Need a winch for my Flatbed trailer ... what to get?

[FATCAT]

I am looking for a winch and a mounting option for my new 16' flatbed trailer. The trailer has a 9000 lb GVW rating with wood floorboards.



I mainly use the trailer for moving around my Kubota tractor, but could also use it to haul around a car if the circumstances warrant it.



If my tractor poops out or I need to recover a car on the trailer, what size winch would I need ... 5000 lb max? 8000 lb max? Warn or Ramsey?



Also where should I mount the winch? On the two frame rails that lead to the hitch -or- on the trailer itself in the very front?



If you suggest mounting the winch on the trailer frame rails, what is the safest way to mount the winch (bolts, weld ... need this to be as easy as possible since I don't know how to weld)? What sort of steel plate is available for these winch?



I would probably purchase a spare deep cycle battery to mount on the trailer as well instead of run wires down the length of the truck.



Also, should I consider the mobile type winches (i. e. ones that attach to your 2" receiver)? I do have a front as well as rear receiver hitch on the old truck.

 

[SRadke]

We have a 6000 und Warn that I mounted on a plate with a trailer hitch stinger. Then I welded a hitch reciever tube in the gooseneck of the trailer and it has yet to fail me. I've pulled on loads as heavy as a CTD, or a 6000 lb vibratory roller with no problems. Very easy to remove and can be used in anything with a hitch.



My suggestion would be if you have any doubt be sure you have enough cable to stretch from the winch to the end of the ramps and back so you can double the pull if necessary, but I haven't had to yet. Good luck.



-Scott

 

[willyslover]

Summit and many others in the 4x4 world have a great price on a MileMarker 9000 lb right now. . $450. 00 would be a great trailer winch !

 

[jmadden]

The MileMarker is VERY slow, but is showing itself to be VERY reliable as well. If speed isn't an issue it would probably fit the bill quite well and... I'd rather have too much winch than not enough.



jm

 

[DMenzel]

I have a 6000 lb. Ramsey on the front of my 27' gooseneck. I pulled a '50 Chev 5400 grain truck up on it with a single line pull without any trouble.

 

[FATCAT]

Originally posted by DMenzel

I have a 6000 lb. Ramsey on the front of my 27' gooseneck. I pulled a '50 Chev 5400 grain truck up on it with a single line pull without any trouble.

How do you have it mounted to the trailer? Did you fabricate a steel mounting plate or is it a hitch mount?

 

[willyslover]

FC. . the cross bar that goes up for the G/N will support the load just fine. . if you are going with a very heavy load regularly you can brace the a bunch if needed. . that way the winch is high enough to clear the pulled rig and the rear edge of the trailer and won't cut the winch rope / wire

 

[FATCAT]

Well, I don't have a gooseneck trailer, I have a new 4-Ton Cam Flatdeck. The trailer Foot is at the hitch point, not on the side of the hitch beams like in the picture.



So I'm just trying to figure where to put this winch.

The best thing I can think of is a steel plate acrost the "V" trailer beams, then mount the winch to that ... or get one of those hitch/portable mounted units. I wonder if there is a receiver extension (like pluging a two outlet power strip into one electrical outlet), that could be installed into my existing receiver so I can have the trailer attached and still have another 2" receiver to put the winch in above the coupler.

 

[SRadke]

I think you'll fine the receiver setup to be very handy. If you decide to go that route put a reciever on the front of the trailer instead of messing with the pickup hitch. It could be mounted on the "V" or possibly even mounted vertically right on the front of the deck. The winch/reciever I made has a roller fairlead right on it so pulling from a 90° angle to the bottom is no problem at all. I can't tell from the photo how much material is at the front of the trailer to mount to but keep in mind the torque pulling like this will put on the receiver and brace it accordingly.



Solid mounting to a plate right on the "V" would be less difficult if you don't mind leaving the winch on the trailer in the weather and road grime all the time.



-Scott

 

[jimk]

electric wench

I bought two at one time at Henrietta TX. . at Peirce Sales. They are warranty units that had been repaired and ready for sale. Be sure to buy the units with ball bearings in the motor, not bushed units. One is on my trailer and one is going on my wench truck as a extra wench. Both are 9k units. One is a wide and one is a narrow spool. Use a big battery and good connections. I did not regret buying them. I got them for half the price and had the same warranty. Looked new to me. I added a extra grease Zerk on one of the end bells as I thought it needed it. good luck Jim

 

[FATCAT]

Originally posted by SRadke

I think you'll fine the receiver setup to be very handy. If you decide to go that route put a reciever on the front of the trailer instead of messing with the pickup hitch. It could be mounted on the "V" or possibly even mounted vertically right on the front of the deck. The winch/reciever I made has a roller fairlead right on it so pulling from a 90° angle to the bottom is no problem at all. I can't tell from the photo how much material is at the front of the trailer to mount to but keep in mind the torque pulling like this will put on the receiver and brace it accordingly.



Solid mounting to a plate right on the "V" would be less difficult if you don't mind leaving the winch on the trailer in the weather and road grime all the time.



-Scott

So you have something like a 2" receiver tube welded to the front of your trailer frame vertically, then slide in your winch which then is facing sky-ward, then run the winch line in a 90 degree direction down the trailer bed to the item you are winching?

Wouldn't that (over time) leave a grove in your fairlead roller?



This solution would be the easiest for me to implement since I have about 4" of steel on the trailer frame to mount a receiver tube too.

 

[SRadke]

Originally posted by FATCAT

So you have something like a 2" receiver tube welded to the front of your trailer frame vertically, then slide in your winch which then is facing sky-ward, then run the winch line in a 90 degree direction down the trailer bed to the item you are winching?

Wouldn't that (over time) leave a grove in your fairlead roller?



This solution would be the easiest for me to implement since I have about 4" of steel on the trailer frame to mount a receiver tube too.

No, actually mine is mounted horizontally in the gooseneck but I don't see any reason why it couldn't be mounted vertically down lower. The fairleads are hardened steel and a long as the rollers still turn (aren't frozen up) it shouldn't wear badly on them. I expect it would take hundreds (if not thousands) of high load winching events to start a groove in the fairlead. It's an idea to think about.



-Scott

 

[bombero]

Ive wenched stuff for 30+ years. Looking at your trailer I would mount a 8000 Ramsey/Warn on the front of the bed and weld everything to the frame. Regaurdless what someone said, you want to pull straight out from the back of the wench as much as you can

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

What do you want to spend?

How often will you use it?

Will it be easy to hook up heavy electrical cables needed for an electric winch?



I have a car trailer used to haul a 3500 lb car. I do so only occasionally. I am using a 2500 lb. boat winch, manual crank version. Pulling the car up the ramp may be easier with the reduction gear position of the handle. Finishing the job can be done with the direct drive handle position. Since you are only dragging the car, not lifting it, the winch need not be as heavy as for recovery from mud, etc. By the way, an 8000 lb rated winch is rated to pull, not lift. The lift rating would be half that.

 

[FATCAT]

Originally posted by Joseph Donnelly

What do you want to spend?

How often will you use it?

Will it be easy to hook up heavy electrical cables needed for an electric winch?



I have a car trailer used to haul a 3500 lb car. I do so only occasionally. I am using a 2500 lb. boat winch, manual crank version. Pulling the car up the ramp may be easier with the reduction gear position of the handle. Finishing the job can be done with the direct drive handle position. Since you are only dragging the car, not lifting it, the winch need not be as heavy as for recovery from mud, etc. By the way, an 8000 lb rated winch is rated to pull, not lift. The lift rating would be half that.

Like everyone ... I want to spend as little as possible, but I do like the idea of having the winch portable. Being able to remove it from the trailer and use it either in my front or back receiver hitch if ever needed.

This would be an item that I would infrequently use. Heaviest thing I would pull onto the trailer would be a car 4K Max?



Bombero, I know you say to have the winch welded to the trailer, but the bed is made of Hemlock wood, so welding would be out. would need to steel plate above and below the wood with bolts through everything.



I wish there was some type of plat that could be attached to the "V" frame just in front of the trailer deck and behind the ball hitch, then have some 2" receiver tube welded/attached to the plate and raised (above the lip of the trailer bed), then I could attach a Ramsey QM8000 or a Warn X8000i or a MileMarker Patriot with receiver mount, to that receiver tube.



It might be worth looking at getting a regular truck Receiver Hitch

from Drawtite or who ever and have it welded upside down to the "V" frame in front of the deck. This should give the clearence I need above the trailer bed lip.

 

[SRadke]

Originally posted by FATCAT

I wish there was some type of plat that could be attached to the "V" frame just in front of the trailer deck and behind the ball hitch, then have some 2" receiver tube welded/attached to the plate and raised (above the lip of the trailer bed)

There is no reason you can't do this. Many auto parts stores stock just a reciever tube about 12" long and you can build (or have built) the rest. It'll look a little awkward with no winch in it but would work great.



-Scott