I seem to recall the mention of using a recovery strap to pull a stuck bus out.
Does anyone have experience with using one of these.
My daughter has a habit of getting our tractor stuck and something like a recovery strap would probably be the cats meow. However, I wonder what the downsides might be. I.e. strap breaks or tears the hook off the vehicle . Etc.
Any insight would be appreciated.
I have used a kinetic rope to pull my previous coach out of the mud. Scary but works like a charm. It is an inch and a quarter around - I used a big pickup to pull it out.
Can be lethal unless the straps are rated for the mass of the bogged vehicle AND the recovery points are massively strong to resist the forces trying to rip the front out of one vehicle and the back out of the other. Normal tow hitch is NOT strong enough.
Quote from: Tony LEE on January 21, 2015, 12:52:47 AMCan be lethal ...
Yes, this is the big downside. To make any difference, you're talking about a MASSIVE amount of energy stored in the strap or kinetic rope. If it works, it will work like a charm -- if there is any weak link in the chain, it will be VERY dangerous.
In my experience with large cars and heavy pickups (which, of course, does not begin to approach the level of buses), the best you can do is provide that little extra needed for a bus to come out of a soft spot or overcome that little edge that's catching. If you need to genuinely lift a vehicle to get it out, using a snatch strap or kinetic rope is going to be tremendously loaded and if anything goes wrong, you can see tremendous damage including damage to people. On the other hand, if things go right, you're golden. If you try it, make sure that all is perfectly right with your setup. *Everything!!*
Viento did you mean 1 1/4 wide vs around?
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From the late Richard Bowyer (Driving Miss Lazy):
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=2324.5;wap2 (http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=2324.5;wap2)
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
I have never used one, but I remember reading that one could string a couple of tires on the cord to try to dissipate some of the snap if the line were to come lose.
You can even just throw your coat on it. It's amazing how that will just kill the energy.
I've made and used nylon tow ropes all my life. Usually 1" or 1 1/4" nylon rope, but we've made up to 2" for heavy construction equipment.
20' long with 18 inches of chain on each end.
I have a friend who can buy the rope through his work. It's not real cheap, but for about $150-$200 you'd have a tow rope that would
handle your tractor and probably the bus if it's not buried to the axles. Could go to 1 1/2" but more money.
If you want one, I could have him get the rope and I'll braid the eyes on the ends and send it to you. You can then put your own clevises, chain and hooks on it.
Send me a private email if this is of interest.
Thanks for the offer Gumpy. What brought this to mind was seeing them at my local Pricess Auto(Canadas version of Harbor Freight). If I recall they didn't have any hooks but rather loops.
Regards.
Fred.
Quote from: 34kw on January 21, 2015, 09:59:01 AM
You can even just throw your coat on it. It's amazing how that will just kill the energy.
Exactly right! Spent a long time doing heavy recovery. I'd put a furniture pad over the cable every time I had a hard pull.
Sorry, I am not tracking very well tonight. Still dreaming of Crown Supercoaches? When we say a two inch nylon rope, is that the circumference ... or the diameter? I am confusing easily tonight. I remember cables or hawsers being defined by their circumference, but not quite remembering enough to be sure.
Reason I ask is that I just do not remember. Seems to me a two inch circumference nylon line would not be big enough? But ... a two inch diameter instead? A nominal 6" cable?
And, would a well made up two inch diameter NYLON rope, (nominal 6") be big enough to jerk yank pull out a big Bus Conversion? Say a conversion weighing in at about 40,000 pounds or more fairly well stuck in soft dirt ... but NOT totally bogged down like in sand, mud or snow? Curious me. I love this Forum! HB of CJ (old coot)
That would also imply that the attachment points would be more than strong enough. Yep ... I have actually seen a man killed real time by a snapping large wire rope. Logging accident. Not a pleasant sight let me tell you. Yuck!! :( :(
2" diameter, and yes, it would be sufficient to jerk a bus. They used them in the construction and oil field to pull semi's, graders, etc.
1" or 1 1/4 would be plenty to get a bus unstuck if it's not buried to the axles and the pull vehicle has some traction.