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.