Do you remember where you were that moment you realized you need a winch kit? Very likely, you were in the mud, alone, wondering how long you could live off the contents of your Yeti cooler until a passerby could pull you out. Before that, you probably thought a winch was a “nice to have”, but not a priority. Here’s the thing, a winch is a method of last resort. When you’re an avid offroader, you go out looking for last resorts. And when your moment arrives, you better have the power to pull out or get left in the mud.
Weighing In
Winching is all about weight. Simply put, if the pull of your winch is less than the weight of your vehicle, you aren’t going anywhere. But there’s more to it than that. Remember, you’ll never just be pulling the weight of your vehicle. You need to add in the resistance of the mud or whatever it is you’re stuck in. Put another way, add another 50% to the weight of your vehicle when determining how much power you need from your winch kit. Then make sure you have the battery to crank out enough juice to run it.
Mount Location
A winch kit is a striking addition to an off-road vehicle and makes a strong impression on the road. But not every offroader wants to be a freeway warrior. For those looking to be a little more discrete, there are options available for winches that mount without breaking the factory look. If you plan to remove your winch or move it between vehicles, there are lighter weight options that still have the power you’re looking for. The toughest come at a premium, but, for an addon that must work when you need it, reliability is worth the cost.
The Real Deal
Veteran offroaders know this. There is recovery gear that looks the part. There is gear that acts the part, and then there are those addons that do it all. For those who want it all, WARN winches are as good as it gets in stylish, contemporary winches with all the latest features. Backed by a limited lifetime warranty, WARN winches offer best-in-class capacity and power. The new WARN VR series pack all those features you’ve come to expect into a compact, tactical design that looks good on or off the road.
Find a wide range of WARN winches and all the other heavy-duty, off-road absurdity you need in your life at Backwoods Adventure Mods.