Custom ice anchor recovery equipment fabrication advice

[Lumberjack]

Looking to create some T bar style anchors I can toss into a 10" hole to self recovery my 2004 chevy tracker running camoplast tracks.

I fish a lot of areas only snowmobiles can get to so there would never been any vehicles heavy enough to tow me out. I must be able to self recovery in the case I hit some slush holes or surface water and get stuck.

Ran a 2" lift last season but just finished up converting it to a 4.5" for more track clearance this season. working on welding up some mounts for my 8k warn evo In a portable cradle.

Post up your self recovery equipment. It doesn't appear anyone makes anything heavy duty enough for SUV's so I will have to fabricate something.

Thanks

[hardwater diehard]

Thinking this with some 2" square stock..swap out the PVC for square stock in the diagram  ..welded chain to the center and another piece of welded chain to either end and then use an ice anchor to keep it secured to the ice incase the main chain or strap breaks while in use . I used this style anchor when I first got my Clam 6800 made from conduit and rope.

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=15331.0

[Skywagon]

This picture shows what I carry in my 700lb snowmobile, 4-wheeler, or Ranger when I am on the ice.

I would probably use some variation of what hardwater diehard mentioned, 2" square stock would certainly be heavy enough, a length of i-beam would also be something to look at.  If I was doing it, I would drill a hole through the middle of the cross-bar and install at least a 1/2" heavy duty threaded eye hook through the metal, then weld the eye to your metal cross-bar of choice because that is your weak link, I would then attach an adequate length of 3/8 chain (at least) from the eye hook to get from the cross-bar out onto the ice.  You would also need to attach a light chain to one end of the cross-bar to lower and raise the cross-bar, with some means of securing it to the ice when the unit is in use.  You might want to consider acquiring a pulley to have in case you want to double up your cable for extra pulling power.

I have a Cat skidsteer on Loegering rubber tracks that I installed a receiver hitch on the front and back of the machine which allows me to put a 9000lb winch that I modified to fit in a receiver on either end of the machine in case of getting stuck when out in the bush, you could use the same principle with your vehicle on the ice.

Sounds like a fun project!

[bart]

This picture shows what I carry in my 700lb snowmobile.

What do you use with the anchor in a recovery situation.

[matzilla]

Great topic! been wondering about making something for my 900lb atv

[Skywagon]

What do you use with the anchor in a recovery situation.

With the Ranger I have a dedicated power winch on the front, I have 2-0 wires run to the back of the Ranger with a quick connector that can power a separate 4000 lb winch that slips into the receiver hitch on the rear of the machine in case I need to pull from that direction. 

Both my 4-wheeler and 6-wheeler are equipped with winches on the front.

The snowmobile is what I am on the ice with 99% of the time, if I am going to get stuck in slush (which I do occasionally) it will probably be with the snowmobile.  Because of the weight and bulkiness of power winches, I do not keep one on the snow machine, instead I always carry a Maasdam rope puller https://www.maasdam.com/rope-pullers.html , the particular one I use has 20' of rope, I supplement that with 100' of high tinsel strength-small diameter rope, such as is used with power winches, as it takes up less space then conventional rope.  I always carry the Maasdam, rope, pulley and a tree strap with me no matter whether on wheels, or track, it gets used quite often in a years time, mostly while in the bush, a rather inexpensive highly useful safety tool.

[bart]

Skywagon, looks like a great setup, thanks for sharing!

[esox_xtm]

Don't need no ice anchor or any kinda high tech recovery paraphernalia. Just get you a coupla timbers, some stout rope and a few Russians. Bottle of vodka oughta lure that final piece...

[Arctic Addict]

I have round bar with chain welded to it to hold my wheelhouse down to the ice.  I've used this setup for an anchor point several times for a winch point. 

[Arctic Addict]

This was my buddies wheelhouse that we winched over.  Warn makes a nice portable rechargable winch too.

[eiderz]

A length of 4x4 with a strap around the middle, and a short piece of string attached to one end for retrieval. Up to 6' can be shoved through an 8" hole pretty easily and spreads the load over a lot of ice. If you lose it, it just floats to shore at ice-out rather than being a permanent fixture on the bottom of the lake.

[redneckdan]

It doesn't take much to hold. I make mine from 1" rod and 1/4" steel for the pad eye. Weld the pad eye 1/3 from and end so it tilts up for retrieval. When placed, slide the pad eye all the way over to the side of the hole for best strength. This setup has stalled the 12,000lb hydraulic winch on a Marshmaster without breaking.