Electric Winch

[Dodger1234]

If I put a battery box on my trailer for an electric winch is there any way of charging the battery while I drive to the lake? I have a 4 prong wire system for the trailer but I do have both types of plug ins on my truck. I understand I could charge the battery when the boat is at home but space is limited and the kids are in and out of the garage all day so safety comes into play.

Also does anyone have some experience with electric winches and what brand is good. I will be winching on a 14' / 1000 lb boat. I am fishing prairie lakes and there are no boat ramps so i just back the trailer off the shoreline. The boat almost always has to be pulled over the back beam on the trailer. This is why I am looking at the electric winch so i can hold the boat in place while winching. I always have to deal with the wind and I am 95% of the time by myself

Dodger1234

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Electric Winch

I assume by "both types" you mean that you have a big, round connector? If it is a big round one with seven contacts, one of those is meant to be connected to a key-on charging circuit on the tow vehicle. Whenever you are driving, it will be seeing the alternator voltage. That is how trailer batteries are charged, like for electric brakes and winches. Sometimes people use a lead off their running lights but these are usually of insufficient voltage and capacity to adequately charge/maintain a winch battery. <edit> But although I have seen this done a number of times (to maintain trailer brake batteries) it is NOT A GOOD IDEA and I have doubts that it would even work to charge a winch battery.</edit>

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Electric Winch

Connecting a relatively discharged winch battery to a lighting circuit will surely pop the fuse for that circuit. The battery can draw a great deal of current. DO NOT DO THAT. Use the accessory feed in a 7-pole connector on your truck. On the other vehicle, run a separate 8 or 10 gauge wire from the battery (through a circuit breaker) to a connector at the back.

 

[Dodger1234]

Re: Electric Winch

Thanks for the help guys!! So I should be able to get a drawing of how the 7 prong hook up is for a camper then I should be able to charge the battery and have trailer lights while driving to the lake. I doubt the battery will ever get really low on the charge because it will only be used for the winching on of the boat.

I will look into the proper set up of the 7 prong plug in system.

Thanks, Steve.

 

[Dodger1234]

Re: Electric Winch

Well after some inquiries I figure I will bolt on a Warn winch to my trailer and for my power source I will buy one of those portable battery booster packs. Because the winch will only be used once per trip to pull the boat onto the trailer I should have enough power in the booster pack then when I get home I just plug it in to be recharged. As a back up I will keep cables long enough to hook the winch to my truck battery.

Dodger1234.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Electric Winch

I would just wire it too you vehical starting battery with a proper size wire and automatic reset circuit breaker. For a 1000 pound boat you do not need a big heavy winch.

When you buy the winch look at the spec of how much current it needs then with the proper size wire for the required current run back to a good 7 or 8 pin connector and then to the trailer winch. I would also install a automatic reset circuit breaker or a manual reset break just to be safe.

If the boat was 28 feet and 6000 pounds then you may need the battery on the trailer.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Electric Winch

Been there, done that with the battery pack. It's a pain to use the box to say the least. Got two season out of the box before it wouldn't hold a charge sufficent to winch the boat back on the trailer.

Finally gave up and ran a pair of 4 gauge wires from the battery to a "pig tail" connector http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/3BY25?Pid=search at the back of the Tahoe. The truck had cutouts in the frame both in the front and rear so running the cables back to the bumper was a breeze. It now takes me all of 10 seconds to connect the cable to the winch and be ready to go.

 

[Dodger1234]

Re: Electric Winch

Thanks for the heads up dingbat regarding the battery pack. But because I am about as smart as a rock when it comes to anything electrical that was why I was thinking of the battery pack. The link you provided has this old mans eyes glassed over :redface: You said it takes 10 seconds to connect the " cable to the winch " I sure would appreciate a picture of your set up. Any help to keep everything simple for the hook up of the electrical to the winch is appreciated.

Steve.