2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular Cab Owner Manual - Page 355

STARTING AND OPERATING 353 WARNING! Never use tow straps with end hooks or link two straps with a clevis pin. These heavy metal objects could become projectiles if a strap breaks, which could cause severe injury. Never leave more than two or three feet of slack in the strap. More slack than this greatly increases the risk of injury and vehicle damage. Always keep everyone at least 30 feet away from a strapping or winching situation. • Winching (Refer to "Winch Operation" for additional information) - Winching is most commonly used in the following situations: there is no support vehicle available, a high controlled force is required to recover the vehicle, there is a high risk of environmental or vehicle damage, or where nothing else seems to work. A winch can deliver a high pulling force with a great deal of control. It allows you to walk the vehicle out of the situation in a slow controlled manner. This control works well for avoiding further vehicle damage. Once you decide it is time to use the winch look for a good anchor point. It needs to be strong enough to hold more than the vehicle's weight and provide a direction of pull as straight as possible. Use block and tackle if necessary to improve the angle of pull or increase the winch's pulling force. If the anchor point is a tree use a strap around its base and hook the cable to the strap. If it is another vehicle, then place that vehicle in PARK and block the front tires. If you cannot find an anchor point within reach try using your spare tire by burying it. Once you have determined an anchor point hook up the cable, ensuring there are a least five wraps of cable left on the drum, and place a floor mat or something else over the strung out cable. Placing something over the strung out cable helps keep the cable on the ground if it breaks. Next, place the vehicle in first gear and apply a very light throttle 5