Hidden Winch

Does anyone have a hidden winch with stock bumper? If so, can you share some photos and stories? How it works for you, what winch, pros/cons? Etc…

Cheers
 

CharlieNorth

Well-known member
Yup, I run a Ramsey REP8000 on a simple custom bracket. The bracket is a 2" box tube with one hole drilled through each end that take a long 12mm or 1/2" bolt dropped down through an existing hole in the frame. This was originally installed on my turbo Gen 1 back in 1990. Later transferred to My 95 SR and now on my RHD Pajero. No changes to it. I had always run a steel cable, roller fairleed that came with the winch but am changing to a Dyneema rope and Hawse this time and upgraded the motor.
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CharlieNorth

Well-known member
Here are a few shots when I swapped my winch to the Gen2 SR. No changes from the Gen 1 Turbo. Nothing pretty here after 200K miles over 20 + years of trails and winters. I have plenty of shots of the Gen 1 but they are on slide film and not easy to post. Anyone who claims you can not hide a winch on a Montero should be banned from this site as a troll.
What is not shown here is the original under guard that is trimmed to fit snug to the rollers, it is buried in snow right now so no shots of it.
This winch has been used for recovery as well as a tool on construction sites.
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cool and interesting responses… i actually purchased a hidden winch mount from ASFIR.com and grabbed a comeup winch… will see how it goes. ha.
 

MontyG

New member
I welded a harbor freight universal winch plate to the frame rails and mounted a 10K pound winch on my Gen 2. The body lift really helped with fitting it in easily.
 

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MontySquareo

Active member
winch is in the back of the truck, totally hidden. i can use one winch for every vehicle, but I also don't always have a winch with me.
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CharlieNorth

Well-known member
How nice are these hidden winches if they hiccup on you and you need to troubleshoot them in the field?
To me that depends on where you locate the relays, I mount my relay up high on the inner fender and utilize a cutoff switch since my early style Ramsey relays found a way to turn itself on which did me no good when hours from home some years back. Destroyed the battery but not the alternator.
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