Winch hook up HELP..Please

[LandfillLumber]

I have a superwinch 8 Husky that I use off the tongue of my trailer to pull logs up onto my 14 tandem axle trailer.I have started to get calls on bigger logs so I need the power for the winch.Up to this point I have used car/boat batteries with success but I was moving smaller logs.I called a local battery place that said I have a couple options.1 being get a beefy alternator for my truck and just use the truck bettery.2 a big deep cycle truck battery(the cheap option $90/I need a good back up battery anyways) but I will have to charge it often.3 a secondary battery(fast charge deep cycle)and aswitch to be bale to charge it as I'm driving.I know very little about this subject so I need the pros(you guys).I was thinking that i would want to be able to charge in the feild so I need to figure out the best way to do that as well.Money is an issue just don't want to drop a ton of it and I'm getting a new truck ASAP.Thank You,Victor

[Tom the Sawyer]

I had the same issue when I mounted a MileMarker 8000 lb winch on my 16' utility trailer.  I use a deep cycle marine battery and, so far, it has had enough power to pull 3 logs onto the trailer without running out.  I try to pull the biggest log first just in case.  I try to keep the total load less than 4000 lbs.  I keep a come-along in the van in the event the battery dies.  I would think that a back up battery would be the easiest option. 

Running the winch off of your engine compartment, and all the way back to your trailer, would require heavy gauge wire, like welding cable, and would cost much more than the battery.  My trailer has a 7 way RV type connector (same as my mill) and you could use the 12v lead to recharge the battery while you are traveling but the wire gauge is not heavy enough to run the winch.

[Magicman]

I also use a MileMarker 8000 lb winch.  I use a group 27 deep cycle marine battery, and easily load 6-8 logs.  So far it has never given an indication that is was getting low.  Of course I don't drag them up, I parbuckle from the side.

[LandfillLumber]

Thanks for the info. how can I charge the battery while driving if all I have is a wire harness(4 prong standard) for my trailer???I think the big deep cycle battery is the option for me I won't use it everyday(yet),I just want to be able to charge the battery while driving or running the truck so I have no down time for more then one trip.You know when a tree service says go they want it done ten minutes ago.Oh and the battery store also told me they could connect two golf cart batteries and that this would give me more power then even the big deep cycle truck battery???This option is $150 ish I'm told.Thanks for the good advice.Victor

[Magicman]

   how can I charge the battery while driving if all I have is a wire harness(4 prong standard) for my trailer??? 

You really can't.  Sure, you can top it off a bit, but that wire is too small to do any serious charging.  8 gauge is the smallest that I would consider using.  You will need the appropriate fuse or circuit breaker at the battery/alternator.  Your charging time is also going to be an issue.  It takes a lot more time to charge a battery than it does to discharge it.

[woodmills1]

maybe it is time for a pony motor and hydraulic winch!

[Tom the Sawyer]

how can I charge the battery while driving if all I have is a wire harness(4 prong standard) for my trailer??? 

My vehicle is wired for trailer brakes with a 7 way RV plug.  It has a 10 gauge wire for the battery recharge circuit.  My deep-cycle is not wired in to the trailer since I use it for several different tasks.  It is good to know that it could handle more logs than I normally try to haul.  When I get home I just hook it up to my shop charger (2/40/200 amps) and top it off while I am unloading.  I haven't run it down yet.

[LorenB]

Victor,

One option, albeit an expensive one, that you didn’t mention is a battery charger and a small portable generator.  You may not want to spend this much money, but I use that option.  I already had a generator for my RV and also a battery charger.  I have taken both along when I knew I would be using the winch on my trailer, but haven’t had to use the setup yet.  I haven’t had to load any large logs yet either. 

I would recommend that at the very least you buy a good quality battery charger and charge the winch battery while you are near power.  You should always keep a lead acid battery charged if you can. 

As far as charging from your truck, the answer is that you can’t unless you are willing to re-wire your truck.  A standard 4-wire trailer plug has wires for ground, tail & clearance lights, right turn, and left turn.  Brake lights are activated by illuminating the right and left turn lights simultaneously. 

You would need at least a 6-wire plug to get a constant hot, charging circuit. 

I think the best suggestion made so far on this thread is to carry a spare battery that is fully charged.  This will provide enough juice to finish loading that one log at least, and is a relatively inexpensive solution. 

Good luck,
– Loren

[stumpy]

I have a warn 9500# winch on my trailer.  Rather than dealing with extra batteries, I bit the bullet and bought some #4 welding cable  and put quick connects on each end.  I also put quick connects on the winch and on a short cable under the hood to the batteries.  This is the second truck I've rigged up this way in the last 6 years. Never had a problem.

[sprucebunny]

I needed to load a non-running vehicle on my trailer last summer.

I used #2 wire from front of truck to back, a large battery switch that I already had and 2 older batteries. I already had the winch; the largest boat winch made around 20 years ago. I think it's 6000 deadlift and 10,000 rolling.

 







The rig weighed 9200 pounds and hadn't been moved in several years. Was also missing a wheel.
Even with the line doubled, it was a hard pull.

This is a powerful system because the the truck can be running and you have 4 batteries providing power or you can shut off the truck and still have 2 batteries on the trailer.

[ohsoloco]

Like Stumpy, I just ran welding cable from my battery (through a disconnect switch) to the back of my truck, and use those "twist-lock" welding connectors to hook up the wire to the winch.  I'm using 2/0 cable...the last time I bought some it was $2.75/foot. 

Stumpy, when you say #4 welding cable, do you mean 4 gauge wire 

[stumpy]

Yes, I use #4 welding wire.  It is more flexible and I'm told that because it has many small strands, it carries the load better.  I have checked it after using the winch for some heavy pulls and never found anywhere on the cable where it was even slightly warm.

[LandfillLumber]

Okay stumpy and ohsoloco your using nothing more then your truck battery?You just add on little jumpers from the battery posts with quick connectors for easy hook up?Do you keep your truck running while using the winch or just turn it on to charge the battery while the winch is not being used?Thanks everyone for the great info.,Victor

[shinnlinger]

The cheap bastard in me wonders if you could use some 2 ought or similarly heavy insulated aluminum house wire which is bigger, stiffer and I assume cheaper than copper and run one length from the positive battery terminal in your truck down the frame rail of your truck with zip ties and put an insulated positive terminal at your rear bumper.  It is not uncommon in new construction to pull power under ground using three or 4 strands of this wire and frequently the electrician will add 20-30 feet to whatever length he thinks the conduit is to ensure the wire is long enough.  THe scrap piece would be long enough for most trucks, but you can buy it by the foot at most places and you could use all 4 strands if you really wanted to ensure the juice got to the back.

When you want to run the winch you just run heavy jumper cables to the new positive terminal and a bumper bolt or some other suitable ground for the negative.  If you had a second battery on the winch you could keep the more flexible jumper cables connected in such a a fashion that they wouldn't fall off and it would charge as you drive. RV stores have little units that allow you to prioritize which battery gets charged first and you could put a circuit breaker under the hood or at the winch if you wanted.  A house circuit breaker works on DC as well as AC.

Dave

[stumpy]

Shinnlinger,
The main concern with doing what you suggest is that the insulation on wire like that is not really made for those conditions. Welding cable is made to be dragged around so it's pretty durable.  Plus, I don't think there is that much difference in cost between copper and aluminum.  The other advantage to my approach is that the winch can be somewhat portable.  I have a quick connect on my tractor along with a front hitch.  I also had a front hitch on the front of my last truck so I could use the winch front or back.

Lanfilllumber,
I have a Dodge with a diesel, so it has two batteries.  If it's just a short duration, I don't run the truck. If I'm loading a few logs, I'll run the truck.

[Ford_man]

Go to an RV dealer and see how they charge battrys  on campers. I know the camper I had the battry would charge while driving down the road.

[Ed]

My trailer has an 8000lb Ramsey mounted on the front. Its wired up with Tweeco welding cable connectors. I've got a set of homemade jumper cables from hell that plug into it. Just pop the hood on the tow vehicle and clamp on the battery terminals, quick lock into the trailer winch and go to work.
For occosional work it does an excellent job, it's useable with whatever is towing it. For a dedicated setup I would go with forklift type plugs.

Ed

[LorenB]

Go to an RV dealer and see how they charge battrys  on campers. I know the camper I had the battry would charge while driving down the road.

Fordman,

In order to charge the RV battery while towing you need a constant-hot wire to the trailer plug.  This is not provided on a standard 4-wire connector that Victor has on his truck. 

You need at least a standard, small, round, 6-wire plug or a larger, 7-wire plug to get a charging circuit. 

– Loren

[LorenB]

Victor,

If you are going to wire the truck to power/charge the trailer/winch battery you may want to consider connectors like these found here at McMaster-Carr:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#battery-connectors/=8o7emb

They're cheap, can handle the high current, and readily available. 

– Loren

[LandfillLumber]

Okay I think I want to go with a battery isolator that will charge mt winch battery while driving.I was wondering if I can use some #6 multi strand house wire I left over from a job to connect the two batteries to the isolator???This wire will only be charging the battery not actually carrying the load while the winch is working.So all I really need to do this is a battery isolator and wire right(oh and connectors).I will be buying a new 31 deep cycle battery to do the work,as suggested by two different battery places.Thanks everyone this is a huge help,Victor

[sprucebunny]

Vibration will wear out solid wire.

My experience with an isolator was not good. It fried the alternator on one trip. Fortunately we were coming home from putting a boat away for the winter and had 4 extra batteries with us. We had to put a new battery in about every 90 miles so that the truck would run.

[shinnlinger]

I think my cheap bastard idea was misinterpreted...  I propose running the aluminum wire, which should be able to be had for free or scrap price if you ask no more than 3 electricians, only from the battery in the main vehicle, down the frame rail to the back bumper.  If you secure the cable to the battery box, frame and bumper it will not flex and will not wear out before the truck does.  Use more flexible jumper cables or one of those fancy connectors (but that doesn't fit in a cheap bastard scenario) to complete the circuit to the winch.  I do not see a reason to run a negative cable all the way from the battery, as the truck frame is negative ground.

[Magicman]

Fastening PVC conduit to the frame is also an option.  I did this on an RV in 1990 and it still serves me well.

[ohsoloco]

Haven't checked this thread since I posted before.  Yes, I'm just using the truck battery to run the winch.  2/0 welding cable off of the battery into the disconnect switch, and then more 2/0 cable along the frame (zip tied) to the back of the truck where I use those tweeco connectors. 

Never had a problem with this setup, but I always run my truck while I'm loading.  One time I was pulling several logs the full length of my winch cable (100 ft.) and I actually stalled the truck b/c it drained the battery...okay, so I had one problem with this setup    Only time that happened, and once it was jumped it was fine. 

[StephenRice]

I have a 12,000# Mile Marker winch on the front of my truck that is mounted on a winch frame attached to a 2" receiver on my front bumper.  (I have full Ranch Hand "cow pusher" bumpers / brush guard on the front and rear of my truck.)  I ran 2/0 welding cable from one of my truck batteries through to industrial connectors (like was suggested earlier) that are mounted to the flat catwalk portion of the bumper with a stainless steel bolt.  I put another connector on the winch wires and have a pretty slick setup there.

The reason I did it that way is because I wanted to be able to remove the winch frame from the front bumper and move it to the back receiver hitch in case I ever got stuck in a position where I had to pull myself out backwards.  Although I have not done it yet (still haven't got those round Tuits yet), I still have the cable and connectors to run wire from the front to the rear of the truck along the frame rails.  My plan is to run the cable(s) long the frame and attach it (them) to the frame with those rubber lined steel conduit clamps and self drilling screws, then mount another quick connector to my rear bumper.

I have often wanted to add a winch to my dump trailer.  But, I know that I need to wire up the truck first.  Then I will need to rig up some way to mount a winch and possibly a roller system so as not to mess up my rolling tarp cover or toolbox.

However, there is one piece of advice that I would offer to you.  I used to do marine construction for many years and built a couple of  work barges with a boom and winch setup.  I had a simple 8,000# winch that ran off of two industrial 6V batteries (like golf cart batteries) wired in a series circuit to make 12V.  I used the winch to drag and lift heavy marine pressure treated pilings up to 45' long all day long.  The winch took a pretty good draw from the batteries (30 - 50 amps), but the batteries would last for more than a week (after winching on them many times every day) before I noticed them losing power.  Then, I would just hook them up to a small battery charger over night and they were good to go.  Those batteries lasted for years and were still like new when my work barge got stolen.

If I were you and wanted to frequently use a winch to load logs onto a trailer, I would definitely spend a little more money to buy two industrial 6V batteries.  If not, then I would go to AutoZone and get one of their1,000 CA group 34-DTG automotive batteries with a 3 year free replacement warranty and a nine year pro-rated warranty to give you the power you need and protection to cover your butt when the battery fails, which it eventually will.  The RV / marine deep cycle batteries don't last worth a hoot and they only carry a one year pro-rated warranty.  The Duralast Gold 34-DTG battery at AutoZone is basically a deep cycle battery (it even has an amp hour rating) that is warranted for automotive usage.

So, 1st choice...  (2) industrial 6V batteries wired in series, or

a 2nd choice...  a Duralast Gold 34-DTG battery from AutoZone with the good replacement warranty (That is what I use on my dump trailer now with a permanently mounted 1.5A trickle charger hooked up to it.

FWIW, hope this helps...

[Nate Surveyor]

I by no means have all the answers, however I do have some experience.

I have a similar set up. 12v deep cycle marine bat, that powers a 8k warner winch.
I usually seem to overheat the winch, before the bat winds down... that said, a low bat probably makes more heat in the starter motor, that powers the winch. Having said all that, I suggest a purchase: a Nice set of REAL HEAVEY jumper cables, (25 or 30 ft long)to add a bit more power, by adding in the truck bat to the mix. That is, my marine bat is on the tongue of the trailer, and using the jumpers, you have added some amps and reduced the drain on the marine bat.
I have thought of adding some 6 ga or 8 ga wire, to make the alternator charge the marine bat, while driving, but have never gotten around to it.

The idea behind doing it this way is you will also probably enjoy the use of those cables, for other things, as well as this application.

Here is one for sale:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Heavy-Duty-25-Foot-2-Battery-Jumper-Cables-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3f01a33b7aQQitemZ270610414458QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories


Best 'o Luck!

Nate