Looking for winch recommendation for trailer

[Lx460]

Looking to equip a car hauler trailer with a winch to load inoperable vehicles. The tires may be flat, locked up, etc. so I need a recommendation for a quality winch that will get the job done. It may get used 1-5 times a week. Not a whole lot but it needs to last. Need recommendations on size as well as brand and features which may make life easier such as wireless remote, etc.

Also what is the best way to hook up power? Direct wire to tow vehicle with quick detach plug or have a battery box that recharges from the tow vehicle? Thanks.

 

[kctyphoon]

This might sound like a stupid answer, and I have no person experience with this.. But I'm gonna say the best one you could afford... Belive it or not but the winches at harbor freight get good reviews, and I'm sure they have everything you need.. You can always double the power of you winch by attaching a pulley to the car you were pulling, and running the winch line though the pulley, and attach back to the trailer.. I would suggest a good surf on YouTube to check out what other guys have come up with.

I would say a battery box, and a solar battery tender might be a good consideration. Wireless remote, or a long corded remote if u are working alone.. I have seen videos of people using 2000lb winches - but I would think (if I had to guess) a 5000lb might be more suited, and that can always be rigged to give 10,000lbs for those stubborn items.. This is assuming you are talking about an average car being pulled onto a low flat trailer.. Again - im just guessing here using the stuff I work with as a guide.

 

[rockwithjason]

you don't need that big of a winch for dragging cars onto a trailer. 5 or 8k would be more than enough. most use a deep cycle battery mounted on the trailer. if you are going to try to charge from the vehicle make sure to use a battery isolator. if you use a 7 way trailer connector you have plenty of pins to use as a charging lead. many people don't charge from the vehicle. they hook up a charger and plug it in every once in a while as it doesn't take all that much juice to drag inops onto a trailer.

 

[kctyphoon]

Actually if you have a minute just goto the Harbor freight website, and read the reviews on their 5000lb winchs.. Many people are using that size winch for the same things you're looking to do..

 

[Danglerb]

I would get into so much trouble if I had a car hauler trailer, I love taken apart cars.

 

[94yj]

ramsey winch is the towing industry standard also next step down would be a warn brand also please stay away from the harbor freight winch i have seen to many fall apart or lock up on jeeps i would go with a minimum 8k winch and the last thing you want to fail is a winch and do several thousand in property damage

 

[94yj]

also do not trust reviews i have not been since northern tool and harbor freight and hd sent me discounts coupons if i would make up and give a fake review on the products list they e-mailed too me which by the way i never reviewed them and trashed the e-mail

 

[92lxcoupe]

This summer I bought a Superwinch S4000SR for my trailer. It has a 6400 lb rating and has synthetic rope. I went with synthetic because if it breaks it just drops to the ground. Steel rope can get dangerous. It was under $500 through Amazon. I had a few issues initially (first one was missing the clevis hook, second was dead in box) but I really like it. You can get an upgraded model with wireless remote, but this comes with an attached one with a 30' cord. Since it is a trailer winch it will not freewheel when you let off of the button and let your car roll back off of the trailer.

 

[erty67]

ramsey winch is the towing industry standard also next step down would be a warn brand also please stay away from the harbor freight winch i have seen to many fall apart or lock up on jeeps i would go with a minimum 8k winch and the last thing you want to fail is a winch and do several thousand in property damage

^this

I've had this winch on my trailer for many years now and it works well dragging dead demolition derby cars back onto the trailer.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CF1Y0C/?tag=atomicindus08-20