One of my SUV RVing fears is getting my vehicle hopelessly stuck in sand, mud, or snow when I’m out in the middle of nowhere. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a winch for my SUV but haven’t pulled the trigger because frankly, there are other things I’d rather spend that money on. But I recently found a YouTube video titled Poor Man’s Winch – Using ratchet straps for winch duties (it’s also embedded below if you’re reading this on the blog). The guy in the video talks about using ratchet straps as winches and demonstrates several possible uses that include getting a vehicle unstuck, removing a downed tree limb, and moving a large boulder.
He recommends the Quickloader brand of ratcheting strap. The selection on Amazon is OK but a bit confusing (browse them here), but it looks like HomeDepot.com has all of Quickloader’s straps for sale. The yellow one used in the video will hold 10,000 pounds, has a 27-foot strap, and costs $50. The red ones range in price from $20 to $30, depending on the one you get. One of these seems like a great thing to always have in your car for emergency purposes, both for yourself and for any other people you may encounter as you travel.
Here’s the video:
What do you think? Is this a good winch substitute for those of us on a budget?
In this video I finally leave Joshua Tree and make my way north. The goal was to make it all the way to Death Valley and spend the night there, but it didn’t quite work out that way… (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)
Thanks again for hosting me, Robert!
I spent more than a week in the Joshua Tree area of Southern California, and this video is a compilation of things I saw and did that week. Joshua Tree is one of my favorite places in the country, and I hope this video helps convey why.
Also, I’m not entirely sure why, but this is one of my favorite videos I’ve made so far, so be sure to give it a watch. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)
In today’s video I explore several interesting natural and not-so-natural features in the Southern California desert. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)
In this video I recap my visit to the dentist in Algodones, Mexico, which is just over the border from Yuma, Arizona. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)
The dentist I went to: http://sanidentalgroup.com/
Dentist price list: http://sanidentalgroup.com/price-list/
The restaurant I went to: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g642246-d7803350-Reviews-Los_Molcas-Los_Algodones_Baja_California.html
Other links
In this video I check out the Blythe Intaglios, visit a ghost town, and try very hard to take a shower in very windy conditions. (Click here if you can’t see the video that’s embedded below.)
And here’s the link to the video of Brian’s shower that I basically copied.
I have two things to report today:
1. I just came across a free Kindle ebook called Six Weeks in an Isuzu: Crossing Borders From Chattanooga To the Panama Canal. I haven’t read it, but I downloaded it and think it would be of interest to those who read this blog. It’s about a couple of people who spend six weeks in a 13-year-old Isuzu Trooper as the travel overland from Tennessee to Panama. The book is free today, but it may not be free if you’re reading this after today. Before you click the “Buy now with 1-Click” button, make sure the price reads $0.00.
2. I uploaded a new video highlighting my adventures in the Laughlin, Nevada/Bullhead City, Arizona area. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)
In this video I pass through Las Vegas and then set up camp at Christmas Tree Pass in southern Nevada, and there I talk about a few tips useful for vandwelling and SUV RVing. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)
In this video I do some more adventuring in Nevada’s Gold Butte National Monument. I hike up to the top of Gold Butte Peak, find 18th century (or earlier??) relics from Spanish explorers, and check out the most incredible collection of Native American petroglyphs I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot!).
(Click here if you can’t see the video below.)