Winch advice please

[walshie]

Hi all,
Well yesterday we picked up our first trailer tent, hoping for some family camping fun this summer. We got it home and realised that whilst it's easy to manoeuvre on the flat, as soon as we tried to manoeuvre it up our drive (which is on a gradient and onto a main road) it was too much for me and the wife especially whilst trying to control a small child.

Therefore, my idea was to buy a small electric winch to take it up the drive to the house in a controlled manner (and remove the risk of it ending up in the main road!!)

I've never looked at winches before so thought you guys might be able to offer any advice on what spec I should be looking for, and anything to avoid??

All advice gratefully received! :bow :bow

Cheers
Matt:

 

[kitchenman]

I have a small 3,000 lb load winch I bought for a similar job, moving a caravan in tight space.
It hooks onto the tow hitch or with a strop a tree even
I have pulled my Partner van up my vehicle crossing, three blokes could not do it. I punched a hole in the concrete drive with my Kango & hooked the winch to the Kango breaker chisel
It is like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3000lb-12VOLT-PORTABLE-WINCH-TRAILER-ATV-BOAT-QUAD-/261369963582?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cdadd243e

 

[Sweety]

A small electric winch would need a mounting bracket of some sort & a quick release plug fitted if it's just to be mounted to move the trailer but TBH I would just get a hand winch as it would be a great deal cheaper & would take up a lot less room if you were going to store it in the boot

 

[AlexD333]

Yeah sounds good, just make sure it's secure :thumb2

As mentioned you wont need a huge one, my terrano one is 13,000lbs but for a trailer on Tarmac only you wont need anywhere near that :thumb2

 

[johnb5177]

I have a small 3,000 lb load winch I bought for a similar job, moving a caravan in tight space.
It hooks onto the tow hitch or with a strop a tree even
I have pulled my Partner van up my vehicle crossing, three blokes could not do it. I punched a hole in the concrete drive with my Kango & hooked the winch to the Kango breaker chisel
It is like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3000lb-12VOLT-PORTABLE-WINCH-TRAILER-ATV-BOAT-QUAD-/261369963582?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cdadd243e

I use one of these out in the woods for pulling thinnings.......that is when I`m not using the T2 as a timberjack.......it really does pull over biggies.....:thumb2

Only thought is that they supply with a cigarette lighter plug, and it is rated quite high on the draw......the only high draw socket is the one in the back......not sure if it is enough.......opinion please, so that I can get rid of the miles of cable and spring clamps onto the battery......

 

[Blocky10]

When we had our trailer tent I fitted a front tow hitch and pushed it up our drive into the garage. A front hitch is usually off centre so you can see up the side of the trailer.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

You can get those self contained trailer winches that have a towball on one end, and a loop on the other end. They do both hand wound ones, or ones that run off a 12v battery. My Ex's dad used a hand one to pull his Eriba Puck up the hill into his garage for many years with no problem.

Like this...
Hand Winch

Electric type

He purchased one of these and set it in the back of the garage to winch from. The great thing was, he could remove it when he wanted to put the car in there.

 

[AlexD333]

Bit thin i imagine the wiring to the cigar lighter, my winch cabling is very thick :nenau

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

I use one of these out in the woods for pulling thinnings.......that is when I`m not using the T2 as a timberjack.......it really does pull over biggies.....:thumb2

Only thought is that they supply with a cigarette lighter plug, and it is rated quite high on the draw......the only high draw socket is the one in the back......not sure if it is enough.......opinion please, so that I can get rid of the miles of cable and spring clamps onto the battery......

I wouldn't try one of those plugged into a cigar socket. The fewer joins and connectors between it and the battery the better. The rear sockets would be even worse, as you have a load of extra wire in the circuit. Even a small 2000lb winch draws 25 to 35 amp

Either clip it directly to the battery, or use one of those power packs, which would be safer as you can rest it local the the winch without the car needing to even be there.

 

[walshie]

Cheers for all the advice guys, I think I might start with a hand winch and go from there, I don't mind it being slow I just want it controlled and safe because the main road is at the bottom of the slope.
It seems some of the electric winches only wind in not out which I didn't realise:doh

 

[AlexD333]

Cheers for all the advice guys, I think I might start with a hand winch and go from there, I don't mind it being slow I just want it controlled and safe because the main road is at the bottom of the slope.
It seems some of the electric winches only wind in not out which I didn't realise:doh

They must go out too... Otherwise it wouldn't work

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

They must go out too... Otherwise it wouldn't work

They only free pull out, and wind in, so you can't use them to lower anything.

 

[walshie]

Yeh, and if anything it's dodgier lowering it down towards the road than up away from it!

I'm interested in the idea of a front mounted tow ball, has anyone done it? Difficult to fit?

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Yeh, and if anything it's dodgier lowering it down towards the road than up away from it!

I'm interested in the idea of a front mounted tow ball, has anyone done it? Difficult to fit?

Witter sell one for the T2.

 

[kitchenman]

There is a workshop on the front tow bar, look in quick links

 

[kitchenman]

There is a friction clutch on the reel, just do not open it fully there is also a crank handle

 

[walshie]

Front tow bars around £140-170 off the shelf, can't really justify that, the trailer tent was only £280 lol.

Time to hit the workshop manuals!

 

[don simon]

What about a 2-way hand winch?
http://www.autow.com/winches/manual-winches/drum-gear-winches/JKW525

 

[AlexD333]

Front tow bars around £140-170 off the shelf, can't really justify that, the trailer tent was only £280 lol.

Time to hit the workshop manuals!

My 13,000 winch was only 169 quid :lol

 

[Fez_uk]

cheap 2000-3000lb winch attached with a car battery should do the trick.