Thoughts on towbar hitch receiver recovery points

I'm debating whether to go with a Jimny OEM quick detachable towbar/hook or to go with a square hitch receiver. My thinking is to be able to use hitch receiver recovery points.

Yay or nay? Do the rear factory recovery points suffice? Did you rather 'upgrade' to APIO or similar recovery points? Jimny is the Gen4

I don't expect to go drowning the car in swamps, but can realistically see the need to be pulled/winched out of a snowbank (for example)
*The hitch/towbar would be used for small trailer pulling as well [in case that info is necessary]
 

When you mean towbar, do you mean an attachment into the bar/hitch receiver? Or looped around the bar that goes across the vehicle? Or, dare I say, the swan neck/ball itself?*

*I know, using the actual ball as a recovery point is highly NOT recommended because of the risk of it ripping off and becoming a projectile. Thought I'd put this disclaimer in here in case someone got ideas.

I have heard all the warnings on not using the tow ball for recovery. Some play sites and or events do have rules now preventing the use of the tow ball. However I have used mine alot and I think that there is a slight difference between a Chevy or a dodge twice our weight, and difference between a static and a dynamic rope or wire or chains. And certainly if you do a "full send" or a nice yank.
I would however not recommend for anyone to do any recovery without taking all and any safety considerations.
I have even used the original "tow point" alot and still it hangs on. But only for small jobs.
I am planning to make proper tow points both front and rear. On the rear it would be based on the tow bar, but on the front due to the Norwegian laws nothing can poke out unless it is approved, so I would be making a soft something from a strap bolted to the frame or something.

Me doing recovery at 4.00 minutes in:

I would not recommend to do it like this!

I bought a removable swan neck tow bar a few years ago (I needed to tow) and last summer added a couple of heavy duty swivel recovery points by drilling the bar. If I was doing it again I would buy a tow bar with 2” receiver, then you can get a tow bar, a recovery shackle or even a plate to take a winch, all in 2” receiver, so much more flexible.

Others have fitted a 2” receiver at the front and can then fit a portable winch to either end, that is the best of all worlds.

Robin

A towbar is fine for sensible recovery use. An adapter for a receiver hitch is better.

​​​​​​You don't need any more unless you intend on getting stuck on purpose and then recovered by people that have no idea what they are doing.

The consensus on the web is towbar with receiver hitch is Ok.
Using the tow ball is not recommended unless it's a very light recovery.

As it's difficult to quantify "light recovery" and you are at the purchasing stage, I would go for a towbar with receiver hitch and get a recovery fitting for it. Best of all worlds then.

You cannot judge "light duty". Recovery points need to be attached to the chassis rails with the bridle as close to the rail as possible. Forged steel hooks with spring steel retaining clips are best. For a Jimny an 18mm 3 strand nylon rope is adequate. 24mm is overkill as you will find that the Jimny is not heavy enough to stretch it and excess speed should not be God. 3 strand is ok as long as you do not kink the rope. If you do you will create a weak spot that can destroy the rope. A kinetic energy recovery rope (KERR) is 8 strand plaited and cannot be kinked. This is why people pay extra for it. 3 strand will do the same job at a third the cost, just don't kink it and don't try washing it in your washing machine. The action of the washer untwists the ends and it comes out looking like a bad hair day! Use an old sweater with the rope pushed through the arms. This will deaden the rope and stop it flailing about if something breaks. People have died when things went pear shaped. The British Army forbid the use of a KERR on anything other than an armoured vehicle. They know how dangerous it is!

Roger

Your second suggestion is spot on. Remember that doing it right is preferable to doing it to look pretty. I repeat, any form of recovery needs to be thought through carefully and the first thing you check is the viability of all the physical connections on both vehicles. A few strings back I asked about a slimline bumper on a Gen.3 to be told that it was a standard bumper which had been cut down to a new, slimmer design. If you want to fit proper recovery points then do the job properly and modify anything that gets in the way.

Roger