What Size Recovery Kit Do I Need?

How the Sizing Logic Works

Nothing below is a new formula invented for this tool. Every computed number reuses a published rule already cited elsewhere on this site, cross-linked here so you can verify it against the original source.

Winch minimum

WARN's published rule: take your vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), multiply by 1.5, and never exceed the winch or rope's own rating. Your exact GVWR is on the driver's door-jamb placard, not the window sticker or a spec-sheet range: this tool's computed number is a starting point from your vehicle's published GVWR range, not a substitute for your placard's exact figure. UTVs and ATVs typically carry no published GVWR, so this tool switches to WARN's published capacity tier by seat count and class instead: 2,500-3,500 lb for ATVs, 3,500-4,500 lb for two-seat UTVs, and 4,500-5,500 lb for four-seat UTVs. Full detail on winch sizing.

Kinetic rope diameter and MBS

Diameter class comes from the WARN kinetic-rope sizing brochure (linked via Factor 55): 7/8" for Jeeps, mid-size trucks, and SUVs; 1" for full-size trucks and SUVs; 1.5" for HD trucks, vans, and RVs. This site has no published GVWR threshold separating those three classes, so the tool asks which class matches your vehicle rather than guessing a cutoff. Minimum breaking strength (MBS) is shown as a spread between two different published manufacturer methods on two different weight bases, never averaged together: Bubba Rope's 3-4x curb weight, and ARB/MAXTRAX's 2-3x GVW. Full detail on kinetic rope sizing.

Shackle class and WLL

This site publishes no shackle-size-by-vehicle-weight formula (unlike winch and rope, no manufacturer ties shackle WLL directly to GVWR), so the shackle line in the builder on this page reuses the manufacturer WLL chart and vehicle-class quick-answer mapping already published on our recovery shackle size guide, keyed to the same vehicle class the rope and winch lines use.

Traction boards and tree saver

Traction boards get a dedicated line because this site's published stance, drawn from Overland Expo's own guidance, is boards and a sized rope first, winch second: a winch isn't mandatory, and most sand, mud, and snow situations resolve with boards alone. A tree saver only matters once you're winching off a tree or another solid anchor rather than a second vehicle; this site has no verified Amazon pick or published WLL-by-weight chart for tree savers yet, so that line shows the honest gap instead of a guess.

Door-jamb disclosure

Every GVWR-based number here, whether you picked a vehicle from the list or typed a GVWR in by hand, is computed from a manufacturer's published range for that model line, not a certified measurement of your specific vehicle. Trim, options, and running changes shift the real number within that range. Your exact GVWR is stamped on the driver's-side door jamb or B-pillar placard, per NHTSA regulation: check it before you buy rated gear, the same disclosure this site's other calculators and vehicle tables carry.