We helped some stuck locals, and put the Rugged X recovery points to the test
I’ve said it many times before, the best accessory you can have on any 4WD is a shovel. This is followed very closely by strong correctly installed recovery points, something that we were very pleased to see fitted from the factory on the HiLux Rugged X we have in our possession.
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While out at a shoot at our local beach recently, we saw a few blokes having fun in an old LN106 HiLux. They were pushing their limits though, and managed to belly out climbing out of a creek, getting extremely bogged in the process. They came over to camp and asked for a tow, which we were happy to help with. On assessing the situation, the rear end of their vehicle was completely buried – I couldn’t find their towbar it was that stuck. So we decided to pull the stuck Lux forward. This wasn’t ideal, as they were on such an angle; it was going to require a pretty serious recovery.
I decided the best method here, would be to use a bridle strap between the two rear recovery points to spread the load, and run the snatch strap from there. Luckily, the stranded Lux had a nice solid recovery point on the front. I dare say this chap uses his vehicle for its intended purpose…
Now, it did take two attempts but I was extremely impressed with the way the Rugged X handled itself in this situation. I decided to engage the rear diff lock, and after the second attempt the old battler was free. Would I have attempted this recovery with a towbar (not on the tow ball naturally)? Yep, for sure. But having these really well thought-out and easy-to-access recovery points certainly made things easier and, I dare say, safer. Once the gear was rolled up, hands were shook and we were back off to camp.
Our new friends declared they never ever get bogged, but if they were to be recovered they were certainly glad it was another HiLux doing the work. I couldn’t help agree. So far the recovery points fitted to the Rugged X pass with flying colours.
