Winch Mounting

[cwgrizz]

First, let me say it has been awhile since I posted here. House building got in the way of welding and other projects. Anyway, I needed to mount a winch on my trailer. I got tired of using a come-a-long to get stuff up on the trailer, so an electric winch was going to solve that problem. HF had a sale--bought the 12,000 lb version and now to mount it on the trailer. Where & how to mount it?? Not much room between the jack and the trailer bed. Wanted to get the winch high enough so the cable would be less apt to drag on the tail end of the bed when it is being used.

Pic 1-- Front of trailer
Pic 2-- Not much space between jack and bed

[cwgrizz]

The mount plate was made from a scrap of steel plate 3/8" x 8". Messed up on the holes for mounting the winch and had to plug weld the holes and re-drill. Cut out a piece of angle and drilled holes for the roller fairlead mounting. Welded it to the winch mounting plate.

Pic 1--Angle welded to mounting plate (bottom view)
Pic 2--Angle with fairlead mounted (top view)

[LW Hiway]

CW, while my little Dayton winch is nowhere near the capacity/tonage yours is, I mounted mine on Harbor Freight hitch tubing and used a piece of the receiver material to act as a sleeve with which to mount/pin the winch mounted on the hitch into.

I know that due to shear size of your winch your more likely to leave it permanently attached to the trailer, but it could still be removable should you so decide.

[cwgrizz]

Now checking for clearance and fit-up to ensure that the jack crank, etc clears. Bottom plate and vertical supports put in position before welding.

[cwgrizz]

It's finished and works well. To check it out I winched a backhoe to ensure that all things were stable, without any flexing in the mounting.

Sorry that I failed to take more pictures, but I have a bad habit of getting involved in the projects and forgetting about the pictures.

[cwgrizz]

LW,

The mount is bolted on with four bolts and the winch itself is mounted to the mount with four bolts. It can be removed pretty easily, but not as easy as if I would have used the HF tube mount. I really didn't trust the tube mount to hold up to stresses that I may put on it.

[digr]

Nice job! thats gonna come in handy. Evidently that plate wasn't scrap after all.

[cwgrizz]

Actually Digr, it already has (I think). My son said, Dad, my Toyota 4x4 blew the engine. Can you pick it up and take it to your place so I/we can work on it?" Of course it turned out that I had to load it by myself and the winch worked great. Kids!!!

Oh, and I will probably be the one who works on it (son always has an excuse and will need it yesterday).

[DozerDan]

I bought a 8000lb smittybuilt winch for the same purpose a while back.

I mounted it on a 5/8's piece of steel that work had laying around and welded that to a 2" 1/4" wall piece of tubing. Then made up a reciever for it that I welded to the front of my trailer. Now I can slide it in and use it, or take it off so its not sitting in the rain/snow. I can also use it in the hitch of my truck if needed.

Currently it is powered off of the truck (ran some 0/3 wire I had laying around from the truck batteries) But I want to mount another battery on the trailer that way I dont need my truck to use the winch.

I have only used it a few times but beats the hell out of a com-a-long and chain set up that I used to use.

[DozerDan]

Pictures of how I mounted mine to the trailer