Winches on Mall Crawlers?

[rickinAZ]

Why does it bother you what other people choose to or not do with their Jeeps? Why does it bother anyone?

How, on Earth, did you come to the conclusion that it bothers me? Hell...I own a modified Wrangler myself, and drive it strictly on road. No shade coming from me.

I lived at 8,200 feet in the Colorado Rockies for 20 years, bought Jeeps for snow (19 feet/year), and like the look. I've owned a dozen of them, and drove maybe 100 yards up a dirt road once when I took a wrong turn, but I didn't need a winch to get me out of trouble

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[am1978]

I use my winch to pull old shrubs for landscaping around my house. The Jeep does well on my yard terrain and the winch makes short work of pulling out bushes, roots and all.

 

[entropy]

I guess with a couple of pulleys mounted on a frame or in the garage, a winch could be used to remove the hardtop. Just don't be that guy with a 2,500 lb winch mounted to the bumper.

There is a JK Wrangler I see everyday parked a suburban drive way, all set up for overlanding, tent awning, brand new rotopaks, highlift jack etc. All for show. Around here, expensive accessories seem to show nothing more than the fact that you have them.

90% of rooftop tents are for show. People who have never camped in their life. Get one cause they think it is cool, like a treehouse or wtver. Go camping once and realize it is 100 times less comfortable than sleeping at home they stop camping and leave over 100lbs on top of their roofrack. Funnt thing they couldve avoided all that trouble by camping in a regular ground tent first to see if they actually liked it.

I would think that going hardcore enough to need a winch goes hand-in-hand with being willing to accept some cosmetic damage.

Well you think wrong. I have gotten stuck on a trail that isnt "hardcore".

Also there are situations when a winch helps avoid damage in fact. One scenario is going over a steep hill while towing a small trailer. Using a winch is a good idea to aid you in going over that hill and avoid sketchy situations. And there are plenty of situations where a winch can make it safer if the driver wants to avoid the risk.

What you watch on youtube is not what most people are doing out on the trails. Theres plenty of us who dont want to damage their Jeeps body. Scratches on sliders and bumpers, thats unavoidable and thats why they are there.

 

[rickinAZ]

BTW, this why own a Wrangler if you don't offroad point of view is not unique to Jeep. It is an equally debated issue on the Porsche groups. If you track your 911 you need to be prepared to spend a lot on tires/brakes, and a few trail-side scratches don't hold a candle to the "cosmetic" damage acquired when you overshoot turn one. Best case is gravel traps; worst case is the wall.

Like others have said, to each their own.

 

[JWAustinVTX]

Who wants to fund me to create fake wench for mall crawlers???

Insta Winch! It's not a recovery solution, it's a recovery illusion

 

[Oldbear]

I look at a winch like I do a spare tire or a revolver. Don't need one very often, but when you do, you need it badly and nothing else will quite do. Yes, I’ve been stuck, yes, I’ve dragged my butt out with a winch. Often? No, ‘cause that sort of thing ceases to be fun rather quickly, however when you’re down a mud track, miles from anybody else and hung up a winch is worth it’s weight in gold. For several decades now my Jeeps have all had a winch and a folding shovel. With that and a spare tire (to make a buried anchor) ie never been where I couldn’t get myself out.

 

[Spank]

I wheel my Jeep all the time and have yet to use my $800 Warn winch. That ain't a bad thing at all.

 

[Mikeoso]

I really havent seen anyone here throwing shade at anyone for having a winch because they use it, or might need to use it...even if it's for tugging shrubs or whatever.

However...

I see people at the range with an AR fully tricked with laser, optics, lights, bipod, heavy barrel, tactical coffee holder etc etc, who ALWAYS wear camo, but never served, never hunt, and never fire outside 150 yds...

There's (in my opinion) a major difference between a casual or occasional user, or even someone who's prepared for a remote possibility, and a poser.

The difference falls where someone is asking "what's cool?"

BTW...I'm a 71 year old former Marine, and have been driving Jeeps since 1969. I also have a 10/22 and 20 and 12 ga Mossbergs....just in case.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

I bought a wrangler for me and a gladiator for my wife out of necessity, since we have property that requires access via forestry trails. So a narrow stance, high ground clearance, 4x4 for both of us (full size trucks won’t fit) are a need instead of a want. In the three years I’ve had a winch, I’ve used it for self recovery exactly zero times....however, I do use it often. Mostly to pull fallen trees out of my way or to recover someone else. It’s also a huge insurance policy for when I’m at my property alone. Every time I know I’m going to be using the forestry/ truck trail system I bring my duffel bag of recovery gear. Tree straps, winch extension line, kinetic rope, snatch block, rated Crosby shackles, soft shackles, folding shovels, 12v air compressor, saw, and recently multiple winch rings (to reverse winch if needed). Do I really need to haul that gear and deal with mounting/ wiring/ maintaining a winch......not really, considering I don’t go down trails solo that I ‘know’ I can’t pass alone.....but it saves me from spending the night in the woods or having to walk out miles to the nearest state road and ‘hope’ I can flag someone down willing to help. Or worse yet, calling CQ/ mayday on my HF radio hoping someone can respond (since cell phones don’t work). I’ve spent the night in the national forest alone digging a 2wd vehicle out that shouldn’t have been back there....it’s not fun, and not a good feeling knowing that you’re in trouble, and the only resource for survival is yourself (it was -17f that night).

Many people see new shiny Jeeps and assume they never get used for their intended purpose for some reason, which for the vast majority of brand new Jeep owners is true. But ‘intended purpose’ doesn’t always mean making regular trips to Moab or Drummond Island.. For us, it’s added insurance to know we won’t find ourselves stuck on a soupy two track 10 miles off of the nearest paved road.

This is very typical of what I’m in. Is a winch really needed here? Not really. But all it takes is one good rain to turn that little mud wallow in the beginning into a trap. This is actually marked as a ‘public road’, it’s not even in the ‘forestry trail’ or ‘truck trail’ system. I filmed it because Apple Maps took me off of a paved road onto this 5 mile stretch to get to another 2 lane seasonal dirt road. I can’t imagine what would happen to grandma and her Buick if she was led down this....

 

[At Risk Ute]

Have held off buying one until I retire near the trails next year and currently rely on my friends who have winches.

Countless times wheeling with them. Have only winched once to free a SlowRunner who took a bad line. Good insurance!

 

[entropy]

BTW, this why own a Wrangler if you don't offroad point of view is not unique to Jeep. It is an equally debated issue on the Porsche groups. If you track your 911 you need to be prepared to spend a lot on tires/brakes, and a few trail-side scratches doesn't hold a candle to the "cosmetic" damage acquired when you overshoot turn one. Best case is gravel traps; worst case is the wall.

Like others have said, to each their own.

I agree.

I really havent seen anyone here throwing shade at anyone for having a winch because they use it, or might need to use it...even if it's for tugging shrubs or whatever.

However...

I see people at the range with an AR fully tricked with laser, optics, lights, bipod, heavy barrel, tactical coffee holder etc etc, who ALWAYS wear camo, but never served, never hunt, and never fire outside 150 yds...

There's (in my opinion) a major difference between a casual or occasional user, or even someone who's prepared for a remote possibility, and a poser.

The difference falls where someone is asking "what's cool?"

BTW...I'm a 71 year old former Marine, and have been driving Jeeps since 1969. I also have a 10/22 and 20 and 12 ga Mossbergs....just in case.

the range is a circus my friend. Tactical coffee holder LOL. They havent served but they are "The militia" training to save us from baby eating pedophiles.

 

[Wbino]

My new Jeep isn't a mall crawler it's more of a get coffee, park by the water crawler.
BUT i almost jumped a curb i forgot was there in the parking lot last week so that would have been my first off roading experience.

 

[DHW]

This is actually marked as a ‘public road’, it’s not even in the ‘forestry trail’ or ‘truck trail’ system.

Where are you that this is a public road? Middle-Earth?

 

[JSFoster75]

I use my Wrangler 100% on road and therefore I don’t have a winch. But...I see a lot of pristine Jeeps out there with winches. Do people equip their onroad Jeeps that completely?

Mine is there just in case. I'm not a rock crawler, but when I go offroad, I never know what I might encounter, so having the winch gives me a safety net should I get stuck.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

Where are you that this is a public road? Middle-Earth?

Pretty much. North Eastern LP Michigan. Locals call the region the “badlands” since there’s nothing really there, except sand, mud, and trees. Those ‘public roads’ are the original roads from when the area was settled. Before the highways, it was a two day drive along those roads to get from Detroit to that area.

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