Glynparry25 wrote:

What do they plan to recover with?

I am guessing it is ALL on the road? If so I would advise a tow-bar/ pole as that will be much safer. But remember that the MAXIMUM tow capability of a Defender is 3.5 ton (when it is braked) so the average car will have no hope.

Glyn

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SURFACE RESISTANCE

The exact makeup of mud, type of sand etc all affect the actual resistance. When calculating out resistance values, its always better to err on the side of caution.

Surface Type Resistance
Hard Surface 4% of vehicle weight
Grass 15% of vehicle weight
Gravel 20% of vehicle weight
Dry Sand 25% of vehicle weight
Clay Mud 50% of vehicle weight

DEPTH RESISTANCE

Simply put, the deeper the vehicle is stuck, the greater the amount of pull necessary to extract it.

Depth Resistance
Axle 100% of vehicle weight
Top of tires 200% of vehicle weight
Hood 300% of vehicle weight

I would say a minimum of 10ton SWL would be safe to work with for getting bogged in (and can double up for emergencies on road)..... Make sure it is SWL and not anything else. Again your problem is with what you are going to use to recover it with- a 2ton Land Rover wouldn't have a chance of recovering 5ton up to it's axles in mud (unless it has some extra gear). Probably minimum of a 4.5t truck.

Glyn

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SELECTING THE RIGHT RECOVERY STRAP
It is very important the correctly rated strap is used. A strap with a ‘too light’ breaking strength may break under load. A strap with ‘too heavy’ a breaking strength may not stretch properly and more stress will be placed on the recovery points, possibly causing damage or injury. The Minimum Breaking Strength (MBS) of the strap should be between 2 and 3 times the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of the ‘lighter’ of the two vehicles used in the recovery process. Be aware that the Recovery Strap will be under greater load if the vehicle is bogged in mud, sand or heavily loaded. If the GVM is not stated on the identification plate of a vehicle or its registration certificate it could be available from the owner’s handbook or from the vehicle manufacturer.
KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE
Only the drivers of the stranded and recovery vehicle should be in those vehicles. Nobody else should be in or on those vehicles. Ensure bystanders stay at least 1.5 times the un-stretched strap length away, to the side of the line of recovery. NEVER stand between vehicles connected by a Recovery Strap.
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SETTING UP THE RECOVERY
Assess the circumstances of the stranded vehicle. If it has bottomed out, clear under the vehicle body so it rests on its wheels. The recovery vehicle should be placed in line (no more than 10o off the straight line) with the stranded vehicle, for either a forward or reverse recovery operation. Distance between vehicles should be 2-3 metres less than the unstretched length of the Recovery Strap. Establish agreed signals between the vehicle drivers, by radio (preferably), hand signals or vehicle horn.
CONNECTING THE RECOVERY STRAP
Carefully inspect the Recovery Strap to determine that it is in good condition. If the strap is wet, dirty, cut or chaffed, it will not perform properly. A wet strap may be 20% under strength, a damaged strap may break. Do not allow the strap to contact hot surfaces or sharp edges.
Roll the strap out between the vehicles, and make sure there are no twists and leave about 2-3 metres slack between the vehicles. The joining of straps should be avoided wherever possible (Retailers carry varying lengths of strap). NEVER USE A METAL OBJECT to join straps – if the strap breaks it can become a missile and cause damage or injury.
Check your vehicle hand book for recovery point locations, or use correctly rated and fitted aftermarket recovery points. DO NOT CONNECT TO A TOW BALL OR TIE DOWN POINT. Connect Recovery Strap to recovery point, for any recovery point requiring the use of a shackle to attach the strap, use only load rated shackles. Only connect to correctly rated recovery points on the vehicles, with only ‘Load Rated’ shackles. Load ratings are marked on shackles as WLL (Working Load Limit). Bow Shackles are suitable for this purpose and should be rated at least 3.25t. To correctly tighten shackle pins, screw the pin until it seats then back off about 1⁄2 to 1 turn. Over tightening may lead to seized pins, due to the force exerted during recovery operations. To reduce the risk of vehicle damage and personal injury, hang a suitable recovery damper blanket, over the Recovery Strap, approximately midway to restrict the whipping action of a strap should it break.
Last thing – Check all connections and clear bystanders to a safe distance (1.5 times the un-stretched Recovery Strap length) to the side of the recovery operation and NEVER in the line of recovery.