Dodge 2007 Power Wagon Owner's Manual page 288

controlled force is required to recover the vehicle,
there is a high risk of environmental or vehicle dam-
age, or where nothing else seemed 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 manor. 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
STARTING AND OPERATING 287
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 1st gear
and apply a very light throttle as you power the winch
in. Be careful not to allow slack in the cable as you
recover the vehicle. Do not try to guide the cable into
the drum. If it starts to bunch up on one end, let it. You
can re-spool the cable afterwards. Never use a winch
cable as a tow strap and always stand back while
winching.
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