Winch location for big rigs?

[Capt Eddie]

I am in the process of changing to another truck to put my Lance 1040 on. This truck will be a Dodge 5500. I have a removable 12000K in the front of my F450. And in 5 years I have never had to use the winch. So I have never had to move the winch from front to back. For those of you that have to larger rig 15000LB or more. Should I keep the winch removable, put in the front permanently or the back? I do not go out looking for trouble but it has been nice knowing that I had the winch in case I needed it. I can not imagine not having a winch. But I do not think that if I got stuck going somewhere that I would want to continue on further with more chances of getting stuck again. Any thoughts or real life experiances would be great.

 

[I Leak Oil]

The front or rear winch location has been debated to death. Most who have actual winching experience agree that a fixed winch will better serve the vehicle on the front. The receiver style mount has it's drawbacks as well and that too has been discussed many times.
A vehicle that size should have plenty of room for fixed mounted units front and rear.
But, a 12K winch is undersized for a 15K lb vehicle.

 

[Cascadian]

Sounds exciting Captain!

- I'm thinking of two winches, but would rather find a good mounting option to just carry one.

Not to distract from this thread too much, but:
- What's you're plan for the new rig? Going Lance again?
- How did you decide to switch to RAM? (I'm deciding between F-550 and you choice now as well.)

Good luck!

 

[LR Max]

Permanent mount on the front. Done.

 

[Eventhough]

Permanent mount on the front. Done.

This

 

[Kruse]

Big rig, big forces

We are talking a big rig here. Expedition use or recreational sport?
What are the needs for this winch?:
Alone, self recovery; may be much easier to reverse out in your own tracks - winch mounted in the back!
In a group; blocking the trail with an angry mob forming a line behind you - winch mounted in the front!
Depending on the terrain, your options or possibilities vary greatly.
Moving a hefty winch around on your vehicle will be tough work, especially in clinging mud or a fast flowing rocky bottomed riverbed.
With a heavy vehicle it may not be easy to pull your way through the terrain using that winch. Lots of weight = enormous forces.
The more weight you hawl, the more force on that winch and gear; much more potential for damage and injury.
Always, when hawling that much load (unless you are showing off), try to take the easy, gentle way out (reverse out, try new route).
Also: Keep that stuff maintained and tested, before you need it.

 

[redneck44]

Mid mount like military vehicles, you can winch from either end.

 

[Buliwyf]

But, a 12K winch is undersized for a 15K lb vehicle.

A Volkswagon Beetle can tug my F250 out if I'm just in slick mud under wet grass and he isn't. That's the most likely "stuck senerio" for me. 3 men can allmost push my truck out. I got stuck this weekend. A Dodge 1500 gently pulled me out with his bumper hitch. Not a real hitch, just the lame little hole in the bumper type. Any force beyond 1000 pounds would have bent that bumper. Type of wheeling has a lot to do with picking a winch.
-
A Warn Xd9000i is plenty for me, usually complete overkill. I don't winch up a mountain or hardcore wheel my Fullsize. I get stuck in weird goo hardly rim deep, never axle deep. Being that he hasn't ever needed a winch before.............
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I prefer a rear mounted winch for diesels. Allready too much weight on the front axle. It's a tossup for light gassers. If your wheeling is easy dirt roads. A smaller front mounted winch is fine. But a heavy 12,000 or 15,000 pound winch, I'd rather have at the rear. I'm not winching a fullsize through anything, I'm trying to escape to try it again at a different angle without breaking through the grass or permafrost. So usually it's easier on the truck/winch to go back through your own ruts. I also don't expect to use my truck in a line of offroaders any time soon. LOL. Obviously a 15k winch ain't even going to be enough for hardcore wheelin'. But who deos that with a Fullsize with a Lance on the back?
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Won't any decent sized Lance with a shower obstruct the path of the winch cable on rear mounted winch if the truck is sunk at an angle or the road is at a lower level than the forest?

 

[4x4BNB]

Can you get away with a smaller capacity winch and a snatch block (or two)???

 

[Buliwyf]

Not really. That can be a pain, but it's possible. The weight rating is more of a useage rating when it comes to fullsize trucks. The bigger the winch the longer and harder you can use it. A smaller winch is going to get hot faster. If you really need to winch often then the 12-15 is key, but if your just sidewall deep in wet grass/mud, it's overkill. 9000 pounds is way more winching force than I've ever exerted on the nose of a truck.
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It would be cool to add a strain guage to a winch cable that shows actual forced being applied. But applying 10,000 pounds of force is going to break the truck. Cue the vid of the Ford Superduty pulling the Jeep Xj out of mud, and with a bang, both axles ripped off the Jeep. A shovel is allways a good idea.

 

[pairospam]

Just a few words on the subject; seems clear that removable big winchs are not an option, and all depends on if you are looking for trouble or not. I am building a very big rig and yes, I plan to look for some trouble, and alone, so my options are quiet limited: fixed winch on the front, fixed winch on the rear, lots of shovels, foldable sand-anchor and cabin-controlled tire inflation/deflation system.

Anyway, I hope not having to use any of these, ever.

 

[Buliwyf]

Looking for trouble? I'd likely choose the front bumper then.
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Auto tire inflation is $$$ best spent elsewhere. You'll just go back to using OBA and a hose.

 

[graynomad]

Mid mount like military vehicles, you can winch from either end.

Best way, works a treat, but likely not possible/practical on your vehicle.

 

[pairospam]

Not at all, especialy with tires this size.



I thought about putting a central mounted winch but in the end the cable and pulleys mess discouraged me. BTW, your web site has been quiet an inspiration, Rob.

 

[graynomad]

Ooo nice truck, absolutely no space wasted in the cab there Man I see a blank chassis like that and I just want to start a new design.

your web site has been quiet an inspiration

Thanks, many people seem to get something from it which is nice and a large part of why I documented the builds. You may have already seen this but just in case

http://www.robgray.com/graynomad/wothahellizat/wot2/diaries/diary_03/index.php#sheave_block
http://www.robgray.com/graynomad/wothahellizat/wot2/diaries/diary_11/index.php#sheave_block

The photos are a bit small, I must change them all but if you go that way I can send larger versions.

Interestingly the midmount on the ACCOs (my truck) had an option to pull out both sides as well I think. Now there's versatility for you.

If you could get one of those sheave block setups most of the job would be done (I used to have a spare, in Oz you could probably get one from the wreckers), if not then it would be a bit of a mission. That's probably why people mount winches at each end, with hydraulic winches that's a good option, electric would probably need a second set of batteries down the back of the truck, I think that's too long a run to use the standard batteries unless they are mounted somewhere closer to the centre of the rig.

Trouble is winches this size are not cheap and buying two of them is 2x not cheap.