Winch on Mount Hitch

I want to put on a at least 12k winch on mount hitch and plug in the back for short periods. I don't want a permanent winch on the front. I can pull something else, not just being pulled of holes. I am wondering if there is adapter between winch connecting cable and A/C Power outlet (in the bed).

 

Bed power outlet will never have enough power for a 12k winch. You need to run heavy 12V cables to the back

 

What about I hook a winch to a generator instead?

 

A warn M12 pulls 440A @ 12V when its under a 12k lb load.

440A * 12V = 5,280 watts

You can get generators that big, most don't output 12V though, at least not that amount of current.

So then you'd have to get a 12V power supply to run off the generator that can run that kind of power.

Its gonna be expensive going that route, to say the least.

 

Run cables as suggested. But before you decide to do that, try picking up the winch and walking around with it. Then try stuffing it in a receiver hitch.

Winches are heavier and more awkward than most imagined.

Came across a fellow out between Victorville and Barstow stuck in an erosion cut. It would have been a easy extraction had he been able to lift the winch into the receiver. Turns out his kid had put it in the bed of the truck for him.

 

Far cheaper to run the correct size cables from the battery plus lots less parts to fail .

So very true about slinging the winch into a Receiver Mount. It is not bad in the garage where things are dry and Level.

After the fact when the truck is stuck could be interesting

 

Will that work if I put 20 feet or longer jumper clamps between the battery in front and winch in back? I dont leave winch hanging in back. It can be plugged in on offload or pulling days.

I just learned there are longer cables than factory cable in the winch box. So, I dont need to use the clamps and I plan to assembly my project this year. I hope someone can come up alternatives to the permanent mounted winch.

I dont make more holes in my truck and I keep it with minimal mods and few holes. I dont know if I would keep it forever or not.

 

That's a whole lot of winch for a little truck. You consider going lighter, like 9k, and outfitting for a snatch block?

 

you don't happen to know @TomHGZ do you

 

Its not a ideal. That much current through a set of jumper cables of a long period of time could get hot. Not to mention the risk of having them unplug or touch and arc...

 

I edited the post after I researched a little more. There is a longer cable that can replace the short factory cable which is connected between the battery and winch directly.

 

Is 9k appropriate for mid size trucks?

 

I have used my winch in another’s receiver and used cables. It works but it’s strictly an emergency type thing.

 

I would run wires to one of the bed cubbies. Get a power disconnect on the hot side at the battery. 2ga welding wire should do the job. Heavy duty anderson plug at the end, and a little pigtail attached to the winch. You could use some jumper cables to save a buck, but I would still cut off the ends and hardwire it like I said above. (just use the cables). You could even do the same thing to the front if you ever get a front mount hitch.

 

Jumper cables might be fine in a emergency since most of the better ones seem to be only 4 AWG which is on the light side .Since to me in a emergency most often your really stuck

My winch is set up that it can be used on several vehicles front or rear made out of 2/0 AWG welding cable.

Quick connectors attached to the batteries and hard wired to the winch side . My jumper cables are 2/0 AWG set up the same to attach to the quick disconnect at the battery

As I get older the idea of slinging the winch around does get less appealing .

Since the winch is in a cradle mount and has been used on trailers mounting on the bed with some thinking can be an option.

As it is the OP`s project whatever seems the best for them.

 

Of course anything can be debated, but yes, absolutely is my answer. Figure your rig is on the order of 5k lbs. - typically you are not trying pull the entire weight of the truck, yeah I get you can get in some hairy, stuck in situations - but for that you can run 9k with a snatch and be pulling 18k at the struck. That and I don't think I want 12k pulling on any single point on my truck. 9k at 2 points on a snatch set will keep you from ripping the lips off.

FWIW I run a 9k Smittty built - insert made in china comments here - and carry a recovery kit with straps, snatches etc - and have extracted myself, my friends and countless logs without issue. If i had the $$ for it I'd have a Superwinch Talon 9.5k on the front or maybe a Warn...some day.

 

Not that I know of, where does he base out of? I'm in the upper left, PNW.

 

Hi northwester. I'm in the Seattle-Tacoma area. They are making fun of me because I used an ATV winch with a 4:1 on my 2000 taco and now I need to make a video once I set up something similar on my '14.

 

The issue here is there is no way to attach a winch to a Tacoma that is rated for 12K. Your truck frame is not going to appreciate it either.

Without doing some custom fabrication, these class III hitch receivers are probably the strongest option you have, giving you a 9,000lb straight line pull but murdering your angle of approach. https://www.etrailer.com/vm/Toyota/Tacoma/fmr

If you are lined up symmetrically without a strong up or down angle you can safely pull more than 6K, i.e. the weight of your truck plus some more, with some of the better offroad bumpers or offroad-oriented hidden hitch receivers that are on the market, but only if you also install the reinforcement straps that bolt back along the sides of each frame rail. You probably know that at this point your tires are beyond their ability to serve as adequate anchors.

If you really want to pull 12K with a winch tray, and your truck is well anchored, and you have installed good reinforcements up front, you will want to run your line through a snatch block or recovery ring at the load, then back to some good recovery points at both your left and right frame rails. Google "load distributing anchor" for an idea how to spread the load between both frame rails, and aim to keep the angle on your "V" as acute as possible, preferably less than 45 degrees. By doing this, you will have divided your load to a little more than 6,000 lbs per frame rail, and will have also reduced the load to your winch tray to a little more than 6,000 lbs too.

Now you would be cooking with gas, except you should not pay attention to anything I just wrote. You are still at almost 200% your GVWR, with variables and failure points that are not easy to read, and into liability territory that no one else should shoulder.

If you expect to need the full power of a 12,000 pound winch often, a Tacoma might not be the best tool for the job.

 

We thought you were gone forever! Could be some useful info in that video some day