trailer/winch question

[GaryR]

I have a 16-ft steel deck car hauler and want to put a winch (glad I spell checked that one   ) on, probably an 8000 or 9000 lb model.  Can I get away with bolting it to the deck at the front of the trailer (with some plate underneath to distribute the load) or do I need to weld a plate further forward.  If the latter, how thick should the plate be?  Thanks.

Gary

[C9]

8000-9000# capacity winch sounds like way too much.
Granted, depends on what you haul.

I had a lot of succes with a manual boat trailer winch rated at 1600# and had no problems dragging the dead runners up onto my open car trailer, a tandem axle 16' model with 6' ramps.

My new box trailer has an 1800# manual boat trailer winch rated 1800# on it and it's even easier.
Winding the cars up with a manual winch doesn't take too long.

An electric would be nice, but the manual is working ok for now.

I think the price for the 1800# model - purchased last November was $36.

The 1600# model was about $30. at a boat shop perhaps four years ago.

[midnight sun]

I have a 16-ft steel deck car hauler and want to put a winch (glad I spell checked that one   ) on, probably an 8000 or 9000 lb model.  Can I get away with bolting it to the deck at the front of the trailer (with some plate underneath to distribute the load) or do I need to weld a plate further forward.  If the latter, how thick should the plate be?  Thanks.

Gary

I put a 3500 lb Warn winch on my trailer.  They make a plate you can mount it to and then I through bolted the whole thing to the trailer.  I usually load up a Model A coupe so its not real heavy but I also have a friend who has basically the same setup and he loads a 55 Chev P/u and 68 Roadrunner with no problems.  Both of our trailers are wooden deck. (2x6 I believe.)

[GaryR]

I sometimes go to extremes.  I also forgot all about using a pully and doubling the force.  I think I'll go with a 3,500-4,000 pound winch and mount it to the deck.  I've considered boat winches, but with tendonitis in both wrists and one elbow, I think the electric is a luxury I'll have to afford.  Thanks.

Gary

[Beck]

I've always gone the electric route. On my enclosed trailer I had to small of a winch. I had a 33 highboy at the time. My buddy broke his 48 on a trip. I backed out the 33 and tried to pull his 48 in the trailer, but it just wouldn't pull it. It was one of the really cheap units like you see in the sale ads. Now I have an open flatbed trailer. It has a larger winch and will pull most anything up. The main thing to consider on mounting the winch is how far forward the car will be loaded. None of my cars sit high enough to clear the winch so the winch has to be far enough forward to get the car loaded in the right spot. It works nice to make them easily removeable. Try putting a slammed Caprice wagon on a 16 ft trailer that has a winch on the front of the deck. It just won't work. The second thing to consider is battery power. My trailer is set up with its own battery. It works well to mount it under one of the front corners with a door in the deck or put it on the front framework in a lockable box to hold all the straps and things. Making sure the battery is always hot is another problem. When your buddy calls and needs to be rescued it never fails, the battery is dead. Sometimes cars have to go on a trailer, but the best idea for a rod is drive it. Half of the fun of a car show is the drive there. I had lost sight of that for a few years.
Beck

[enjenjo]

I have a 4000 lb winch on a quick release mount on my trailer with a 17 ft deck. The mount is at the front of the deck, but the winch can be moved out on the tongue easily. I can also use the winch on a trailer hitch mount on the tow vehicle. The power comes from the tow vehicle battery by way of cables to the rear of the truck, and a 350 amp forklift charging plug. there is a 100 amp breaker on the tow vehicle for circuit protection.

By mounting the winch this way, I can use it for other things, store it out of sight, and out of the weather, and the winch stays home when the trailer is lent out, rarely at that.

We have loaded a 17,000 lb log on the trailer using this winch, and a six part line, with the snatch blocks we carry in our kit.

Last fall we loaded a 28 ft freight trailer on my trailer after we cut the axle out of it, for transport 30 miles to use as a storage shed. Had to extend the tongue for that one  

[Dirk35]

Dont know much about them, but I can tell you that I borrowed George's (32desoto) trailer while in Lawton last year, and his used a manual winch.

Kinda a weird winch though, took 80000000 turns of the handle to move the truck about a centimeter! Its probably rated about the same poundage also. We litarlly would grab the handle, and spin it like a top and let it round about 5-6 turns before having to give it another spin. HeHe. Sure did turn easy though, much easier than the workout I got putting the truck we were moving on a very similar trailer of my dads (when he finally made it down) with come-a-longs.

None of my dads trailers have electric winchs on them, but I can tell you that after a large John Deere, me and my sister were sure wishing they did!

If you can, over-engineer it. George's winch may have taken a lot of turns, but I can guarantee that he put some thought into it, and I dont have a doubt that my 4 year old daughter would even have any problems cranking something up there if was needed.

Thanks again George.

[phat rat]

I sometimes go to extremes.  I also forgot all about using a pully and doubling the force.  I think I'll go with a 3,500-4,000 pound winch and mount it to the deck.  I've considered boat winches, but with tendonitis in both wrists and one elbow, I think the electric is a luxury I'll have to afford.  Thanks.

Gary

Gary, a nice thing about the larger winches is they have more cable. I had a small 2500 lber (20' cable)when that went to heck I put a 8000 lber(95' cable) on and never looked back. It's nice not to have to position exactly where you need to be. I aso run a cable from the truck battery to the back of the truck with a single pole plug. Based on my experience mount the winch as near to the front of the tongue as possible so that it's not in the way of loading something low or long.

[SKR8PN]

I have a 24ft Classic enclosed trailer with a 4500lb Warn winch in it. It is mounted to the plywood floor with a steel plate on the bottom side to reinforce the floor. I lengthend the control cable to 30 ft,so I can operate it from anyplace in the trailer and it also has about 40ft of cable.If the trailer is plugged into the tow vehicle,the winch operates off of BOTH batteries. I also have a small genset just in case the battery takes a powder.Trailer also has twelve tiedowns AND loading lights, so you can tie just about anything,anywhere you need to, in the trailer. Works great.

[phat rat]

Probably should've said I'm speaking of an open trailer not enclosed also I'm generally using mine too haul inops not runners, makes a big difference when you've got all kinds of extra cable in how you need to position things

[WZ JUNK]

I have used a Superwinch brand model X3F on my tilting car trailer.  It has seen a lot of rough use by the people who have borrowed my trailer and I have repair it a few times but it works great. (Owning a tilting car trailer is like keeping keg beer in your shop. You have lots of friends) It looks too small to be able to work correctly but I have pulled large vehicles up on the trailer.  I have even loaded vehicles that were without wheels and tires but I use a snatch block when I need the extra pull.

The winch is bolted on 1\2" plate and on through the 3" oak floor of the trailer.  Yes, that is 3" oak flooring.  My friend Larry, that some of you know, had a sawmill custom cut the new flooring for my trailer.  When the floor was new and still green, I think it weighed as much as a car.

[Jimc]

I like the winch as far forward as you can get it.
I use one of the "SALE" models with enough battery leads and remote control to reeach the towing vehicle battery.
My trailer has long ramps, low metal(diamond plate) floor and is pretty easy to load.

On the subjects of trailers, my first was a wood floor model, my oldest son still has it, but the metal floor is now the only way I want to go.

Evidently, it is the way my son wants to go, he replaced the wood floor in the other trailer with metal plate on each side(about 24 inches) and left the center open.

At the time, he hauled a stock car and wanted the center open to facilitate washing the mud off the trailer floor when he washed the car.

Jim

[WZ JUNK]

I use this winch.  It is about 10 years old now, the trailer is 14 years old.

I dont loan out my trailer, it avoids problems. The times I loaned it  something always got broken.

A buddy(?) of mine hit a curb with the front right trailer tire.  He told me the tire  "just blew out".  I pointed out the bent wheel and ripped out sidewall.  He replaced the items

Crosley,  That looks just like the winch I use.  Mine has a remote.

[enjenjo]

On the subjects of trailers, my first was a wood floor model, my oldest son still has it, but the metal floor is now the only way I want to go.

Evidently, it is the way my son wants to go, he replaced the wood floor in the other trailer with metal plate on each side(about 24 inches) and left the center open.

I went the other way, my first trailer had a full steel deck, the one I have now just has wood on the sides with an open center. I have plywood panels to fit in the center if I need a full deck. Since I haul so many different types of cars, the open center gives me more options on tieing down a car.

[Jimc]

I guess that points out that the tool should fit the job.
I have pulled non roller car on my trailer, but only one, and it was apart, loaded by hand, very carefully.
My other trailer(sons) has the open acenter to wash the trailer, but would allow tying loads utilizing the cross braces.

Jim