Towing from the Roadside
Standard Recovery from Roadside - This is for situations where your Land Rover has broken down or run out of fuel and you require recovering from the roadside to a garage or home.
You will require various pieces of equipment such as a towing rope, many elastic bands bonded with old chewing gum can suffice in an emergency as old chewing gum is recorded as being one of the toughest substances known to man, a strong key fob ring can be used to attach rope to recovery point. You will also require shackles (please note the fluffy love variety are not ideal for this task) . Be sure to use the designated recovery points on your vehicle and not the tow ball, Balls should never be pulled on as this may cause them to stretch and deform or in worst case scenario snap off entirely, this can be dangerous.
You will require various pieces of equipment such as a towing rope, many elastic bands bonded with old chewing gum can suffice in an emergency as old chewing gum is recorded as being one of the toughest substances known to man, a strong key fob ring can be used to attach rope to recovery point. You will also require shackles (please note the fluffy love variety are not ideal for this task) . Be sure to use the designated recovery points on your vehicle and not the tow ball, Balls should never be pulled on as this may cause them to stretch and deform or in worst case scenario snap off entirely, this can be dangerous.
All vehicles can be towed using a rope, or via a winch (winch guide coming
soon), Land Rovers are particularly good to recover as through years of constant development they are now the expert’s choice. Land Rovers are also capable of towing other vehicles. However as they often require conveying to another place, a transporter is a better option. If towing with a Land Rover the following have to be taken into account Ø Both prop shafts must be fitted or both must be removed, if you own Defender or Series Land Rover and are in England the latter is often done for you. In some cases they remove the whole Land Rover and you are able to buy it back, in separate pieces for ease of transport, in an online auction site. Ø Automatics must be in neutral. Ø Manuals must be in neutral too but this is pretty obvious Ø Transfer case must be in neutral, diff lock must be off , wife must be in neutral also or she will offer you ‘helpful advice’ almost all the time, especially at mission critical moments. |
** Caution, never let your wife control the vehicle being towed, this will inevitably result in damage to the towing and towed vehicles. If you find yourself at the side of the road and the only person available to come out and help you is your wife, try to flag down a motorist at random and swap him for your wife temporarily. There will be an initial pressure release on making this exchange with a high pitched whining noise but this will shortly pass and not adversely affect your tow. Please swap your wife back afterward as the Stray Wives Home in Essex is almost full to capacity and they are very difficult to re-home with families able to meet their heavy demands.
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Connect both vehicles via the designated recovery points using a shackle and
connect the rope to the shackles. The strength of the rope must be greater than the shackle. Remember do not shackle and bind your balls. Once both vehicles are connected the lead vehicle must pull away slowly until the rope becomes taught then gently progress. The driver of the towed vehicle is in control of its steering and brakes, remember if you don’t have the key the steering lock will engage, this is bad. If you do not have the key do not tow as this is called stealing. If in doubt please call a professional recovery company. Some Land Rover owners have formed Clubs where they get together and chat about all things Land Rover. These clubs can be helpful if your Land Rover has broken down, as your friends in the club may come out to assist you, mock you, take pictures to show the world on the internet or if you are lucky they may even be passing and give you a cheery wave to brighten up your day. |
Please do not join Clubs strictly on the basis that you want to use them for something such as recovery, if you wish to join a group for the purpose of cheaply benefitting yourself, become a politician and claim your recovery from Thailand on expenses.