Moveable Winch Plate - low profile alternative to front/rear receiver hitch winch

[Cadmus]

I had many work trucks with front, rear and sometimes over the bed receiver hitches (to pull bear traps onto the truck) for a movable winch. I used the rear more than the front because I was trying to get out of trouble not get past trouble. I have no desire to mount a heavy expensive winch permanently to the front, better to store it in the garage when not traveling. BUT receiver hitch winches sat so far out that they typically compromised approach and departure angle and might be un-installable when you need the winch (boulders and water are in the way). So I want to avoid that.

My Work Shop Analogy: I have 3 bench grinders but only 1 grinder stand. I put ski bindings on the stand and put metal bars the shape of skiboots on each grinder. I can quickly change what grinder I am using based on what I need and store the rest. I want to apply this to winches but obviously ski binding are not an option.
So how could one make a moveable plate that quickly goes from the front bumper to the rear. I am eyeballing bumpers with easy and open access to the winch plate (i.e. Addicted Offroads plate bumper).

But what quick release mechanism would hold the winch in place and still handle 8000lbs?
-Beefy but small tabs on the forward end of the plate that slide into female coves on the bumper and some cam lever holding down the back of the winch plate?
-use a receiver hitch system but point it 90 deg downwards so the winch plate drops down onto the front and rear bumper?
-use 10mm diameter bolts with quick release cam lever heads and make the holes in the front and rear winch plate keyhole shaped?

Since you people are the "internet" for me, you will have the safest and best answer.

 

[Cadmus]

this was the idea with the vertical receiver tubes allowing the winch to "drop down" into place. solid is 2 vertical receivers. dotted is normal receiver hitch winches.



Yes the rear bumper would need to move out but it is not built yet... i can do that.
But looking here it is not going to work with the grill in the way.

bummer.

But i hope my goal is obvious, that plate is where it should be stored when traveling/offroading. The rear is where i most use it. receiver hitches stick out too far as the dotted lines in the sketch. When driving in town it is best left in my garage.

Any other ideas?

 

[alaskaboy]

I like your idea as I can see getting grounded in a ditch or mired in mud with no opportunity to "slide" into a receiver. Your sketch of rear bumper did not post (as far as I can tell).

 

[Cadmus]

Alaskaboy, the sketch appears in both my computers on 3 browser types... i should repost a better one anyways... standby



On a different note, Warn makes a removable winch system for ATV weight winches:

http://www.warn.com/adventuretouring/portable_winch_carry_plate.jsp

Other Links
1, 2, 3, 4, 5


In addition to being for ATVs it says not load bearing. but, this was the the idea i was going for.

 

[Cadmus]

This is what i was originally thinking but i no longer have access to a milling machine or water cutter... nor do i want to guess at the safety of a 9000 lbs of tension on a steel cable.

 

[Cadmus]

I like your idea as I can see getting grounded in a ditch or mired in mud with no opportunity to "slide" into a receiver. Your sketch of rear bumper did not post (as far as I can tell).

alaskaboy, sorry you could not see the link. it might be a moot point. This was the vertical receiver idea is likely not ideal given shear forces and likely wouldn't fit on most

 

[Cadmus]

But really, receiver hitches are time tested. If i could get a shot receiver (or a pair of them) low on the winch plate plate but above the plate on the front bumper....



and come up with something that will be high in the rear but not interfere with my camper....
it might be easier and only require taking a saw to an existing hitch bumper plate.

EDIT: this is not going to work on the bumpers i was considering. the winch can not sit that far forward. Bummer

 

[Cadmus]

As a long time sailor, I always thought people who used electric windlasses were sissies... but this might work?

Endurance Marine Universal Winch Mount — Fits Warn, Superwinch, Rule and Most Import Winches, Model# SBW1 | Mounting Plates| Northern Tool + Equipment

I doubt it is big enough nor would it hold the forces.

 

[Cadmus]

In regards to the marine universal mount above:
This even promotes the windlass mount for "jeep applications"
http://www.shop-endurance-marine.com/product-page/23b9018c-fbfc-2eb4-8eab-1c5304ea2057
This promotes using 2 for larger winches.... i doubt that would increase max shear rating x2. how would one estimate it?
https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Marine-Universal-Winch-Mount/dp/B00BINZJVS

In regards to the short hitch receiver above the normal winch plate:
not going to work on most bumpers i was considering as they require the winch be dropped in and i can not cut out the faceplate. but not giving up on the rather simple compromise.

 

[HRPINDC]

I have similar thoughts as you regarding the winch. I just assume at some point I will use the winch on a cradle that slides into the hitch receiver.

My only contribution would be to not limit yourself to mounting the removable winch on the bumper. I think there could be other mounting alternatives that may offer more options. Maybe some platform in the bed for example. I wonder if one could weld a receiver hitch into a roll bar to mount the winch there. Depending on the height above center, you may have to change the direction of the line with a pulley. Just my random ramblings. Good luck.

 

[Cadmus]

thanks @HRPIDC for the idea. my bed is always full. Your roll bar idea is great and a previous work truck had this for pulling heavy thing into the bed (like bear traps). It was really useful. Not going to work with my truck, i can not add a roll bar because of the cabover camper aspirations. But i will try to step back and get out of my paradigm.

EDIT: adding these as it is on topic with @HRPIDC's comment. On other forums people have mentioned running a front winch's cables under the truck. Sounds like it would eat up the cables or your brake lines or something unless you had a nice pulley system, but how are you going to rig that up when stuck? NOT mounting the winch is how ATV guys use winches and nothing says you couldnt do that with a truck sized winch. Run 2 chains to a winch plate. 3) mount the winch to a tree and have a spare battery.

 

[Coachgeo]

Long ago my feeble mind envisioned a more central "under rig" mounted winch on a lazy Suzan apparatus. The Suzan carries no tugging weight. You Un-Pin winch. Rotate winch Fore, Aft, Port or Starboard. Re-Pin into position. Pins carry weight when winching. A short pull thru rope or?? secured under the rig in each direction would be attached to the cable at the winch end as needed. Other end of rope sits at where it exits a typicle Howse Fairlead. Thus you never have to crawly under rig to route cable in what ever direction your planning to Tug...... just use the rope to pull the cable line toward the desired Fairlead then disconnect rope for time being. Maybe this rope could even be cable with same load rating as that on winch?

To access winch to rotate, hook up appropriate pull thru rope etc. would probably require a hatch in bed/floorboard installed above it.

Just an idea. Drawback may be that eye of cable wont fit thru Fairlead??

As to mount / unmounting a winch on different plates...... you do realize how heave these winches are right? Bigger rigs..... you would need a cart to roll the winch from location to location or a person using PED's too carry it.

 

[Cadmus]

....you do realize how heave these winches are right?...

Yes. The one on my work truck is ridiculously heavy, i agree. But I never needed a cart. I pay money to lift heavy things at a gym so i should feel privileged to do so outside.
More reason to have it detach.

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EDIT: i kinda like not having an electric windlass for the same reason. Perhaps i am a masochist? If cumalongs didnt suck i would just use one of those assuming i had the time.

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EDIT 2: much of the weight on the ones i have owned in the past was the receiver hitch plate and mounting. The goal is to minimize this. Never owned a synthetic line but i am considering it (however hauling fire food logs would ruin it)

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EDIT3: My similar post at Pirate 4x4 arrived at a possible solution. http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/2395234-moveable-winch-plate-lower-profile-alternative-front-rear-receiver-hitch-winch.html I was not going to pump the thread for this however i will report back if it works.

 

[Coachgeo]

So where did you end up on this project?

 

[MOguy]

Yes. The one on my work truck is ridiculously heavy, i agree. But I never needed a cart. I pay money to lift heavy things at a gym so i should feel privileged to do so outside.
More reason to have it detach.

in a gym or in a garage it is easier to move around heavy things. You are on a flat solid surface. When you get stuck you will probably be on a rougher surface that is more difficult carry around heavy things and then have to mount them. How hard will it be to move around and mount a winch in muddy slippery situations or on a hill? What about a muddy slippery hill? Even the strongest person can slip.

Why not two winches?