Winch mounting options.

[Capt Eddie]

I am trying to figure out a way to use a winch but not have it permanently mounted in the front of rear. I have thought about mounting the winch on a plate. Then use chain to attach the winch to the front or rear of the truck as needed. This is a truck camper and I have additional batteries that I can draw power from as needed. I have had a similar idea on the truck I got rid of. I have two receiver tubes mounted to the front and rear of the truck. I kept the winch on the front while traveling. It did not look right with the winch just sticking out there. That I why I am trying to keep the winch in a storage box until needed. What are some other options that other people have used?

 

[Lucky j]

What is wrong with the receiver tube option? It is safe, easy to use and you can put it back in the box like you want!

 

[AFBronco235]

How big is the winch and what exactly is the truck?

I've seen setups where the winch is mounted inside the vehicle and the rope run through pulleys to the front with a snatch block up front and then run through the frame again to the back.

 

[Capt Eddie]

The winch is a Warn 12K. The truck is a Dodge 4500, CC,4x4,Diesel. With a flatbed and Lance 1040 camper. I never did think of keeping the winch in the box when not in uses with the receiver tubes. There would not be a problem installing two receivers in the front to match two of the three in the rear. Great idea.

 

[LR Max]

Mount it to the front.

Those winch receiver things are crap. They hang out on the front or rear of your truck and can be easily damaged by rocks and trees. Seen it a number of times. Extremely depressing. Also when you end up doing on off angle pull (which you will because there usually aren't any trees in the middle of the trail) that tow hitch acts like a giant prybar between your frame rails.

Or your winch is in the receiver carrier in the back of the truck. If one is stuck up to his winch receiver in mud or doesn't have enough room to install it, you are quite SOL.

Get a good heavy duty bumper and mount it to the front. Then once a month, pull the cable out and respool it. This will keep it from rusting up.

Should be good to go after that.

 

[Capt Eddie]

LR Max. You are very right in all of your observations. Let me add a few details to go along with this thread. This is a Dodge 4500 with a truck camper on the back. So I will not be taking it in severe off road locations. I would have two receiver tubes per locations to add strength for the off angle pulls. You also reminded me that a good wrap around front bumper can save a trip if I was to hit something along the way. As you know, everything of value is only inches away from the flimsy front bumper and grill. Offering no protect. So I do know that I need a good front bumper. But I also think that a winch in the back could get me out of a lot of sticky situations. Granted. In 6 years I have never used the winch for myself or anyone else. But a tow truck will cost a lot to unstuck a 17000 rig.

 

[Lucky j]

Mount it to the front.

Then once a month, pull the cable out and respool it. This will keep it from rusting up.

Should be good to go after that.

You do not need to pull the cable out for rust, just treat it one with lube while you are resooling it (super lube silicone spray is good or liquid moly is even better) and you will be good for a few year before re lubbing and rust free for more than 10 years, even in the rust belt. I know, I'm doing it! and it is not the mess you would think it is.

As for the haging of a receiver winch, yes in deed, but some people prefer that over a permenent mounted winch, but I think that he took the time to think about his needs.

Perso, I'm finishing my rear mounted winch on my 95 wrangler. Just so I won't need it!

 

[LR Max]

You do not need to pull the cable out for rust, just treat it one with lube while you are resooling it (super lube silicone spray is good or liquid moly is even better) and you will be good for a few year before re lubbing and rust free for more than 10 years, even in the rust belt. I know, I'm doing it! and it is not the mess you would think it is.

Not for the cable, but for the motor and gears. Winches can and will rust up internally, leaving you with a massive problem when you actually need it. However pulling out and re-spooling the cable once a month is good maintenance to make sure everything is working.

I say it because too many times people have winches that don't work. That makes a flop even more of a bad time.

 

[Thirty-Nine]

Mount it to the front.

Those winch receiver things are crap. They hang out on the front or rear of your truck and can be easily damaged by rocks and trees. Seen it a number of times. Extremely depressing. Also when you end up doing on off angle pull (which you will because there usually aren't any trees in the middle of the trail) that tow hitch acts like a giant prybar between your frame rails.

I can't speak for other brands of carriers, but I know the Warn ones are only rated for winches up to 10,000 lbs.

 

[troyboy162]

Ive been using a receiver mounted winch for a few years. No issues with it although my bumpers were made with it in mind. I'd have to agree that side loading your frame needs to be addressed by beefing things up or avoided. I've seen them designed to tuck in tight, but mine is not and gets removed after each use.
if you go this route spend the extra for synthetic line. You will thank your self each time you have to install or remove it. Figure you will not be on even ground and its dangerously heavy even with synthetic line.

 

[Lucky j]

Good point about the weight. synthetic and more even more steel. You will want to plan a head so you do not have to walk in a nasty place carrying the winch in your hand. let say deep mud or bolders! But then again, you are mentionning it is not for extreme off roading.

 

[lqdchkn]

I like feet forward mounting designs since then your not winching at 90* to your mounting bolts and thus at the mercy of their strength.

 

[Stumpalump]

136 lbs winch plus the mount should be over 150lbs. Let's put it in a box with some other recovery gear to get it over 200. So on that rainy night when you pull over and slide into the grassy runoff ditch your gonna dig that beast out, carry it up the muddy hill to the front, align two receiver tubes that are now tweaked from the last pull and be loaded all back up by morning. Your the man!
You can run the cable under your rig to pull from behind. The axle tubes act as cable guides but do a test run in your drive to eyeball everything and weld up a slider guide or something if you think it may hit a tranny cooler or something under your bumper. That is a extremely rare requirement unless you use it to load trailers. You can still use a receiver mount to go from rig to rig and use those hitch pins that lock with a key but I've seen people dig out a winch on a hill. It ain't pretty and for some reason the winch shifted and shattered the connector or pinched and cut the controller wire. Too much to go wrong. At the point you need it you already have enough problems so just leave it on the front. If not plan your box, storage locations and your physical capability with diligence or better yet bolt that heavy pig to the front like everybody else.

 

[Lucky j]

I think we are getting a little over board with the weight here.


Unless he use the M12000 (136 lbs), the other warn are all lighter than that (98-100 lbs) but still heavy. + the mounting plate probably a max of 150 lbs. But I do not think he need to pull the complete kit out of the truck to use the winch. At least not on the same lift. I do not like them, but he could use synthetic line to reduce the weight.

As for using the cable under the truck, this will put a lot of strain on the lower fairlead, rollers have a much smaller diameter than a snatch block, all that also depend on how the bumper is built so the wire will not rub againts any sharp edge. (forget about the syntetic line). Also maybe it is easy in Arizona sand, but forget runing a line under the lenght of a truck in deep mud or big rock.

As for angle pulls, he can always use a snatch block on the other side of the trail to realign the wire that do not have an ancor point in the middle of the trail.

And for a final tought about winching, if you need the full strengh of your winch to pull you out of trouble, Maybe you should look Under your rig to see if you are not hook on something big. A recovery operation need good planning and thinking to make it safe and efficient. But we all know that wright!

As for the rest, they are good argument about different option. They all have good and bads regarding what you want to do and their will ben more. That is all part of your reflexion.

 

[Stumpalump]

I think we are getting a little over board with the weight here.


Unless he use the M12000 (136 lbs), the other warn are all lighter than that (98-100 lbs) but still heavy. + the mounting plate probably a max of 150 lbs. But I do not think he need to pull the complete kit out of the truck to use the winch. At least not on the same lift. I do not like them, but he could use synthetic line to reduce the weight.

As for using the cable under the truck, this will put a lot of strain on the lower fairlead, rollers have a much smaller diameter than a snatch block, all that also depend on how the bumper is built so the wire will not rub againts any sharp edge. (forget about the syntetic line). Also maybe it is easy in Arizona sand, but forget runing a line under the lenght of a truck in deep mud or big rock.

As for angle pulls, he can always use a snatch block on the other side of the trail to realign the wire that do not have an ancor point in the middle of the trail.

And for a final tought about winching, if you need the full strengh of your winch to pull you out of trouble, Maybe you should look Under your rig to see if you are not hook on something big. A recovery operation need good planning and thinking to make it safe and efficient. But we all know that wright!

As for the rest, they are good argument about different option. They all have good and bads regarding what you want to do and their will ben more. That is all part of your reflexion.

Your right but I'm done with synthetic. I'll keep it on my light Jeep until it breaks again but especially on a truck that is not as weight sensitive synthetic is a joke. Sure is a different debate but in my experience synthetic breaks, melts, cuts and loses half it's strength as soon as it's a couple of years old and full of sand and dirt. One rock or sharp point on a vehicle cuts it but on a cable you can drag it across anything and it seems stronger in real world use plus it lasts a whole lot longer. I don't trust either but I trust synthetic less so I'm never buying it again. Safety smafety, unless you really need the weight savings like on a remote mount then don't buy the bling plastic rope.