Electric winches require battery power to operate. With proper wiring, power to the winch can be supplied by the vehicle battery or by a separate auxiliary battery that powers the winch only.
Connecting a Trailer-Mounted Winch
There are two ways to provide power to a winch mounted on a trailer. The two options are shown below.
Option 1: Connect the Trailer Winch Wires to the Vehicle
- Recommended for light to medium lifters on a regular basis
- Requires a vehicle battery with at least 440 amps of cold current and a 60 amp alternator.
- Applications include quick disconnects to facilitate connection of the trailer-mounted jack to the power source from the vehicle battery
Procedure
The Back of the Vehicle
- Find a place to install the quick disconnect device on the side of the car at the end of the long power cord and the short ground wire
- Ground the short wire from the quick disconnect to a clean metal surface on the car frame
- Run long power runs from the quick disconnect to the vehicle's battery in the engine compartment, avoiding areas where wires may become too hot or become stressed.
Under the Cover
- Connect the power cord from the back of the vehicle to the positive post on the vehicle battery
- Note: If a circuit breaker is included with the winch, the circuit breaker must be installed in line with the power cord connected to the vehicle battery.
- Using the short, separate wire with holes at both ends, ground the battery to a clean metal surface on the vehicle's frame
On the Winch
Attach the side of the trailer with a quick winch disconnect.
- Connect the power cable to the positive post on the winch
- Connect the ground wire to the negative ground post on the hoist
- Pass the opposite ends of the two wires, the quick-disconnect end, into the trailer coupler for use
To provide power to the winch, simply connect the trailer-side quickly disconnect to the vehicle-side quick disconnect.
Option 2: Wire the Winch to a Separate Trailer-Mounted Battery
- Recommended for heavy lifting and repetitive lifting
- Requires a vehicle battery with at least 440 amps of cold current and a 60 amp alternator.
- It is not necessary to connect the trailer to a vehicle in order for the winch to receive power
- The battery is separate from the car's battery, ensuring that the winch's tow vehicle battery does not drain during heavy use
Procedure
1- Install the trailer battery in a secure location on the front of the trailer
- Protecting the battery from the elements will extend the life of the battery and winch wiring connections
- It is recommended that the battery be placed inside a toolbox and/or battery box
2- Connect the power and ground connections to the appropriate posts on the jack
3- Connect the power wires and ground wires to the trailer-mounted battery
4- Connect the power lead to the positive post on the battery, then connect the ground wire to the negative post on the battery
- Note: If a circuit breaker is included with the winch, the circuit breaker must be installed in line with the power cord connected to the trailer battery
5- The battery must be recharged periodically to maintain the charge. With additional wiring, charging can be maintained through the 12-volt accessory circuit from the trailer connector, which draws power from the vehicle's battery. This involves extra wiring steps.
- Once you are sure that the 12 volt accessory circuit pin on the 7-way trailer connector is supplying power, run a 12 gauge wire from the corresponding pin on the trailer-side connector to the positive post on the trailer-mounted battery
- Make sure the trailer end connector has a good ground connection to the trailer frame
- Connect your trailer battery to the trailer frame using 12 gauge wire
- Install a ring terminal on both ends of the ground wire
- Connect one end of the ground wire to the negative post on the battery mounted on the trailer
- Using a self-tapping screw, connect the remaining end to a clean metal surface on the trailer frame
- When the vehicle is running and the trailer and vehicle are connected, the 12 volt wire will maintain the charge of the trailer winch mounted battery
- Note: When operating the winch, the trailer cables must be disconnected from the tow vehicle. Failure to do so may cause an overload on the 12-volt accessory wire carrying current to the trailer-mounted battery, which could damage the battery and 12-volt circuit.
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