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Fitting a trailer winch


mel

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I have a Superwinch S5000 which i want to fit to my Ifor LM146 trailer but want to fit it to be removable, not only for the obvious nickability but also for the weathering element and the fact it will only get used occassionally.

I'm thinking of using Anderson connectors and it will run off cables ala jump leads but bigger (prob weld cable) as don't want to hard wire it.

Does this sound ok and am i right that i'll need to put some sort of fuse in line ?

I want to mount it fwd of the trailer headboard so i don't lose bed space if needed and will run the cable through a large/normal size fairlead fitted to h/board. Although the winch has one fitted already the wider one will give me more scope.

Ideally it'll be level or slightly higher than trailer bed so i wondered if anyones mounted one similarly or if anyone has any ideas, views or pics would be even better ?

At the other end of the trailer as it'll be running over a sharp ish edge i was thinking of making either some sort of roller or small pulley set up or poss a 3 roller or V type fairlead set up, just to cradle the wire for when the vehicle first comes up ramp.

Again, has anyone any ideas, views or pics pls ?

Thank's,

Mark

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Generally people don't bother with a fuse as they are such high currents if it shorted on something it'd probably melt that before the fuse.

If the wiring is coming out with the winch do you need the anderson connector? Can't you just have the jump leads and have something to wrap them around as part of the mount when your driving / taking the winch off?

You can buy lift off trays that are designed to fit onto tow bars, not sure what size they do up to but it would save you work. Examples;

http://www.warn.com/truck/mounting-systems/multi_mount.shtml

http://www.lrsshop.co.uk/content/cor4-removable-winch-tray

http://www.amazon.com/Removable-Hitch-Receiver-Winch-Portable/dp/B000RGW6FE

If your rollers are staying with the trailer make sure they are big enough for the hook to pass through.

I looked into a roller to guide the cable at the back of my trailer but I found most towing eyes are offset so it would either have to be very wide or movable. My trailer has a lip on the back so you can set the ramps at any centres, I was going to make one that hooked on that but never got around to it.

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Thanks Al,

The Anderson connectors i have and thought it made a neater job as i'm also gonna wire up my 90 with them on side of seat box for jump starting should i ever need to but yeh i could just run onto crocodile clips.

I've seen the tow ball mounts but didn't want to have to disconnect the trailer to use the winch.

The fab'ing side of things isn't overly an issue as i have access to machining and laser cutting etc so it'll be well made and engineered if nothing else !

The roller guide idea started out as a 3/4 round grooved pulley which the cable runs through when vehicles on the ground and obv as it goes up ramps it'll lift out or another idea was a hardened conveyor roller to fit between the ramps that clamps or bolts to ramp lip on back of trailer and wire can move across it and again will lift off it as car moves up ramps.

What did you mean ?

"If your rollers are staying with the trailer make sure they are big enough for the hook to pass through."

Thanks,

Mark

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I was meaning attach the removable tow bar type to the trailer rather than the car, but if you can fabricate they are worth looking at for copying ideas.

The rollers (fairlead) that your planning to have on the headboard - if they are going to stay bolted to the trailer when you lift the winch off make sure the hook will pass through. A lot are too small to get the hook through.

If the towing eye is well offset i think it would jump out of a 3/4 round pulley before it got high enough to lift out. If you could move it to one side it might be useful or just have it big enough to stop it coming out.

My trailer bed doesn't tilt so if i'm trying to put a low car on it i reverse the tow car up a set of workshop ramps, helps with winch cable angles too :D

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I've seen a few people enclose trailer winches in an Ammo box and leave it on the trailer. Open the box to the rear and the fairlead is exposed. Similarly, the lead with Anderson connector can live in the box normally with a connector on the back of your truck.

Instead of a roller etc on the back, just use a piece of steel pipe for the cable to run over, welded or bolted to the rear lip. It's rare that you would be pulling at such an angle that you need to restrain the rope side to side, so just giving it something smooth to run over is sufficient.

Si

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Why not bolt a dixon bate style adjustable tow hitch horizontally to the trailer A frame, and mount the winch on a 2-pin slider? Or better still make a DB adjustable slider as it sounds like you've got the kit. Friend made one for the 110, incorporated into his version of the southdown tank guard.

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Thanks Chaps,

Some good ideas there with the adj drop plate idea and the tube instead of a roller. I thought about the ammo box already and if it was gonna stay on the trailer i'd do it that way or possibly make a discreet (ish) box but it does cover the "where to store recovery bits problem" too.

And thanks Al, i didn't understand first time round about the fairlead but i'll try the hook through it as the one i have i bought with a wire and hook and solenoid with tails etc and a wander lead from that very nice chap David Bowyer at the first Beauleigh "Sodbury" as i knew they'd come in handy one day.

Don't you just love it when that happens and it makes all of those spares and shelves of bits worth it !!

At the risk of being too fussy however, whatever way i do it, i don't wanna weld to the trailer but make the mount boltable as at some point i'll sell it and don't want bits welded all over it.

I've just got a new motor cover and freespool lever for it as the originals were knackered and have a drum cover on order so i'll be sorting it all out fairly soon once school hols are over but want to decide how i'm doing it and get bits under way if i've gotta make anything.

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Rather than on the seat box put your Anderson connector inside the back door, I always find it easier to drive/ reverse up to a stricken vehicle rather than try and park along side.

Make sure they are the correct size andersons (apologies if your sucking eggs)

Will.

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I agree with the siting of the anderson connector, My 110 is on the seat box and it can be a pain, the disovery however I put in the grill and its been brilliant.

Tried to add a little snapshot but don't seem to be qualified.

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A lot of the recovery trucks I have seen recently have the winch mounted on the side of the load bed with the wire running through a snatch block at the bulkhead. Don't know weather this would be easier for you, the winch mount could in effect be a U on it's side that slides over the edge of the trailer, the tension in the wire will be enough to hold it in place. And on the bulkhead all you need is a heavy duty fixing point big enough to get the pin of a shackle through.

Doing it this way also helps with any off centre recovery points etc as the snatch block will allow the cable to come from anywhere on the trailer to the centre of the drum.

Hope this makes sense

Simon

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A lot of the recovery trucks I have seen recently have the winch mounted on the side of the load bed with the wire running through a snatch block at the bulkhead. Don't know weather this would be easier for you, the winch mount could in effect be a U on it's side that slides over the edge of the trailer, the tension in the wire will be enough to hold it in place. And on the bulkhead all you need is a heavy duty fixing point big enough to get the pin of a shackle through.

Doing it this way also helps with any off centre recovery points etc as the snatch block will allow the cable to come from anywhere on the trailer to the centre of the drum.

Hope this makes sense

Simon

some vehicle transporter trailers have this type of fitting too.

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