Tow balls are not to be used as recovery points

[lucus30]

They seems to be proud of their stupidity

[Darren M]

Mental note : never use the tow ball

[Hodge]

Just seen another recovery with a towball used... And it ripped the recoveree's bull bar off. Very interesting.

Video posted on 4wd TV's facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/4wdTV

[threedogs]

Dont have face ache, seems the message is not getting through, trouble is ppl with
bad habits that swear black and blue it ok to use , cause they have done it for years with no mishaps.

DO A RECOVERY COURSE
If you see someone hooking up to a towball to get you out recline and explain to the goose why.
There should never be deaths from towballs , a few guys here have reported dodgy towing devices that slip over the towball
good on them it may have prevented a death. A towball to the head is not a pretty sight
Go to your 4x4 shop and grab a recovery kit full of all the "RATED" items you will need for a safe recovery.
and the recovery course will show you how it use it properly

[Hodge]

For those without faceache who cannot see the videos. Here is the main bits you need to see.

[threedogs]

would be the same out come if he used the pin in the receiver.
Strap looks questionable as well
And looks like he could've driven around the bog hole

Non air bag 4x4 should replace all bullbar bolts to graded zinc plated bolts
even newer 4x4s that spend a lot of time in bog holes and river crossing
change all the towbar bolts to Zinc coated grade 8 minimum, or at least check a couple
from time to time

[Agronaught]

Had a bloke ask for a snatch backwards out of a hole. I backed up and saw him the put the strap over his towball, he went off his nut when I questioned what he was doing and let him know I wasn't going to snatch off a tow ball.

Last I saw of him he was standing knee deep in the mud watching me drive away. The really sad part was I had a spare hitch receiver in the car and all.

Some people simply can't be told.

[GQ TANK]

During a club trip to the wombat mid last year, we came a cross a tow ball related accident.
The had snatched of the ball, the ball sheared off and it hit a passenger in the shoulder - he was in a bad way - but still alive. 10 cm higher and a bit to the right, it would have been fatal.

[Covo71]

I helped a bloke out the other day and I already had a tow hitch on but he asked me where the tow ball was as it was easier to recover. I told him what could happen and super dangerous. He didn't seem like it really sunk in. I told him to YouTube it, hope at least looks.

[carsurgeons]

hi . I think it is a great idea just to remove hitch or tongue from towbar which most are removable and put the strap in the hole and put the pin back into hold it . so easy so safe and so quick.