There will be many situations where you will need to tow a vehicle. There are a few ways to tow a vehicle and there are many equipment and tools that can help you in such a situation. If you are planning on going on an off-road trip, it is very important that you carry the right equipment to help you.
The safest way of towing a vehicle is flatbed towing where you are using a flatbed truck or trailer. The vehicle that has broken down will be loaded onto the truck and secured with straps. Having all four wheels off the ground can reduce possible damage to the transmission and other components significantly. But there can be situations where you are not able to access a trailer or flatbed truck. There is two wheel towing where you can use a tow dolly to lift the rear or front wheels of the vehicle off the ground. This type of towing has to be done carefully so that the vehicle is not damaged. Four wheel towing is also possible when you have a tow bar to connect the front or rear of the vehicle to the towing vehicle. This is an option that can be considered for vehicles that have manual transmission. There are also certain vehicles that are modified for towing allowing for this method.
In an off-road recovery situation, you can tow a vehicle using a snatch strap or recovery strap which is an elastic nylon strap. This strap can stretch and recoil allowing you to pull the vehicle out of mud, sand, snow etc. You should choose a recovery strap that is rated for the weight of the vehicle that is stuck. The recovery points on both vehicles should be strong enough to withstand the force of the recovery strap. You will first need to turn the engines off in both vehicles and engage the parking brake so that you can attach the strap to the recovery points in both vehicles. Once the two vehicles are positioned properly, you need to slowly move the vehicle with gentle acceleration so that tension is created along the strap.
Safety chains are required for any towing setup. You can use the safety chains as a backup whenever the main tow bar fails. The chains should be capable of handling the weight of the vehicle that is being towed. You also need to make sure the safety chains are secured properly to both vehicles. And when you are using a tow bar, you will also need a hitch on the towing vehicle to attach the bar. The hitch should be selected considering the weight of the towed vehicle. You also need to make sure that the hitch is installed properly. When you are towing a vehicle that has its own brakes, you will need to have a brake controller on the towing vehicle in order to activate them. This is very important when it comes to towing heavier or larger vehicles.
