winch mount on trailer

[nerraw117]

So I am guessing I am missing a genius way to mount a low profile removable winch receiver on my trailer. Anyone have ideas on how to mount it? I was thinking of securing it to the wood with a steel plate underneath. I cannot mount it in my storage box due to switches and lights. I have a d-ring in the very middle of the trailer on the cross member directly behind the storage box to winch my offload vehicle on the trailer. I know the pictures arent very detailed. I forgot to take a close up one.

 

[UpNorther]

Nice trailer!
why dont you just bolt it to that steel horizontal bar at front of bed ?
Or if you have to go to floor, U bolt it around a frame joist ?

 

[Cypherian]

I can draw up my idea if you give me a few minutes , they wont be pretty drawings . If you have some welding skills you can make two plates 1/2" with U channel welded at the top large enough to fit over the top pipe. in the center of those plates weld a square tube 6" long drilled for drop pins. one goes on either side of the box. Then make a U shape square tube assemble that will slip into the 6 inch pieces drop the pins in . Mount your receiver tube in the center of the U shape and tada you have a removable hitch mount for your winch. Ensure you gusset the corners of the u shape to keep it from shifting side to side. If you want it drawn let me know, the other thought was to drill two holes one through each of the vertical side plates. Put a D shackle through them say 1/2" And run a chain across with a shackle in the middle . It does depend on the mount style of your winch . Some can be fitted with a hook on the fixed side if that is what you have the chain would be the faster and easier way to do it.

Cypher

 

[1wook]

To take your idea farther. How about using u bolts around the first crossmember, up thru the boards, and thru your mounting plate?

Or just make a winch mounting plate with a clevis that attaches to your center d-ring.

How about mounting your winch off center? Most of the time whatever your dragging onto the trailer won't have an attachment point directly in the center. Weld a piece of receiver tube vertically to the outside of the front crossmember where the tongue c channel meets it.

 

[Forever Fixin]

100_0889 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/57844651@N06/

I have a receiver hitch on mine, I know the photo isn't the best but the trailer is covered in snow right now.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

I'm thinking of looking for a salvaged receiver hitch to add on my trailer also.

Will follow this thread

 

[Forever Fixin]

How to you plan on powering your winch? For my above picture I have a forklift plug that is wired from the battery to the box of the truck and the winch has the opposite plug end. Also in case someone else is borrowing the trailer we have the forklift plug connected to a very long set of jumper cables the will run under the hood. Just ideas that have worked for me.

 

[nerraw117]

I planned on doing exactly like you are mentioning

How to you plan on powering your winch? For my above picture I have a forklift plug that is wired from the battery to the box of the truck and the winch has the opposite plug end. Also in case someone else is borrowing the trailer we have the forklift plug connected to a very long set of jumper cables the will run under the hood. Just ideas that have worked for me.

 

[nerraw117]

hopefully this is a better picture

 

[North Run Grader]

Buy a good quality ****** block, think Crosby, not Harbor Freight, and mount your winch anywhere convenient. I would build a small winch base that easily attaches to the front left or right d-ring and ****** to the front center ring. With enough line and ****** blocks you can do amazing things with a winch.

 

[kerrynzl]

Use a hitch receiver on the tongue.
[make sure is isn't a water trap ]

Here's one I made for a friend that had 3 different winches
it also stops thieving eyes spying up the winch

 

[w33b8t1]

Seems like a lot of leverage there, but I guess if it works.

 

[kerrynzl]

Seems like a lot of leverage there, but I guess if it works.

That cross-member is over engineered

In most cases the hitch receiver has a direct pull against a pin which is under shear.
In the example shown the load is perpendicular to the receiver.

The pole on the winch is made from 2" square 1/4" wall [the same as axle tubes which support the weight of the whole trailer]

The bottom of the pole has holes for the pin so it doesn't compromise the strength
At the top of the receiver is an anti rattle bolt [on the side that is not load bearing against it]

don't fall into the "it has to look heavy to be strong" crowd

 

[sailah]

This is mine, bought 2 hitch sleeves from etrailer. Then there is a brace that runs from the top of the mount, through the box, and ties into the crossmember up near the pintle hitch. I made 2 heights so the cable doesn't drag if winching from low.

For the winch plate I bought a prefab heavy duty plate and welded 2" tubing to it.

I winch so rarely that I just have a spare battery and keep it in the back of my truck if I know I'll need it. I like having it modular so I can use it for my truck if needed around the house.

 

[BUGTHUG]

Here is the way I did mine a couple of years ago. Started with a metal farm under truck tool box. Have a Harbour Freight 12K winch, a marine deep cycle battery, HF wheels, and a HF receiver hitch.

 

[BUGTHUG]

Do some cutting, welding, powder coating and lots of simple measurements.
I built a shelf to sit above the winch and battery, this is for storage of straps, belts, chains etc.
The short leg I put close to the middle, under the back part of the frame. This leg goes down when winching a car onto the trailer. It helps to keep from pulling down on the box onto the wheels, it is bolted on with the nut that has plastic inside it? Can't think the name of nuts, nylon nut.

 

[BUGTHUG]

Then the battery is in a plastic box with lid, this is to prevent something from laying onto the batt. post and cause fire. I did replace the metal cable with a nylon rope, much better way to go. Of course the cable is in the box in case I need it.
I put the short clips in the side of the box to a chain and use my tractor to remove it from the trailer. That way I can keep it out of the weather if I don't use for a long time.

 

[BUGTHUG]

Any questions?

 

[maverick3316]

Not the prettiest, but functional. I just welded the square tube directly to my cross tube, and trailer deck.

 

[w33b8t1]

That cross-member is over engineered

In most cases the hitch receiver has a direct pull against a pin which is under shear.
In the example shown the load is perpendicular to the receiver.

The pole on the winch is made from 2" square 1/4" wall [the same as axle tubes which support the weight of the whole trailer]

The bottom of the pole has holes for the pin so it doesn't compromise the strength
At the top of the receiver is an anti rattle bolt [on the side that is not load bearing against it]

don't fall into the "it has to look heavy to be strong" crowd

I fall into the 1/4"x3" strap for triangulation would work wonders crowd. But if your winch isn't that big then whatever.

 

[OCD]

Mine bolts on, still in rough draft form!!

Winch is mounted on a portable receiver that also works on the front and rear of my truck...

 

[nikerret]

On my trailer, I bought a 2" square receive hitch, for a few bucks, at the local farm supply. I then had a guy weld up some plate, to mount the winch on. I'm not overly pleased with it, but some modifications will get it right. The winch stays on the plate, in the toolbox. On the bottom of the plate is some heavy duty 2" square tube. There is a hole, for a standard pin.

On the trailer, between the A frame that is on front, that goes to the coupler, there is a large piece of C channel that goes from the coupler to the front frame of the trailer. It holds the jack and has a reinforcement from the jack to the inside of one side of the A frame.

I had a 6X2 heavy steel tube (can go measure the thickness, if someone is interested) welded, vertically, all around the bottom of the tube, which is on top of the center C channel. It is then welded all the way to the top of the trailer (where the deck is), along the front of the frame. The front bar was cut and welded to the 6X2. The purchases 2" receiver is then welded on top of the 6X2. I wanted the hole horizontal, but the guy put it vertical.

To date, I've used the winch, a Warn 9,000 lb with a 135 ft line, several times and the mount hasn't had an issue. The only issue I've had is the plate the winch mount on wasn't made to hold the fairlead (part of my dissatisfaction) and the cable tends to want to rub the side.

Here's some pictures:

The trailer gets pulled on gravel a lot, destroys the nice paint.


The mount, which we wanted to take up as little of the deck space, as possible:


It's welded everywhere it touched the trailer:


To the right side, is one of the three heavy duty D-ring, that flips up (as shown). This one is to connect the hook to, for using the ****** block:


This is the inside of the toolbox, where we keep the hitch, the winch, the large winch battery (charges while you drive), ****** block, and all the ratchet straps, chains, tie downs, etc. A friend and I split the costs of the trailer and other tools. The trailer is his, the toolbox, winch, and most of the straps are mine. We then split the expenses, as they come.

 

[BUGTHUG]

nikerriet, nice set up. I think I would put your battery in a plastic box with a lid. This will prevent something metal falling onto the battery post and start a bad day. Sometimes that stuff gets moved around while going down the road and you never know whats going on until you see smoke.

 

[nikerret]

Not a bad tip. I haven't worried about it since the battery is taller than everything else.

 

[Bennylava]

Might be obvious, but I didn't see it in the pic. How did you get the battery in there to charge as you drive? Just the standard trailer wire?

 

[customtronic]

Some great ideas in this thread!

 

[Cypherian]

Rough Sketch for my idea:

This allows the whole assembly to be removed and the use of the winch else where depending on how you mount it to the tube assembly. I would use another receiver tube and plate with tube to fit in then you can use it on any vehicle with a hitch. Power to it can be done via trolling motor quick connect to handle the power it will draw so no need to use battery clamps etc. You drop the plates over the top rail slip bottom angles in place drop a 1/4" pin in to hold them then attach the tube assembly and done. Might take you 2 min if you get really snazzy add to up rights on the tube assemble to be able to put it at 90 deg to deck when not being used.







Cypher

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

mine hooks to a nub on the front of the trailer, and the male end pins to a saddle when it's not on a truck.

 

[nerraw117]

Well I finally got it done. I think it turned out great.

 

[BUGTHUG]

nerraw117, looks very good. You got picture of it in use, with the box in place?

 

[iagsxr]

I fall into the 1/4"x3" strap for triangulation would work wonders crowd. But if your winch isn't that big then whatever.

Explain where you would put that that it did any good and still have the winch be removable.

 

[Brad54]

I understand the allure of having a removable winch--anti-theft or you can use it on your truck in another situation.
I just bolted mine to a heavy-duty mount I made on my trailer.
If someone is going to steel it, they'll have to come equipped with tools. I think the reality is that they'd steal the whole trailer before they just take the winch.
If I'm really worried about it, I'll put a tack weld on one of the four bolts securing the winch to the trailer--that way if I ever have to remove the winch to service it, I only need to cut one bolt, but that's enough to thwart a tool-equipped thief.

My pig-tail has a separate lead for charging a battery, so in the next couple weeks I'm building a permanent battery mount on the tongue and will wire the harness to the battery so the battery charges when I'm driving down the road with the trailer--it'll always be ready to go, totally self-contained.

-Brad