I spent a few hours wading through this massive thread and there is much good there (and, of course, conflicting opinions!)
As you can see from my avatar, my D90 was fitted with a Warn 8247. One of the oldest, but still the best, electric winches. And in the many years of trips to the best parts of the States (colorado, Utah, Wyoming, etc) I have used it on many occasions, both for self-recovery and to help others. So, of course, my Grenadier is coming with the integrated winch (in spite of its limitations) as an aftermarket solution will be a while coming and may, in the end, cost more.
A few comments on the various suggestions/statements in this thread:
- Yes, the winch line is short, making extensions absolutely necessary. And the ASR X-lock is an excellent piece of kit to ensure you are working with the right length: I already have a 50 ft extension for shortish pulls and a full 100 ft winch line I pulled off my winch when I upgraded, but realise it is in perfect condition, so will service as a long extension.
- Yes, I hate that the visibility of the drum is poor: I forgot to examine this the last time I looked at the US-spec demo, but will look for a solution.
- People mentioned various types of fancy hooks and stoppers to cinch the line up to the fairlead (I have a factor55 on my D90) but you cannot do that with the Factory setup: the spliced termination of the winch line is too thick to fit in the tight space between the winch and the frame: you have to leave this part dangling out (as you see in all photos). Seems a poor bit of engineering, but it was tough to squeeze in a "legal" winch at all, so this is a trade-off
- Much discussion about using the dismountable winch in the front. I don't think that is a good solution. Illegal in Europe, perhaps permissable in other places. But mixed messages from Ineos. I think the integrated winch (or a future 3rd party winch solution) is the way to go
-Tifor/come-alongs: not for me. All the kit will weigh almost as much as a winch! But you alread have a "lightweight" solution with your Hi-Lift Jack and their "off-road kit". I have used this many times for rear extraction. I also carry a base, that is essential to spread the load when jacking in any soft terrain and their "wheel-lifter", that can help raise the wheel and facilitate putting a maxtrack below (or to quickly put a jack under the axle to change a tire.
- finally, to add to the many positives on the integrated winch: I think that it will enhance the desirability of the vehicle if you ever want to sell it (I have no such intention! In fact, I thought my G-wagen was the vehicle I would be buried in, but am happy to sell it on and my Grenadier is the last vehicle I will buy!)
www.4x4offroadclinic.com.au
