Its not much point in having a Range Rover if, when its needed, you can't help another motorist stranded but snow or ice. So I am thinking of getting a tow rope. Presumably something that will at least pull 2.5 tonnes so we could help a fellow RRS but what about other factors? I'm not talking about serious off-road stuff here but potentially it could help at those "summer" fetes where it pours with rain and the field you're parked in becomes a quagmire. Yes, you can get out but there's a Mondeo in trouble and blocking the exit gate. Or perhaps the other half's car has given up the ghost and needs tow - you get the picture!

Anyone got any suggestions about what to buy and what to avoid? Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

I've been thinking exactly the same thing recently. I have noticed in Halfords an AA recovery kit with tow rope but didn't get it. Also some have the shackles and some have the hooks, also another choice seems to be rope or straps

Steve. 2006 2.7 TDV6 HSE in Cairns Blue.

Yes - don't buy a cheap one. I had to buy one in a hurry and the stitching of the webbing gave out under load. Some of the cheaper ones are, ahem, a bit too 'elastic'. The ones with hooks are easier to attach but you don't want it flying about.

...and be careful where you attach the two rope to the vehicle being towed - they are not all as solid as Land Rovers.

Oh, and if you get stuck whilst trying to tow a vehicle out of mud, everyone will laugh at you!

Do a search of the online towing speciaslists who supply stuff for 4x4’s - or pop into a 4x4 specialist shop as they will have what you are looking for. I have a nice towing kit for the RRS in a neat carrying bag and it contains a heap of things like shackles, strops and a snatch block, all of suitable size and SWL for recovering a bogged down Land Rover. I’ll see if I can find the maker online. Your local LR dealership sells the webbing style with an eye on one end and a captive hook on the other which is OK but a bit short.
Here you go http://www.slingsandstraps.co.uk/4x4-equipment/
I have purchased from them in the past - if you google “towing kits for 4x4’s” the kit bag I have also appears on the sponsored ads. Would suggest that a couple of 2m and a couple of 4m webbing strap and 4 x 6.5t shackles would be more than sufficient and more importantly safe enough to haul any stuck Landy out of a ditch/snowdrift/mudbath....... in L320’s a flat box with them in stows nicely under the squab of the rear seats, out of sight but handy. L494 has to stow them in the less roomy spare wheel well
Also keep an eye on the Group Buys on Disco3.co.uk as there is a member there who runs group buys for recovery ropes and they are very good quality - I also have several sets from him and they are soft feel multi-stand plaited rope with eyes spliced in them. If you are not used to doing off road vehicle recovery then steer away from the Kinetic type recovery ropes - in the wrong hands they are extremely dangerous pieces of kit, otherwise they are a fantastic piece of rope to have but you do have to use them with great care and for onroad rowing they are useless as they stretch too much.You can pre-load them with so much energy (hence the name Kinetic) that they can pull pieces off cars not designed to be “snatch” recovered and that is what makes them dangerous in the wrong hands.

For a vehicle like RRS what Halfords and the AA sells are as much use as a chocolate fireguard............. they cannot take the weight loading and will just snap. Same with shackles - a bigger SWL than you think is necessary is better - a 2t SWL shackle will distort / snap towing an RRS............... I have some very special 40t SWL shackles I use that are small diameter and were used for securing a 1900 tonnes condenser I carried onboard one one ship as cargo. They are a bit over kill but are high tensile and relatively small and light (and were going to be dumped after their one use so I bagged 6 of the 50 of them for my Land Rover’s towing kit before they went swimming in the Red Sea!) 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13T-4-Meter-Heavy-Duty-...1438.l2649

I'm sure someone smart will point out that you aren't allowed to use tow ropes on the road and use a fixed bar instead. So I'll point it out

So consider your purchase for fields!

Hi,
when did it become illegal to tow on the road with a rope asking as I did not know.

regarding ropes/straps many choices, I have only ever used straps as tree protectors when winching and ropes for towing and snatching,
RTV's "used" to want a minimum of 1" 24mm diameter nylon (or was it polyprop) rope
3, 4 or 5m length you don't want the car behind toooooo close

someone stuck on wet grass with no traction may only need a "gentle" pull, RRS stuck in mud very different

last ones I bought came from a dock yard riggers store and they cut to what length you want also I would go for soft eyes, you can add a shackle if needed

Just as has been mentioned think about WHAT you are attaching to, how secure is it, think that any connection you make has to come undone again if you pass one loop through another around something, then tow with it, it will bed down rather tightly.

All that said a decent rope in the boot for "just in case" is well worth while as if you carry one you will never need it
just like, jump leads, hiViz, gloves, torch, light sticks, umbrella, waterproofs, first aid kit (flipping heck what else have I got in here!!)

And to be reached while you are sat in the drivers seat.............. an Emergency Hammer Seat belt Cutter

No really for couple £ why not, we have been upside down in a car and had to smash rear side window to get out,
swmbo has been first on scene at an upside down RTA, it was a gentle roll and seat belt could be undone, door opened.
I try not to drive with her now said she is bad luck

more ideas here
https://www.devon4x4.com/off-road-store/re...s.html?p=3 Porsche Cayenne 2022
gone Porsche Cayenne 2020
gone Corris Grey HSE Dynamic 2016
gone Ipanema HSE lux 2010
gone Rimini HSE 2005
!!

googled it. I dunno now


http://www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk/index.php?...w-illegal/


http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/off-topic-d...legal.html

http://www.liftingandcrane.co.uk/  2003 BMW M5 - 5 Litres of V8 Optimax Slurping Goodness in Carbon Black

2013 SDV6 HSE Black Edition- Orkney Grey with Ebony & Ivory. LR Facelift RAI, Genuine G4 Expedition Rack, 4x Warn SBD-160 Spotlights, Warn 9.5XPS Winch, Mantec Underbody Protection and Sump Guard, Full Easy Lift Suspension Module, LR Light Guards, Light Force HTX230 Hybrid spotlights, 18” Compomotive PD1881 on 265/65/18 BF Goodrich KO2, ARB fridge, TuffTrek awning 😎

For light use such as helping someone up a snowy hill (not stuck in a drift!), a Halfords 4 tonne rope is fine. I have one which has an elastic inside which helps stop it rubbing on the floor. It's been used on ordinary cars on slippery hills and is fine for that.

What Tim says for off road use. I have an 8 tonne strap and 24mm, 12tonne 5m and 10m ropes. The 10m is in the garage but strap and 5m are in the RRS under the back seat along with the Halfords rope (and fire extinguisher and tyre inflator).

At the end of the day, get the best you can and use it with care. Remember that you can do damage to a car when helping it. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Used the Halfords rope to tow a Mini up the hill from the next village tonight. Lass driving was confident she'd get where she was going thereafter. Hope she got there ok. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed