Which Winch??? Pickup Canopy build

[roaring_stag]

I am having a pickup canopy built for me by N J Aluminium Linings, who are constructing a winch shelf/bracket and building extra strength into the bulkhead end to deal with the winch force.

I have been instructed to buy my own winch, which they will then fit into the canopy build.

Obviously I don’t need something that will move mountains (or vehicles) as the purpose of the build is to be able to haul red deer into the back of the tub.

At the moment I am looking at either a Warn or a Winchmax one - 3,000lb (1,361kg) Original Orange 12v Electric Winch, 15.5m x 5mm Dyneema Rope, 1/4 Hook, Wireless Remote Controls. - Winchmax

Ideally I would like a synthetic rope, and wireless/remote operation as an option. . . If anyone has any other suggestions or brands to look at then please share.

Some photos of the setup which will be built in for me:

Thanks!

RS

 

[deerstalker.308]

I’ve got a super winch terra 35 in mine which does just fine for large lowland reds

 

[deerstalker.308]

 

[sikasako]

N & J are a great firm to deal with.
I am on my second canopy from them. (Pesky Toyota changed pick-up bed size, so my original one, although perfectly fine wouldn’t fit the new Hilux).
My friend has a canopy similar to yours which N & J supplied and fitted a winch.
From memory his canopy had a rear crossmember fitted at roof height which allowed the winch wire to run through a pulley and provide a high level pull for getting the reds into the pickup bed.
Why not ask N & J if there is a particular winch that is popular with other customers?

 

[roaring_stag]

N & J are a great firm to deal with.
I am on my second canopy from them. (Pesky Toyota changed pick-up bed size, so my original one, although perfectly fine wouldn’t fit the new Hilux).
My friend has a canopy similar to yours which N & J supplied and fitted a winch.
From memory his canopy had a rear crossmember fitted at roof height which allowed the winch wire to run through a pulley and provide a high level pull for getting the reds into the pickup bed.
Why not ask N & J if there is a particular winch that is popular with other customers?

That’s frustrating that you had to change canopies …. As they are not a cheap investment!

I asked the staff at NJ about whether they had a preferance on size/mounting plate etc, basically they said whatever winch you provide us, we will fabricate the mounting bracket and shelf to suit.

Interesting suggestion about adding a pulley/winch point in to increase angle…. Are you talking about a second lift point closer to the tailgate for this?

RS

 

[jthyttin]

Interesting suggestion about adding a pulley/winch point in to increase angle…. Are you talking about a second lift point closer to the tailgate for this?

Don't really see benefit in this. For something else, maybe, but getting a beast on truck bed definite no.

 

[75]

Don't really see benefit in this. For something else, maybe, but getting a beast on truck bed definite no.

Stops the cable rubbing on tailgate and wearing a groove in it

 

[sikasako]

That’s frustrating that you had to change canopies …. As they are not a cheap investment!

I asked the staff at NJ about whether they had a preferance on size/mounting plate etc, basically they said whatever winch you provide us, we will fabricate the mounting bracket and shelf to suit.

Interesting suggestion about adding a pulley/winch point in to increase angle…. Are you talking about a second lift point closer to the tailgate for this?

RS

That’s correct. Rear cross member allows winch line to operate via snatch block to help avoid reds snagging on way in.
He had a storage box in the bed of his pickup so it was quite a height (and steep) to get the deer in.

 

[deerstalker.308]

That’s correct. Rear cross member allows winch line to operate via snatch block to help avoid reds snagging on way in.
He had a storage box in the bed of his pickup so it was quite a height (and steep) to get the deer in.

I’ve often thought a second point towards the rear of the truck (as it near the tailgate) would be handy for just this purpose but my current set up works, perhaps a modification for the next wagon it gets fitted into though

 

[jthyttin]

The rear cross member will get the angle progressively worse when tub/beast/whatever is closing on it, and make the switch to point further towards the front of vehicle difficult (you'd have to somehow secure the load, back up the tension on the winch, and reattach w/o using the rear point; doable but takes some fiddling).

 

[sikasako]

The rear cross member will get the angle progressively worse when tub/beast/whatever is closing on it, and make the switch to point further towards the front of vehicle difficult (you'd have to somehow secure the load, back up the tension on the winch, and reattach w/o using the rear point; doable but takes some fiddling).

That’s the whole point of the snatch block.

Easy peasy to deploy / detach from winch line as necessary.

 

[roaring_stag]

That’s the whole point of the snatch block.

Easy peasy to deploy / detach from winch line as necessary.

I get the idea of this, and like the thought of incorporating this into the build, however I am with @jthyttin in some ways about the difficulty/faff of transferring the load somehow to then unload the snatch block and then putting the load onto winch for the final pull into place.

I have opted for a +4 inches in height in the canopy, and the winch will be fitted as high as possible - hopefully to give me the greatest angle of pull from the start ….

Points taken on winch line rubbing on tailgate - need to figure whether sliding tray/runners/ramp might be deployed or used? Any thoughts?

 

[sikasako]

Why not get N & J to make up something to suit (and avoid wrecking your tailgate).

The most effective that I have seen in use was a stainless steel plate that had a lip fitted to stop it riding up on the tailgate when the deer is being winched in.

The plate stored away nicely and didn’t take up much space. (Which can be the downfall for ramps which are rather bulky)

 

[@theroedeerguy]

I get the idea of this, and like the thought of incorporating this into the build, however I am with @jthyttin in some ways about the difficulty/faff of transferring the load somehow to then unload the snatch block and then putting the load onto winch for the final pull into place.

I have opted for a +4 inches in height in the canopy, and the winch will be fitted as high as possible - hopefully to give me the greatest angle of pull from the start ….

Points taken on winch line rubbing on tailgate - need to figure whether sliding tray/runners/ramp might be deployed or used? Any thoughts?

The old Game International Landrover pick up had a bespoke canopy fabricated by Gray Adams.
Instead of additional ramps, the factory lower rear tub door was removed and a bespoke aluminium door/ramp replaced it.
No photos unfortunately but if I was going to be designing a canopy for extraction, a hinged rear ramp door would be ideal, user friendly and easy to clean.
Almost like a lighter version of a livestock trailer ramp that replaces the tailgate and encloses the canopy.

 

[jthyttin]

You should anyway drop the tailgate if winching a load in, helps with the angle. And low cost solutiong to angle is long enough ramp. Two piece or hinged ramp doesn't take any more space than non-hinged (only the board thickness). And if in doubt just make / ask solution that ramp can be mounted on top of canopy.

 

[75]

The rear cross member will get the angle progressively worse when tub/beast/whatever is closing on it, and make the switch to point further towards the front of vehicle difficult (you'd have to somehow secure the load, back up the tension on the winch, and reattach w/o using the rear point; doable but takes some fiddling).

You don’t put the secondary point right at the back otherwise you would be winching almost vertically. You put it 1/2 way back or so, so you are winching from high up in canopy not bed level, then there is no issues taking load off to remove snatch block etc. or mount the winch high as roaring stag suggested.

 

[Gm81]

I would use a rhino winch. I have mates that do tree work. One of them kills everything. Saws, chippers and gear. Surprisingly the rhino winch is 3yrs old on the front of his Hilux. But all the lads have had no issues pulling timber and 4wd use. Which is great for such a cheap winch. Warn will be near a grand. I was pricing one for my quad. It was over £200 for a wireless remote. A 4500lb one should do it. Unless you go heavy so it's not being worked hard. My Polaris one was rated max load pulls -1100 times. 61p a pull. So not much. A rhino winch will be a lot cheaper.

 

[jthyttin]

or mount the winch high as roaring stag suggested

Since he put example pics what he was getting in the OP, and winch was mounted in the canopy roof in those, I thought this was the basis for discussion.

One word of caution comes to mind, if OP is not familiar with electric winches. If winch is using main battery, ALWAYS make sure the car is running before winching. Yes the pulls are short and yes it will probably only draw 50-100A but in some cases it could make all the difference. Like bad battery and cold weather combined (assuming you use e.g. quad to get the beasts to truck that has been waiting, maybe cabin lights lef on in accident etc.)

Regarding winch selection, a trailer winch would probably be best. They're designed for repetitive pulls and are somewhat fast. Also brake(s) might be different than in recovery winches. And if you want backup for the winch, lever hoist with 3m chain is quite inexpensive. They're rated for lifting so 250kg model should be enough, but 500kg would have easier lever movement although bulkier. Have some extra rope or slings also.

 

[John Gryphon]

150 quid..24 m`s of syn rope...cheap as chips and will pull like a 14 year old boy.

Home Page - Adventure Kings

www.4wdsupacentre.com.au

 

[roaring_stag]

One word of caution comes to mind, if OP is not familiar with electric winches. If winch is using main battery, ALWAYS make sure the car is running before winching. Yes the pulls are short and yes it will probably only draw 50-100A but in some cases it could make all the difference. Like bad battery and cold weather combined (assuming you use e.g. quad to get the beasts to truck that has been waiting, maybe cabin lights lef on in accident etc.)

Yes thanks for that…. Worth pointing out though!

I would use a rhino winch. I have mates that do tree work. One of them kills everything. Saws, chippers and gear. Surprisingly the rhino winch is 3yrs old on the front of his Hilux. But all the lads have had no issues pulling timber and 4wd use. Which is great for such a cheap winch. Warn will be near a grand. I was pricing one for my quad. It was over £200 for a wireless remote. A 4500lb one should do it. Unless you go heavy so it's not being worked hard. My Polaris one was rated max load pulls -1100 times. 61p a pull. So not much. A rhino winch will be a lot cheaper.

Will have a look at the rhino stuff… thank you!

The old Game International Landrover pick up had a bespoke canopy fabricated by Gray Adams.
Instead of additional ramps, the factory lower rear tub door was removed and a bespoke aluminium door/ramp replaced it.
No photos unfortunately but if I was going to be designing a canopy for extraction, a hinged rear ramp door would be ideal, user friendly and easy to clean.
Almost like a lighter version of a livestock trailer ramp that replaces the tailgate and encloses the canopy.

Would love to have a look at that if anyone has any photos!