View Full Version : Wiring elec winch
fishingnut
12-08-2006, 01:46 PM
Need to wire a new electric winch for my boat. Does anyone have any reco for a good job.PM me if you do. Thanks
Fishingnut
You can do it youself pretty easily. If its has all the parts you just run wire from the bumper to the engine. I think I hooked it to the starter using the cylinoid-thing that was supplied with the winch. On the bumper I used a regular 4-wire trailer plug (in addition to the one that's there for the trailer lights) and made a short cord to go from the trailer plug to the winch. Works great! Be sure to carry a wrench for those times that go not as planned!
Jim
fishloader
12-08-2006, 02:56 PM
Better yet. you can change your 4 wire to a 6 wire and just use one trailer plug. same set up as for electric brakes. but you just give yourself a hot 12 volt for your winch. depending on your truck or whatever, some have a connector you plug in to the wiring harness in the back ( ask your local auto parts guy). hooked one up for my father in law for his travel trailer electric hitch crank, worked great.
Gus Orviston
12-08-2006, 04:55 PM
you can change your 4 wire to a 6 wire and just use one trailer plug. same set up as for electric brakes.
Careful.... the amps needed to run the winch are a magnitude or more greater than anything connected to the trailer plug - and the wires for the plug/fuse won't be enough under load. You need to run heavier wire (spec'd by the winch) to carry the amps required and you should route directly forward as mentioned above to starter or battery.
I would look at the camper place to do it.. heck,, don't recall the name on TV hiway near the rabbit... and they have an 82nd shop as well. that or go to one of the marine shops hear the airport - portland marine etc..
gus
REEL TIME
12-08-2006, 09:18 PM
I would look at the camper place to do it.. heck,, don't recall the name on TV hiway near the rabbit... gus
Cirtus Trailer
Gus Orviston
12-08-2006, 09:55 PM
ha... Curtis Trailer ...that's it.
Snagged
12-09-2006, 04:26 AM
Gus is right Iused to build, fix and sell 12 volt winches. Less volts = more Amps to get job done. More Amps = more heat, most 12 volt winches can pull up to 500 Amps under full load which would fry those puny trailer wires. Run Battery cable of appropriate size, ensure there are as few bends as possible and NO coils in your cable in the run from the battery to the winch.
Good luck!
roadsend
12-09-2006, 05:36 AM
"More Amps = more heat, most 12 volt winches can pull up to 500 Amps under full load which would fry those puny trailer wires."
At the recommendation of my mechanic, I mounted a battery on the trailer tongue and ran a very short length of heavy wire directly to the winch.
I ran a much lighter charging wire through a solenoid and the trailer electrical plug so the winch battery could charge when the truck is running. Think of the winch battery as an auxilliary battery as in a duel battery setup for a pickup camper.
No worry about hot wires under load. The wire to the winch does not heat enough to feel it.
Gundog
12-09-2006, 09:58 AM
"More Amps = more heat, most 12 volt winches can pull up to 500 Amps under full load which would fry those puny trailer wires."
At the recommendation of my mechanic, I mounted a battery on the trailer tongue and ran a very short length of heavy wire directly to the winch.
I ran a much lighter charging wire through a solenoid and the trailer electrical plug so the winch battery could charge when the truck is running. Think of the winch battery as an auxilliary battery as in a duel battery setup for a pickup camper.
No worry about hot wires under load. The wire to the winch does not heat enough to feel it.
:yeahthat:
A question though how big is this boat? Unless this boat is very large why not just back in the water a little further? You could install some guides to keep the boat centered as you pull out. Most boats I have seen with the winch really did not need one they just needed a new retrieval method IMHO.
GD
roadsend
12-09-2006, 01:44 PM
A question though how big is this boat? Unless this boat is very large why not just back in the water a little further? You could install some guides to keep the boat centered as you pull out."
You are right. Any electric powered winch is way more likely to cause problems than a hand winch.
I took some bad advice from my former dealer and bought a shorter than optimal trailer for my 23' Glassply. Although it is rated fine for the boats weight, I would have to back my pickup well into the salty water to comfortably load with a hand winch, even wth the very fine guides I had put on the trailer.
In my situation, I am not sorry I put on the winch.