Notices

Electric Trailer Winch

Old 12-23-2015, 10:14 AM
  #1  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Indianapolis, IN/ Punta Gorda, FL
Posts: 1,329
Received 160 Likes on 72 Posts
Default Electric Trailer Winch

We are having a Myco trailer built for our Nor-Tech 390 CC that is currently being built and have some questions about an electric winch. Does anyone on here have an electric winch for their boat? If so, what make/ model and how does it perform? I checked Myco's website and they have a 4,000lb and 5,000lb option listed on their parts page. I would think both of those would severely struggle to pull a 15,000lb boat onto a trailer on an incline? Looking for ideas that others have done.
PremierPOWER is offline  
Old 12-23-2015, 10:33 AM
  #2  
Registered
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Southeast Michigan
Posts: 1,879
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
Default

I had a PowerWinch 712 (7500lb) on one of my 24' trailers. Used a different truck (no winch harness) to pull the boat. The emergency handle lasted one retrieval before the handle stripped out. Replaced it with a Dutton Lainson manual winch after that, and put the PowerWinch on a carhaul trailer and swapped the harness to the truck dedicated to haul that trailer.

In a lot of cases, the winch only needs to be rated for 1/2 to 3/4 of the boat weight; you won't be dead pulling the entire boat weight during loading with a float on trailer. That's for the winch, the strap/cable rating is a different calculation (recommended strap rating is 1.5x to 2x gross weight of boat).
You can use a pulley to double the weight rating on electric winches, but that will cut the retrieval speed in half, and it ain't all that fast to begin with.

Last edited by Speedracer29; 12-23-2015 at 10:42 AM.
Speedracer29 is offline  
Old 12-23-2015, 07:23 PM
  #3  
Registered
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Grand Haven, MI
Posts: 1,410
Received 150 Likes on 68 Posts
Default

Bigger the better. I had one and broke a gear tooth about the 5th or 6th time I used it. Tooth got jammed between the gears and it took me about an hour to get the boat off the trailer. Replaced it with a manual winch
jbraun2828 is offline  
Old 12-23-2015, 08:35 PM
  #4  
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
 
phughes69's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: St. Clair Shores, MI
Posts: 2,040
Received 99 Likes on 53 Posts
Default

I bought two Powerwinch RC30's 2 years ago for each of my boats. I installed the 1st one on the trailer for the 24 Formula 242 LS. The Formula weighs about 4600 lbs. The trailer it sits on is a roller trailer. The steepest ramp I have launched it at is about a 25 degree angle. I only put the last 4 rollers in the water, otherwise the boat does not center itself on the rollers correctly. The RC30 has no problem pulling it up 20 feet onto the trailer. I'm going to use the other one on my Scarab trailer, but with that boat I only have to winch it up about 4 feet onto the trailer but that is a bunk trailer. The guy I bought them from had both of them on a trailer for a pulling a 30 ft 15,000 lb center console fishing boat onto it and he said that both of them working together had a hard time, but I think he did not dunk the trailer in as far as I do and he was trying to pull it a longer distance on the trailer.

No mater which you buy always wear safety glasses. I saw a winch cable on a tow truck snap and part of the cable flew back and hit the guy in the face just under his eye. Luckily he was wearing safety glasses. Also if you do get a electric winch, get a pair of leather palm gloves to handle the cable. Any loose strands will cut you hands to shreds.

Last edited by phughes69; 12-23-2015 at 08:38 PM.
phughes69 is offline  
Old 12-23-2015, 08:54 PM
  #5  
Gold Member
Gold Member
 
Zero Patience's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Crystal River Fl,USA
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 0
Received 12 Likes on 7 Posts
Default

Drive it to the Myco bow stops, hook up the winch. Pull it out.
Zero Patience is offline  
Old 12-23-2015, 09:17 PM
  #6  
Registered
Platinum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: East Texas Waterfront- running errands if anyone asks
Posts: 903
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

I've always thought the winch is to secure the bow, not pull the boat on the trailer. Try just backing in a little deeper, crank it tight to the stop, pull out easily, secure stern.

I wonder how large of a winch you need to pull a bow eye thru a Fiberglas hull?
Flightplan is offline  
Old 12-24-2015, 05:43 PM
  #7  
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
 
phughes69's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: St. Clair Shores, MI
Posts: 2,040
Received 99 Likes on 53 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Flightplan

I wonder how large of a winch you need to pull a bow eye thru a Fiberglas hull?
It will never happen. I got caught one year at the end of the year. I took my boat out in late October 3 years ago and got stuck at my parents house in Algonac. My truck and trailer were 30 miles away on the other side of the lake and I could not get the boat safely back across the lake to the truck. I ended up bringing the truck to where the boat was and was forced to use a ramp that was shallow. I tried to get the boat as far up on the trailer even power loading it as best I could but I was 4 feet short from the bow roller. I couldn't drive it that way (it would have fishtailed horribly) The only option I had was to drag the boat forward on the trailer with a come along. with the back of the boat barely floating. It took about an hour to move it that far.but the boy eye held. From what I hear they are rated to 4x the weight of the boat. And they are bolted to a huge piece of steel that is glassed into the hull. No winch will pull it out unless your glass is weak.
phughes69 is offline  
Old 12-24-2015, 08:26 PM
  #8  
Registered
iTrader: (1)
 
c_deezy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Ontario, OH
Posts: 2,465
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

.....

Last edited by c_deezy; 12-24-2015 at 08:27 PM. Reason: Pulley idea mentioned already
c_deezy is offline  
Old 12-25-2015, 12:08 AM
  #9  
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
 
jeff32's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: St-Hyacinthe, quebec, canada
Posts: 7,703
Received 364 Likes on 243 Posts
Default

I once had the bow eye come off the boat with a 6 to 8 inches part of fiberglass on a 30 ft cruiser!!! Could not believe it! But laughed about it! What elee can you really do to change this into a great thing...???
jeff32 is offline  
Old 12-25-2015, 07:53 AM
  #10  
Registered
iTrader: (3)
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sandown, NH - Sebago Lake Region, ME
Posts: 2,960
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 6 Posts
Default

I built a myco style winch stand for my scarab and installed a power winch rc30 on it. The ramp I typically use doesn't allow power loading and with the waves it's difficult to deep load the boat and keep it centered on the bunks. What I do is back the trailer in about half way and get the boat about 2/3 on the trailer. The boat is still full floating and I would never be able to pull the boat on the rest of the way without having to back the truck further in. This is where the power winch pays for itself. I jump in the truck with the wireless winch remote. Slowly back the truck in while at the same time winching the boat on automatically. When it hits the stop I throw the truck in drive and I am out of there! I guarantee I load my 30' scarab faster than some load there 18' bass boats!

It's really really helpful when you only have one set of hands!! One addition I am going to make this spring is swap out the steel cable for a nylon strap which power winch sells for that unit.

I also mounted a full size battery on the trailer along with a solar panel. This keeps the battery topped off during the week when the trailer and boat are sitting outside, the full size battery also doubles as the backup battery for the EOH break away. The whole setup works pretty flawlessly!



502ss is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.