Trailer winch wiring double check

[jpcjguy]

Hey all,

Finally getting around to setting up some wiring for a winch on my 18 foot 10k trailer.
I have a Warn HS9500 on a cradle that I can put on the front of my trailer when needed. (Standard 2 inch receiver welded right at the front of the deck.)
I tow with a 2002 excursion with the 7.3.

I don’t want to wire anything permanent. This would be for the very rare, maybe once a year need.
My thought is to use the 175 amp quick connects like Warn 22680 (which I believe are rebranded Anderson SB175)

I would have one on the winch side and then one under the hood. Basically 2 foot stubs on each end. That way if I need to pick up a car and actually winch it onto the trailer I just need to grab the winch and the roll of 30ft or so wire with quick connects on both ends. Pop the hood and plug-in on one side and then on the winch side.
I have about 30ft of #2 black and red welding wire on a shelf that I can use.
That should be plenty to go from the battery to the winch on the trailer.

considering it’s not a dead pull and wouldn’t take very long. I think that wire should handle it. I know that winch can draw a ton of juice, but again I’m not trying to pull an F350 on 44s door deep in mud.

Wanted to doublecheck in case I’m missing anything….

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I did similar using 2 shorter jumper cables. Anderson's on both ends of the winch end cable, and heavy duty clamps and Anderson's on the other. That way I'm not tied to one tow vehicle.

 

[mm08822]

Go to batterycablesusa for misc. parts if you need anything.

 

[HoosierMark]

I am doing the same thing with my permanently mounted winch. I have a battery but installing extra connections for a booster. My battery is under my tilt bed so boosting it when winching is tricky. I found some heavy 30 ft long jumpers i am going to modify for my needs. Friend has portable winch and uses a jump box to power it. It works for his needs.

 

[cvairwerks]

At 4000 pounds line pull, you are going to be over 230 amps and only moving at about 11 feet per minute. You will probably start smoking #2 wire at that length for any major pull. That winch pulls almost 50 amp no load.

 

[cgrutt]

Regardless of how you wire it suggest installing appropriate sized fuse, fusable link and/or circuit breaker between battery positive and your Anderson connector.

 

[ATC]

You probably want 2/0 cable and a 350A breaker. That's what I spec'd for my Badlands 9k winch on my trailer.

 

[jpcjguy]

I guess I could have a deep cycle battery in the mix. So wire the winch to the battery (2-3 feet long) and the #2 cables from the truck to the deep cycle to charge at the same time. Was hoping not to have to use a battery (another thing to carry). Think I have a battery in the back of the shed….

 

[firebirdparts]

I think so too, but then of course maintaining that battery for one or two pulls a year gets old. Lot of expense either way. I am very cheap, so I just pull a battery out of some car and go do what I need to do.

copper is expensive, but then at least you wouldn't have to maintain it.

 

[jpcjguy]

True but I already have the number two gauge and probably a battery. When I get home, I’ll have to check.

Remember, this is like once a year if that

 

[BobnCO]

You’re never going to pull max current or even close with a rolling vehicle… you can almost push the car on with three people.. a few hundred# pull, not thousands. We started w/ little Chinese utility 2500# winch and 10 ga. wire. It worked ok. Since I had an old Harbor Freight 8,000# winch, it’s on there now.. probably 20x the power I need (and acts like it).

 

[ATC]

Would a large boat winch be an option?

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Winch/CURT/C65ZJ.html?feed=npn&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=202839137&gbraid=0AAAAAD_vMtk9Xb22agW5-QksNeVBk5-xM&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIruLb3L2BlgMVbXJHAR2oQB1bEAkYASABEgLshPD_BwE

 

[jpcjguy]

You’re never going to pull max current or even close with a rolling vehicle… you can almost push the car on with three people.. a few hundred# pull, not thousands. We started w/ little Chinese utility 2500# winch and 10 ga. wire. It worked ok. Since I had an old Harbor Freight 8,000# winch, it’s on there now.. probably 20x the power I need (and acts like it).

That was my thought. Just the ability to get a non running vehicle up on the trailer easily.
Just put the winch in the cradle, have a small bag with the cables, pop the hood and attach the cables using the quick connect on both ends and pull the vehicle up.

 

[willymakeit]

I used long jumper cables from HF. Seems to work well

 

[bas157]

The rear winch wiring kit that both Ramsey and Superwinch sell (assuming they still do) both are 2awg wires. The superwinch kit actually has a long one for the positive wire and a short one for negative wire that just went back to the frame.
I've got both of those, yet to install them though.
The Warn rear winch disconnect wiring kit is also 2awg. If those companies are selling 2awg kits, I would have no worry using the same....assuming all copper and not CCA.

 

[jpcjguy]

The rear winch wiring kit that both Ramsey and Superwinch sell (assuming they still do) both are 2awg wires. The superwinch kit actually has a long one for the positive wire and a short one for negative wire that just went back to the frame.
I've got both of those, yet to install them though.
The Warn rear winch disconnect wiring kit is also 2awg. If those companies are selling 2awg kits, I would have no worry using the same....assuming all copper and not CCA.

Good to know. I have all copper wires.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

I made up some long cable with clamps on one end for battery and eyelets on the other to bolt to my winch leads.
Just pull them out when I use the winch and pop the hood. My winch is set up in a 2" receiver also.

 

[Fav Onefour]

Plow kit? I see those quick connect kits on a lot of vehicles.
They are close to standard equipment in snow country. One option would be doing the quick connect up front and using long jumpers to the trailer when needed. That would be an easier and less risky mounting setup without big cable running along the chassis.

Another option,
We have been "rescued" a few times using a portable capstan winch powered by a little Honda gasser. The winch brand is PCW. The little winch is pretty capable and super versatile. The winch can be anchored to almost anything using installed hooks. The most common method has been a short chain wrapped around whatever is close. (Trailer frame, receiver hook, trees, etc.) I think that handy little winch is one of those things that you'd find using for other projects pretty quick.

 

[jpcjguy]

Plow kit? I see those quick connect kits on a lot of vehicles.
They are close to standard equipment in snow country. One option would be doing the quick connect up front and using long jumpers to the trailer when needed. That would be an easier and less risky mounting setup without big cable running along the chassis.

Another option,
We have been "rescued" a few times using a portable capstan winch powered by a little Honda gasser. The winch brand is PCW. The little winch is pretty capable and super versatile. The winch can be anchored to almost anything using installed hooks. The most common method has been a short chain wrapped around whatever is close. (Trailer frame, receiver hook, trees, etc.) I think that handy little winch is one of those things that you'd find using for other projects pretty quick.

Yup - the plan is to have a "stub" under the hood (using the anderson connectors) and also on the winch end. That way I can grab the winch cradle and put it in the receiver and grab a small bag with the cables and connect both ends and be in action.
I am not a fan of having 30ft of cable wrapped around the winch/cradle - heavy enough as is - last thing I want is dealing with cable also....


I guess I could also swap out the battery terminals on one battery to have a dedicated connection point for the cables when needed. I just figured it would be easier to connect the andersons (since I have them)