Winch Bumper - receiver or permanent mount??

1

 

definitely inside the bumper, more protection and people can't steal it, and less of the elements on it etc

edit: and it looks sloppy as f*ck IMO with it outside the bumper

 

If its on a receiver, it won't look sloppy, it will look... like it isn't even there.
And... if it isn't there, nobody can possibly steal if from there.
And... if it its stored in a nice dry garage, basement, or shed, it sure won't deteriorate from the elements.

IMO, one of the best features of a receiver mount winch is that you can transfer it to the opposite end of the truck if the need arises. You then have the option of pulling yourself out the way you came in, which is very often a much better solution than having to drag yourself through something unknown. Just don't forget to run the cables to both bumpers (and don't forget to put a nice circuit breaker on the start of the cable in case the insulator breaks).

 

I think it depends on how often you plan on using it. If you don't off road very often, then I'd go receiver mount and keep the winch protected when not in use. If you're going to be using it regularly, then I'd want it permanently mounted within the bumper. Also, are you generally going to have enough clearance with it hanging off the front with the trails you run?

 

Good point.
However, with a tiny bit of detective work, it seems that he's running 235/85R16 tires. That, to me, sounds a lot more like ice and snow than offroad trails. When you put the thing face first into a snow drift, 99% of the time, the best direction to go is back where you came from.

 

hopefully its in his dry basement and not somebody else's who stole it...

OP, do whatever you think will benefit you the most, without compromising looks etc, if you're looking for a purely situational set up where you know you'll only need it if you hook it up to the receiver, then go that route, if you're gonna have it on the truck all the time, i'd put it in the bumper

 

sounds like the receiver is more suited to your needs, also on a side note, a guy in our local off road club has had 3 solenoids go bad on his smittybilt over the past two years, i'd go with the warn, i have the m8000 and love it