Metcalf
Expedition Leader
I posted this in my build thread, but thought it would make a good upgrade for anyone....
I decided I wanted a wireless winch controller to the Warn 8274 winch. I thought about the universal add-on unit, but I noticed that the new Warn Evo winches had a nice integrated wireless controller now. This is available from Warn for a very fair price, part number #104218. I believe this unit is designed to be used with the more modern sealed Albright Solenoid pack. I was able to pick up an Albright DC88P-1000 12v unit off Amazon which happens to fit just perfect in my stock housing AND has enough room for all the wireless stuff.
The Warn Evo controller is a slick little unit that has a fully redundant cable connection that plugs into the handheld unit and the winch. This means the winch still works if the batteries in the wireless controller are dead.
The newer version of this controller uses 3x AAA batteries vs a 3.7v lithium cell like the early versions. This means that the batteries can be easily replaced in a few minutes. I did take the extra few minutes to swap out the cheap stock batteries for some lithium units. This should make the controller last a long long time. I will throw another set in the glove box for spares. I also used a little strip of velcro tape around the battery holder to make sure they couldn't pop out if the remote was dropped.
Another thing on the list was a pair of 'bump' buttons for the winch. I have had a few situations in the last couple years where I wanted access to the winch NOW to help quickly stabilize a vehicle. I found some small waterproof momentary switches that could be mounted right in the side of the factory cover. These are wired independently of the wireless winch controller and act as a completely separate and redundant way to activate the winch. I find these really handy for stuff like snugging up the hook or taking tension off the motor disconnect.
Overall this was a pretty easy mod once I dug into it. I had to crimp on two new ends on the factory feed cables, but they where long enough to start with. I didn't have to buy new battery cable. It took a bit to wrap my head around all the interface wiring. My factory remove was a 5 pin unit, and I only needed 4 pins. I was able to remove the extra pin easy enough with my wiring harness plug/pin set. There was enough room inside the stock cover for everything, but it did get a little tight towards the end. I did try and pin out everything and took some decent notes I will share below. It isn't THAT bad once you get into it, bu there are some color changes across the various plugs.
Pictures below. Please let me know if you have any questions.
I decided I wanted a wireless winch controller to the Warn 8274 winch. I thought about the universal add-on unit, but I noticed that the new Warn Evo winches had a nice integrated wireless controller now. This is available from Warn for a very fair price, part number #104218. I believe this unit is designed to be used with the more modern sealed Albright Solenoid pack. I was able to pick up an Albright DC88P-1000 12v unit off Amazon which happens to fit just perfect in my stock housing AND has enough room for all the wireless stuff.
The Warn Evo controller is a slick little unit that has a fully redundant cable connection that plugs into the handheld unit and the winch. This means the winch still works if the batteries in the wireless controller are dead.
The newer version of this controller uses 3x AAA batteries vs a 3.7v lithium cell like the early versions. This means that the batteries can be easily replaced in a few minutes. I did take the extra few minutes to swap out the cheap stock batteries for some lithium units. This should make the controller last a long long time. I will throw another set in the glove box for spares. I also used a little strip of velcro tape around the battery holder to make sure they couldn't pop out if the remote was dropped.
Another thing on the list was a pair of 'bump' buttons for the winch. I have had a few situations in the last couple years where I wanted access to the winch NOW to help quickly stabilize a vehicle. I found some small waterproof momentary switches that could be mounted right in the side of the factory cover. These are wired independently of the wireless winch controller and act as a completely separate and redundant way to activate the winch. I find these really handy for stuff like snugging up the hook or taking tension off the motor disconnect.
Overall this was a pretty easy mod once I dug into it. I had to crimp on two new ends on the factory feed cables, but they where long enough to start with. I didn't have to buy new battery cable. It took a bit to wrap my head around all the interface wiring. My factory remove was a 5 pin unit, and I only needed 4 pins. I was able to remove the extra pin easy enough with my wiring harness plug/pin set. There was enough room inside the stock cover for everything, but it did get a little tight towards the end. I did try and pin out everything and took some decent notes I will share below. It isn't THAT bad once you get into it, bu there are some color changes across the various plugs.
Pictures below. Please let me know if you have any questions.
