Dear Jim:
I recently purchased a 1991 Ford F350 diesel truck. I had read previously on the Blog site of your recommendations on how best to outfit G.O.O.D. vehicles. Unfortunately I have been unable to find that post. I would appreciate it if you would re-post that information. Also I have a few other questions concerning this topic if you don’t mind.
1.) What type of winch do you suggest? Manufacturer, size & power, etc.
2.) Is it necessary to EMP-proof the glow plug switch? And, if so, how is that to be done?
3.) Do you suggest light assemblies on the roof of the cab or elsewhere on the truck?
I appreciate all of your excellent knowledge. Hodu L’Yahweh ke tov, (Give thanks to Yahweh for He is good.) – Dr. Sidney Zweibel
JWR Replies:
I’m glad to hear that you bought a diesel truck. Hopefully it is a four wheel drive. Since it is a 1991 model, odds are that it does not have electronic fuel handling. (Which is a good thing, in the event of EMP.) But it is best to double check that. In answer to your questions:
1.) I generally don’t recommend electric winches. They look useful and very manly, but from a practical standpoint they usually turn into big, heavy, expensive truck ornaments that rarely get used. A power takeoff (PTO) winch is much more practical. But even those rarely get used. I have found that if and when you do need a winch, the winch will often be on the wrong end of your vehicle. (I’m reminded of the old line about the statistical chances of the peanut butter side of the bread landing face down on the carpet…) With about the same total weight and about the same expense of buying one electric winch with 75 feet of cable, you can buy the following: 4-Tow hooks (one for each bumper corner–install these only if you already have heavy duty bumpers, such as those made my Reunel), 2-Dayton come-alongs (a.k.a. ratchet cable hoists) , 2-25 foot tow chains, 1-50 foot tow strap, 1-snatch block, 2-padded tree “chokers”, 1-48 inch Sheepherder (Hi-Lift) jack, 1-Shovel, and 1-Axe). Granted, using come-alongs is not as fast as some operations with an electric winch, but the preceding list provides much more versatility at getting your vehicle out of a ditch, as well as handling umpteen other tasks.
2.) EMP-proofing any particular model goes beyond my expertise. It is probably best to have an experienced diesel mechanic show you how to bypass the glow plug switch with a clip lead from your battery’s positive terminal. Keep that clip lead in your glove box at all times.
3.) For day-to-day (pre-Schumer) off-road use, a couple of forward-facing roof-mounted KC lights might prove useful. One or two more, facing aft, would also be useful. Just don’t overboard. I must emphasize, however, that the only lights that I recommend adding for post-TEOTWAWKI use are infrared floodlights (such as these ones, made in Australia), for driving with your headlights off while wearing night vision goggles. (One proviso: Keep your speed down to single digits when doing so, since NVGs do not provide good depth perception! Driving in these conditions takes a lot of practice.)