Winch power for the back of a truck!

A

Antonyweeks

Well-Known Member
Hi
I've a normal plug winch/hoist. I use it in my larder successfully. Having had a tricky carcass retrieval yesterday and the back pain lifting issues of getting two large red hinds into the back of my truck I wondered whether I could temporarily attach the winch to the back of the truck bed. The issue for me is one of power: is there a way of getting a caravan/car battery hooked up to the winch. I don't want to plumb the thing permanently into the back of the truck so I was thinking that if I had a 12v battery I could somehow 'plug' the winch into it. I've seen inverters on Amazon but I'm not particularly technically minded. Any help would be appreciated.
 
It really depends on whether you want to run the winch once or twice or if you want to run it lots - with engine running and effectively driving it off the engines alternator.

No experience of pickups, but have installed anchor winches on boats. Ideally you want the battery as close to winch as possible and connect it with heavy duty cables. Winches draw lots of amps.

To recharge the battery use a battery charger back at base, or stick a simple solar panel on it, or wire it in parallel with the main battery with a cut out switch. Best solution would be to use a DC to DC type charger.

These days portable power packs with multiple different input and outputs may be a better / neater solution. Especially by the time you have bought a battery, wiring and then rigged all together. Such powerbanks can be recharged at home, and whilst driving via a cigarette lighter in the cab.
 
Antonyweeks said:
Hi
I've a normal plug winch/hoist. I use it in my larder successfully. Having had a tricky carcass retrieval yesterday and the back pain lifting issues of getting two large red hinds into the back of my truck I wondered whether I could temporarily attach the winch to the back of the truck bed. The issue for me is one of power: is there a way of getting a caravan/car battery hooked up to the winch. I don't want to plumb the thing permanently into the back of the truck so I was thinking that if I had a 12v battery I could somehow 'plug' the winch into it. I've seen inverters on Amazon but I'm not particularly technically minded. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Dave Evans answer is the simple way...running a good quality welding type cable is not easy to do and keep neat also crimping end's etc
Having made a few recovery trucks also modified artic trailers for winching xxl caravans the cables and fittings need to be spot on.
Winching a 80/90kg deer is not much just you need to fix it down well and don't expect to drag them miles with a mid size winch.
 
Antonyweeks said:
Hi
I've a normal plug winch/hoist. I use it in my larder successfully. Having had a tricky carcass retrieval yesterday and the back pain lifting issues of getting two large red hinds into the back of my truck I wondered whether I could temporarily attach the winch to the back of the truck bed. The issue for me is one of power: is there a way of getting a caravan/car battery hooked up to the winch. I don't want to plumb the thing permanently into the back of the truck so I was thinking that if I had a 12v battery I could somehow 'plug' the winch into it. I've seen inverters on Amazon but I'm not particularly technically minded. Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you are using a 240v winch in the larder?
 
Buy a 12v ATV winch - they draw much less current and will easily pull the largest red.

Just make sure the fixings are sufficient - maybe an A-frame etc.
 

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Dont forget that doing a compound truck drivers hitch x 3 on the one rope will pull any deer into the bed of a ute.
 
Get a 12v quad winch (they aren't expensive) and a car battery (not a leisure battery) and you'll be good to go. Depending on how much you'll use it you may not need to hard wire it in and instead remove the battery after a stalk and put it on charge. If you do want to wire it in then split charger kits are available on ebay which are pretty straight forward to fit and look at an Anderson connector so you can unplug the winch easily and take it out
 
Run cables from your car battery to an Anderson plug in your truck, then that way when you remove winch all your left with is a plug?
 
Antonyweeks said:
I don't know how this would work? I know a trucker hitch for fastening stuff down but not sure how it would as a winch?
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Three compound knots in the one line has more pulling power than a 14 year old boy.
I know of a car being pulled up the ramp onto a car trailer by the same method. Every extra knot added inline adds to the pull factor.
 
No need to complicate it.

Fine if you want to get a winch fitted.

The pictures on the thread I bumped up 5 mins ago on the Equipment and Accessories page keeps it simple.

If you can't get an aluminium ramp, just get a cutting of wet wall 4'6" x 18"-2' and fix a bit of redwood framing centrally on the underside with countersunk stainless steel screws.
Open your tailgate and place the wetwall ramp on the outermost edge of the tailgate.
Attach the rope on the pulleys on the head or Haunches of the beast and pull it up.
it works a treat, no huffing and puffing.
You are not lifting the carcase clean off the ground just sliding it up the ramp.

When all done just slide the wetwall ramp in the back of the pickup and away you go.

If you fancy you can buy a warne drill winch and save pulling a bit of rope, but it is just more expense and things to forget or flat batteries.

Cheers
 
John Gryphon said:
Three compound knots in the one line has more pulling power than a 14 year old boy.
I know of a car being pulled up the ramp onto a car trailer by the same method. Every extra knot added inline adds to the pull factor.
Click to expand...
I've used that method to 'guide' trees down, but used d shackles in the loop to stop the wear on the rope. Good thought!
 
Or just a manual hoist and save all the bother. It will cost a lot less than the battery alone, can be folded away in a cubby hole until needed and never run the battery flat! If it’s a 1:4 or even 1:6 it would save a lot of effort. As said it would still need a good anchor point.
 
Plenty of these about here and electric at a higher price. Perfect for utes of course. I figure one mounted on a plate that slips into the tow bar would be handy for utes with canopy fitted.

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