, you don't want to use a stretchy kinetic strap in place of a tree trunk protector which doesn't stretch.
There are countless other inappropriate examples including doubling a winch hook back onto its own line (vs using a shackle and strap); using your winch's line as a tow line (which sends shock loads through the winch's gear train); or even putting soft shackles around sharp objects (the abrasion can slice the soft shackle's fibers).
Getting trained on how to use recovery gear is important. Whether that's taking a vehicle recovery course, reading literature from qualified sources, or watching instructional videos from trusted instructors, learning how to use your recovery gear correctly can be the difference between breaking your rig or getting home safely.

8. Not Wearing Gloves

Some people say your hands are the most important bits of recovery gear, so protecting them is vital. It's Warn Industries' recommendation to always wear winching gloves when touching winch rope—steel or synthetic. Steel rope can develop barbs or "fish hooks" that can cut hands. Synthetic line can pick up sharp debris like burs or splinters. It can also cause rope burn if it slips through bare hands. Wearing good winch gloves with durable, reinforced palms is a must, and it only takes seconds to put them on.

9. Not Buying An Appropriately Sized Winch for Your Vehicle

A winch that's too small for the application can be a costly mistake. If you have a vehicle that weighs 7,000 lbs. but only equip it with a 2,000 lb. winch, you'll likely burn up the winch. For trucks and SUVs, Warn's formula for finding an appropriately sized winch is:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating x 1.5 = Minimum Pulling Capacity
This rule of thumb ensures you have enough grunt to get your vehicle unstuck.
For powersports vehicles, we recommend these guidelines:
ATV: 2,500 lb. to 3,500 lb. capacity
Two-Seat UTV: 3,500 lb. to 4,500 lb. capacity
Four-Seat UTV: 4,500 lb. to 5,500 lb. capacity
Following these guidelines should ensure you have enough power to get your vehicle out of the muck

 

10. Not Inspecting Your Recovery Gear

It's great to have good, proven, tested recovery gear, but over time, it can get compromised. Rope can get damaged; soft shackles can develop slices. Even winches can become mistakenly disconnected from batteries. Before you head out for a day on the trails or even months on an overland adventure, inspect your gear, and do it regularly.
Is your rope kinked or sliced? Replace it before you need to use it. Do your screw-pin bow shackles have their pins? Check your winch's electrical connections (including the remote) before you have to perform a recovery. Regular recovery gear inspection (and maintenance) is crucial and a matter of safety. It's not just enough to have it. You need to have it and make sure it's ready for whatever adventure awaits you.