Trailer winches

[blue-5]

I have a question regarding trailer winches. I am mounting 2 winches on my tilt deck so i can load some equipment. The winches will be removable but the battery and wiring will be permanent. I am using 2 badland 5500 utv winches mounted in receiver tubes. I have a few questions:
1. What is the correct battery to use? Should i use a optima?
2. Should i connect the dedicated battery to the trailer wiring so I get some charging when the truck is running?
3. I have a battery disconnect switch but it is about 3’ away from the battery. Should i put a disconnect post on the battery?

 

[fourjeepin]

Why two winches and not one larger one?

1. A 12 volt battery
2. That would help keep the battery charged
3. I don’t think that is necessary

 

[blue-5]

Why two winches and not one larger one?

1. A 12 volt battery
2. That would help keep the battery charged
3. I don’t think that is necessary

I need the ability to load two pieces of equipment side by side.

 

[cannuck]

You can use any battery at all, but you need to consider how much current is needed (no such spec on HF website). I use an ATV winch for lifting operations and you would be surprised at how long a 100AH battery will last between charges. If you are using two winches, will you be running two at a time? How are you going to connect them to the battery? You will have on terminal on your typical RV type meant for +12VDC aux power to the trailer. It will charge the battery to top up what has been drawn down by winching, but it won't be a fast charge.

 

[Walkers]

Don’t use an agm type battery for a winch, use a regular lead acid. Don’t just connect it to the trailer wiring system or else it will over amp the wiring when you are using the winch. You need a DC to DC charger to do it that way. I would think a disconnect 3’ away would be acceptable.

The best way for your situatio, I would think, would be to run a wire from your battery back to you car side hitch, the use a connector (high amp dc quick connector that I can’t think of the name of right now) and wire the winches with the other side of said connector. No battery to maintain, fairly inexpensive. They sell kits on eBay, come with a fuse for the battery end of the wire plus the connectors.

 

[Walkers]

Something like this on Amazon. They are called Anderson connectors.

 

[ATC]

I use a Walmart Everstart MAXX battery on my trailer for my winch. It is removable, so when I’m not using the winch the battery lives in my garage. I put a battery tender on it once a month or so. A friend of mine uses a Optima blue top marine battery.
Both work just fine.

I’m in the process of eliminating that battery, and just using an Anderson connector at the rear bumper of my truck, and running it off my trucks batteries. Just plug it in when I need it.

 

[cannuck]

I should have mentioned using a DC/DC charger, my bad.

If you want to power things from the tow vehicle you can indeed use Anderson, Amphenol or a bunch of other brand-specific connectors, but on our trucks I prefer to use a 200A 2 pole "liftgate" connector that conforms to SAE J560 specs. I use them for high rate battery charging (large trailers that use electric over hydraulic discs with multiple actuators - also for starting batteries on gensets) and running accessories such as winches and cranes. You can buy them at any HD truck store. Designed for 4ga, but on a long trucks and trailers I prefer to run 2ga to minimize voltage drop.

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[txvwnut]

On my trailer I have a tongue box that houses the winch battery, blue top Optima. I put a 10 amp solar charge controller in it and mounted a 20 watt solar panel on the lid, keeps the battery charged and ready all the time.

 

[Crabman]

ATC makes this good point

I put a battery tender on it once a month or so

Depending on how easy it is to pull an extension with 110V this is a simple solution if you remember to do it (at my age sometimes questionable). I have had great luck with a solar trickle charger on the battery on my trailer. Costs a few bucks, but no dragging cords, and nothing to remember. I bought it for my boat a while back which was on blocks in the winter not near power, and I was trying to avoid pulling 3 batteries every winter.

Good luck finding a solution that fits.