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Hey @Alphin Aloor! Some good questions raised and I’ll just provide my two cents based on my experience owning a winch for 4 years and having owned a Patrol but never installed the winch on it. I kept the winch on my small Pajero and later onto the Trooper. First question for yourself should be: are you planning on doing regular recoveries of others ? And are you currently comfortable recovering others with a kinetic rope? 90% of recoveries can be done with a rope, and it’s only in a small amount of scenarios that a winch comes in handy. I have used my winch perhaps 15 times in 4 years, and it was a lifesaver a few times, but the main reason I got it was for being able to do recoveries in remote or challenging areas like Liwa. As a drive lead there’s always a bit of apprehension when leading in this terrain that something could go wrong and having the winch always gave me that extra bit of reassurance. If you plan to install it on the Patrol, take note it will slow you down further a bit during climbs, and the nose of the car will bottom out a bit faster on typical dune bashing drives on stock shocks. If you focus more on overlanding, then this is less of an issue. Have a look at the OEM winch install setup which some Super Safari models have. This would keep the bumper intact and hide the winch properly. If you want to buy a winch and get custom brackets made, I can of course recommend Warn or TJM winches with synthetic rope. Better to avoid steel rope as this again adds weight. There is little to no maintenance on a winch, but a couple of times per year it’s good to completely roll out the rope, inspect it for any damages, and then roll it back up. The Patrol has a big size battery already which can easily power a winch when needed, so that’s a plus. All in all i got the winch installed from a personal perspective as a drive lead / marshal. Would it buy it again ? Maybe not. I got a great deal as mine was second hand and only 3 weeks old. The guy sold it as he installed a steel bumper and winch and then realized the extra weight in front completely changed the dune bashing experience for him, so he decided to remove it again.

Congratulations @Glenn W for reaching the Fewbie Plus Level with Carnity Offroad Club. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Please make sure your Carnity user profile is always updated with all the latest Emergency contact details. P.S. Trip lead might deny your participation if you don't have required off-road gear. FEWBIE PLUS Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie drives are required within last 6 months for Fewbie Plus promotion. What you'll learn Advance dune and sand reading Advance recovery techniques Rocking and crawling to make path Learn to flatten/compact soft sand patch Self recovery from crest Advance side sloping and long hill climb Advance ridge riding and criss crossing Advance control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving FULLY control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Extremely attentive and focused while driving Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Bash plate and skid plate protected Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor. Drive teamwork Manage second lead and sweep positions upon request Intuitive and proactive to support Trip Lead Observe recoveries and offer help, when needed Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie and Fewbie Plus drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Hi Mahesh, you are most welcome to invite your friends and families as long as they know how to drive on sand. NOT FIT FOR ABSOLUTE NEWBIE, but even with 1 drive sand experience will be fine. Meeting location, gathering point and track updated above. The track is absolutely flat over 95% area, last 2-3 kms is proper dunes, that need deflation and a bit of sand driving experience.

I agree with Fredy, perhaps my numbers will shake your decision even more. Four times in seven years, in real do-or-die situations, where the winch added the real value, and that too three times for others and one time for myself in some extreme recovery. Don't install a winch unless you intend to lead or go solo with one or two cars on a private drives in remote places. On regular club drives, you will always have plenty of support expertise & experience to recover over 99% of scenarios with rope. So, adding a winch will only significantly reduce your climb capabilities, irrespective of whether you use steel or synthetic rope.

Congrats @Waqaɾ ! Enjoy the pace !

Congratulations @Waqaɾ see you soon in sand