Author Topic: Trailer winch  (Read 24770 times)

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Offline Slide

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Trailer winch
« on: August 31, 2016, 10:38:47 AM »
I am one who believes harbor freight should be for hammers and one time use tools...

But some folks have said to use their winch for my trailer. I have also read to stay away from their winch for the trailer...

Wife was looking at the s5000 SR and s7500 SR by Superwinch....

I'm a little more comfortable with a brand name and these seem to be more purpose designed for trailer use.


Any opinions?

Offline RichFox

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2016, 10:52:33 AM »
I bought a Super Winch S3 in 1993. It was on display at the PRI show. I asked the guy if he took all those winches back with him or if he sold them cheap to avoid the effort. He sold them cheap. It's still working fine. I don't know what the new ones are like. But the '93 models were fine.

Offline jww36

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2016, 02:01:56 PM »
I believe the gears in the Super Winch are steel. Others are fiber material. One thing for sure.
You don't need a winch failure half way up the ramps!

Offline Stainless1

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2016, 01:42:12 AM »
If you are taking a winch to the salt in an open trailer you are of course asking for trouble....  :roll: Our HF portable winch stays in the trailer box until it is called on to do its job, then back in the box to protect it from the salt, water and more salt... It is over 10 years old....
and so are we....  :roll:  :cheers:
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Slide

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2016, 01:58:07 AM »
Lol!!!

I cant remmeber what it was. But after reading the same horror story over and over, and hearing my father in laws voice on every HF review where he will over look the fact it chopped his hand off but it cost $5 less, so it gets 5 stars!!!

I called superwinch and the told me I dont need the 7500. They said save your money, get the 5500 and ill be fine. SO it was ordered.

I am will get a box, place it at the end of the flatbed, mount the winch and battery in it, with a hole cut for the lead etc to come out the back (or front depending which way you call it.) I have to wait until I get the trailer to measure the anchor locations so the box doesnt cover them.

 I will then get a tire/wheel rack to go over that.

Then a tongue box for all the straps etc.

I am currently looking into a solar battery tender to permanently mount on the box or wheel rack to keep the battery charging/tendered. This is getting very expensive. Wife needs to give me a raise or let me get a job.

Offline Slide

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2016, 02:51:05 PM »
In case anyone is searching. The top of my 2 inch receiver hitch square is 24 inches from the ground. Featherlite and a local non featherlite trailer sales place recommended an 8 inch drop mount!

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2016, 11:34:53 PM »
The trailer needs to be level so you should be able to work it out from there.
  Sid.

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2016, 07:30:38 AM »
Do our best to get the trailer level WHEN LOADED!  I have a couple of adapters for the hitch - have been know to change (drop) when the load in the trailer calls for it -- for way better trailering as we drive down the road.  Hook to the loaded trailer, drive a few hundred yards to make sure things have settled down, then put a level on the floor of the trailer and adjust the drop as necessary.

I don't like watching the trailer move around behind the car like it's anxious to pass.  Level trailers stay behind the truck and behave much better. :cheers:
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline Slide

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2016, 10:48:12 AM »
Yes... That would be an expensive dang day. Especially it seems that insurance companies don't like to cover anything "racey" on the trailer...

Offline Jack Gifford

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2016, 01:52:28 AM »
fwiw- I'm still using the Hubba-Freight winch that got me through 18 seasons of motorsports competition. I replaced the cable once. I use four cheap Ford starter relays wired to behave as a high-current DPDT switch, so I can use a light-gauge cable and switch for remote hand-held off/forward/reverse. Replaced a couple of the relays over the years.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2016, 02:07:01 AM by Jack Gifford »
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Offline Stainless1

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2016, 10:50:01 AM »
If it was Friday I would say I'd rather have a trailer wench than a trailer winch....

Jack, our HF portable has had control issues requiring switch repairs due to being too close to the salt...
 :cheers:
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Slide

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2016, 11:02:44 AM »
I got the Superwinch s5000 Sr....
Just too many features that made it the right choice over the HF...

I was looking at the 9k HF and it was going to run me $286 with tax and after the coupon, plus shipping because the local places didn't have them. Shipping was $35.

The Superwinch was essentially $500 shipped with a synthetic rope. Really hard to beat that. If I wanted to put a synthetic rope on the HF it would have been another 100-150....

So at that point I was almost at the same price, but now hopefully I have less stress. I'll get thebox built
To house the winch and battery in two weeks.

I'm still researching a permenantly mounted solar battery tender system...

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2016, 02:38:35 PM »
Also think seriously about getting a power landing gear.  It's just so cool to be able to hook and drop without nearly so much hassle.  $179 at Northern Tool, free shipping if you're lucky.
Jon E. Wennerberg
 a/k/a Seldom Seen Slim
 Skandia, Michigan
 (that's way up north)
2 Club member x2
Owner of landracing.com

Offline Slide

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #13 on: September 04, 2016, 02:48:29 PM »
Yeah. I've blown my wad so to speak on a boot system and steel tongue lock so the trailer doesn't walk away. It will be parked in front of my house on the side yard.

This is also why I want to build the winch and battery in a lockable tongue box...or racers box if I can find a used one cheap

Offline Jack Gifford

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Re: Trailer winch
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2016, 12:27:09 AM »
... our HF portable has had control issues requiring switch repairs due to being too close to the salt...
I can believe that. A couple of switches have failed on HF tools I've had (even without salt issues!). But I never used the switch that came on the winch, as I immediately wired up my relay setup.
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