Dedicated battery that also runs the interior 12v lighting system. It's charged by the 12v charge line from the truck.
Well - that's the way mine works..
Winch recommendations?
- Thread starter SpyderMike
- Start date
Dedicated battery that also runs the interior 12v lighting system. It's charged by the 12v charge line from the truck.
Well - that's the way mine works..
Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
That's where I was headed; the only issue I could see with that was remembering to make sure it's charged before you start loading up for an outing. I've got a Land Rover I haven't started in months that I have on a $30 Harbor Freight solar battery charger; I've been monitoring the battery and the charger seems to be doing it's job, that is, it's stopped the millivolt-or-two per day drop in open-circuit voltage the battery experiences when it's left alone (In my case the trailer storage location has now power).
I only tow a couple of times a year so the portable power supply makes sense for me. ( Don't need another battery to worry about and maintain). Plus It's handy to have on the tow in case you need it for any other jump start duties. If it depletes, you can recharge on the trip with the DC charger. It pulls the car in with no problems at all.
Isn't the portable unit a battery with built in inverter?
Yes. it's really nice to have one of these around as something always seems to need a jump start. (we have 5 cars ) For the gt40, I just carry it out to the trailer hook up and winch it in.
Ian Anderson
Lifetime Supporter
Silly question perhaps
But what is wrong with a winch with a crank handle and a bit of muscle?
Saves all the battery problems
Ian
But what is wrong with a winch with a crank handle and a bit of muscle?
Saves all the battery problems
Ian
Difficult to crank and steer at rthe same time. Makes loading with just one soul a lot harder......
Maybe Ian is suggesting that the manual winch be installed in the GT40 and the cable/hook would be hanging out the front or rear of the GT40...
Different approach anyway....
I have learned, at my ripe old age of 51, that anything I can buy that prevents me from experiencing any kind of muscle or joint pain is an easy buy.
For me, my 50s are all about pain management.
Mike
For me, my 50s are all about pain management.
Mike
Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
That's right. Furthermore in my case there's the question "what muscle?"
But more seriously I've found that I make a lot more mistakes and inujuries when I try to use manual effort; this then helps justify electric winches, electric screwdrivers, cutoff saws, etc. IOW personal energy management isn't just a matter of laziness.
Anyway back to winch choices: this thread contains references to a wide range of winch sizes. I'm familiar with those as used on the front of an off-road vehicle where the typical recommendation is 1.5 times gross vehicle weight which easily gets you into 10-12k lb winches (and a lot of money and they are VERY heavy). But there you might be pulling the entire 5,000 lb. vehicle essentially straight up out of a ditch.
But if we assume dedicated use for winching a car onto a trailer, the winch strength requirement should be lower. For example, if we assume just for the sake of argument a 30 degree maximum ramp (or bump) angle and a 3,000 lb car we need only a 1,500 lb winch. But what if as was pointed out earlier the car is no longer rolling? I suppose you then have to throw in a friction component for dragging the car; coefficient of friction <= 0.5? That's another 1,500 lb. So I would think 3,000 lb would be plenty.
Comments?
Exactly ... If I could offer any words of advice to the young (should they happen to even consider listening) I would encourage them to be kind to their knees and more sensitive about their ears...
Dittos also on the muscle... I now find that lifting a 200# engine block up off the floor and onto the work bench is work for a lift, not me... ((sigh))
Re: 3000# to drag a Broken GT40 up the ramp and into the box - I think you're probably a bit on the overkill side, but not out of reason..
You see something else that I was not stating earlier but will now - odds are good that if my racecar is that destroyed, it will be friends helping my wife (hopefully not widow) to get my mangled mess into the trailer...
I'll do anything for my friends...
Al,
Here is a nice guide for choosiong the right winch for your application:
http://media.shopatron.com/media/mf...ostPeopleDontKnowAboutWinching.pdf?1289591024
I chose the superwinch 4500 because of the referrals, the reviews, the light weight (22lbs), the performance, and the price $209. I just got it and it looks to be a real well made unit. I will be meeting with the installer next week.
Randy, I just took out one knee a month ago, not by doing anything other than twisting...man, that was depressing. Now just normal movements are risky!
Here is a nice guide for choosiong the right winch for your application:
http://media.shopatron.com/media/mf...ostPeopleDontKnowAboutWinching.pdf?1289591024
I chose the superwinch 4500 because of the referrals, the reviews, the light weight (22lbs), the performance, and the price $209. I just got it and it looks to be a real well made unit. I will be meeting with the installer next week.
Randy, I just took out one knee a month ago, not by doing anything other than twisting...man, that was depressing. Now just normal movements are risky!
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51! Damn kids.......just hit 59 and the next birthday is not a "look forward to" event!
Seymour Snerd
Lifetime Supporter
Oh, cool. I'd never seen figures for a trailer winch, just the scary ones for 4x4. Thanks. I have an 8K Superwinch on my 4X4 along with a really expensive synthetic rope (I was trying really hard to save weight). But $200 for a quality 4,000 lb winch is a steal. That's what I'm going to get. According to the table I can then pull a large enough load onto the trailer to crush the trailer. :shocked:
Here is wehat is ioncluded in the box:
winch,
mounting plate
Solenoid
remote rocker switch with 10 feet or so of pigtail
remote rocker switch disconnect with pigtail
circuit breaker assy
another rocker switch with pigtail for hard mounting somewhere else
wiring (6 Gauge stuff for beteween the solenoid and the battery, and wiring from the remote rocker switch panel mount disconnect to the solenoid)
fairlead assy
tiewraps
bolts to secure the winch to the mount.
all very nicely finished off. Alot of the connections are already made.
If it all actually works, they are giving it away....
winch,
mounting plate
Solenoid
remote rocker switch with 10 feet or so of pigtail
remote rocker switch disconnect with pigtail
circuit breaker assy
another rocker switch with pigtail for hard mounting somewhere else
wiring (6 Gauge stuff for beteween the solenoid and the battery, and wiring from the remote rocker switch panel mount disconnect to the solenoid)
fairlead assy
tiewraps
bolts to secure the winch to the mount.
all very nicely finished off. Alot of the connections are already made.
If it all actually works, they are giving it away....
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