Electric Trailer Winch

T

toyman

New member
I just ordered a RC30 remote control winch for the trailer of 'Fan-C-Dory'. I ordered the winch from the Power Winch site - Refurbished $200. I will run #6 cables direct from the battery to a set of Anderson connectors at the back of the pickup - cable is a twin #6 from the cableyard.com. I will also add a #6 with Anderson connectors on it back to the batteries for charging while on the road.

Anyone with experience using one of these winches?
 
toyman":13sdy5ka said:
I just ordered a RC30 remote control winch for the trailer of 'Fan-C-Dory'. I ordered the winch from the Power Winch site - Refurbished $200. I will run #6 cables direct from the battery to a set of Anderson connectors at the back of the pickup - cable is a twin #6 from the cableyard.com. I will also add a #6 with Anderson connectors on it back to the batteries for charging while on the road.

Anyone with experience using one of these winches?
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TOYMAN-

I don't have any experience with the winch, but the cables back to your boat batteries don't have to be #6, just to charge them off the tow vehicle.

Probably a set of #10 wires with a fuse to limit current flow in case of a short and a diode to limit the voltage / charging would be adequate.

I'd think a 20/25 amp fuse would be about right, but some experimentation may be in order. Try a 15 or 20, and if it regularly blows with a somewhat discharged battery, go a bit higher.

Bob (Thataway) may be able to help you with the diode selection, if you want to go that route.

*******************************************************************************

(From the Boaterhoming thread:) (On Edit)

Dave,
On the C Dory 25, I used one of the pins on the 7 connector trailer plug for 12 volts to charge the C Dory batteries. I used # 10 wire, (both plus and neg). I had a plug just aft of the hitch, and a second plug in the anchor locker. So I had a connector section of about 10 feet from the trailer hitch to the perment boat wiring which was connected to the console. I had a diode in the circuit--which dropped the voltage by about half a volt and thus would not overcharge the battery in the C Dory. I also had a 30 amp fuse in line. The rig worked very well.

You could take off from the power point at the truck or on the trailer, and use smaller wire--fuse it, perhaps a diode and the connectors. Should keep the batteries up well.
_________________
Bob Austin
Thataway
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Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Dave,
I have one of these winches sitting in a box. I was going to put it on the Tom Cat, and then the C Dory25---then decided that I didn't really need it on either. Plus I use several different tow vehicles.

As Joe says, #10 wire is fine to the batteries--put connectors inside the boat and on the output from the truck. I acutally just used an older alternator splitter diode I had sitting in the shop.==would handle 60 amps, but as I noted I fused it for 30 amps--never drew anything like that.
 
I got a "deal" on 65' of paired #6 wire/cable. I figure if I get around to putting a windlass on the #6 will be fine.

I'm trying to get my head around the need for the diode ??? I don't believe in lectricity.
 
toyman":ued2v66g said:
I got a "deal" on 65' of paired #6 wire/cable. I figure if I get around to putting a windlass on the #6 will be fine.

I'm trying to get my head around the need for the diode ??? I don't believe in lectricity.
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Good for you on the paired #6 wire! It used to cost about $-$6 per foot in the olden days....

West Marine now gets $8.55 per foot for it! But it can be had for about half that if you really shop around!

Lets see, 65 feet times $8.55/ft = $555.75!

It's great for a windlass in a C-Dory!

If you don't believe in "lectricity", maybe you'd like a ride in "Ol Sparky", the e-ticket ride at the Arkansas State Penetentiary:

100_4431.JPG



Old Sparky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Old Sparky of Arkansas
This content has an uncertain copyright status and may be deleted. You can comment on its removal.
Old Sparky is the nickname of the electric chairs in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, New York, Texas, and Virginia. It was the nickname of the long-retired electric chair at the now-closed West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia; the electric chair is still at the prison, which is now a tourist attraction.[1] It was also the nickname of the electric chair in South Carolina that was installed in 1912 at the Central Correctional Institution (CCI) [2] until the chair was relocated to the newly built Broad River Correctional Institution, where it was most recently opted for by convicted murderer James Earl Reed as his means of execution on June 21, 2008.
"Old Sparky" is sometimes used to refer to electric chairs in general, and not one of a specific state.

electrocution.jpg
Electrical Projects Are Always Stimulating!


Joe. :? :thup
 
Yep, we have an "Old Sparky" over in Huntsville, TX also - well used for a long time.

Bring me a bucket full of that lectricity, so I can get it all over, maybe under my finger nails - then wash it off. I did spill some around a kitchen once when I wired some lights wrong - but after the flash and light show.... nothing !

The only reason I can figure for the diode is to prevent charging the truck battery from the boat ?
 
toyman":194llmvx said:
The only reason I can figure for the diode is to prevent charging the truck battery from the boat ?
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Yes, it would only allow current to flow one direction with the two systems in a parallel circuit, and, secondarily, would add some resistance so as to help prevent overcharging of the boat's batteries.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I still can't grasp it Joe. Why would one really care if current only flows in one direction - the wire will be fused at both ends.

How or why would the boat batteries be overcharged, if the truck batteries are closer to the alternator ?

Just call me "Stu" - thanks to Jim B..
 
You don't want to depleat the truck battery when sitting overnight or parked. With the diode the current only flows to the C Dory battery. Yes, you want to have some regulation on the battery--and prevent over charging of the boat battery. The diode drops the voltage by 1/2 volt (approximately). Lets say that the truck is running at 13.7 volts, the boat battery will be seeing 13.2 volts. Keeps the battery up and allows the refer to run. If the truck battery was up to 14.5 for long times, that might bean that the boat would be at 14, (OK for relitatively shore times, but can boil off the electrolyte).
 
I've had a PW 912 on my boat for a couple years now. I love it for single handed loading. The RC 30 is the same power with a nice remote control and a light. It will pull my 22 on the trailer at a small incline dry. The remote is great to keep you out of the line of fire in the event of a cable snap.

The only problem I ever had was with the clutch mechanism releasing some cable once. I might not have fully tightened it properly like I should have. Always check that it is fully tightened before leaving and don't rely on it to hold your boat soley. Use some other type of bow tie down as well as a stout safety chain.

A lot of guys run their wiring through an old garden hose lashed to the truck frame for better chafe and pinch protection. I put a breaker on mine at the battery and I trip the breaker manually when I'm not using the winch. This is just an added precaution in the event of an accident. No sense in having a big igniter near the tanks.

Chris
 
I have the PowerWinch 712 that i got working finally on my trailer, works good so far as i can tell. I just attached a pigtail connector from the winch to the large powerpoint connector on the back of my truck...keep the truck running and it pulls good. I not sure if i have the right fuses it place but nothing has blown yet. Tug
 
I figure that we can use all of the assistance we can get, and the remote should be a nice helping hand. Now that said, we haven't had any problem at all yet loading or unloading - of course if conditions aren't right we don't. That applies to most of the things we do now-a-days. Retirement is underrated after you get used to the pressure.
 
toyman":f3qtttdo said:
I figure that we can use all of the assistance we can get, and the remote should be a nice helping hand. Now that said, we haven't had any problem at all yet loading or unloading - of course if conditions aren't right we don't. That applies to most of the things we do now-a-days. Retirement is underrated after you get used to the pressure.
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"Retirement is over rated once you get used to the pressure."

A quotable Jewel, for sure! A+++!

Joe. :lol: :thup
 
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