How To Wire A Winch On A Trailer

In the event that you are searching for a device that can be utilized for lifting, pulling, or raising. The winch is perhaps the best device for that job. They can truly be helpful for your work when introduced in vehicles. Winches can be used for self recovery when stuck and can pull hefty burdens. Winches can accomplish the hefty work for you, requiring now and again only a press of a button on your part.

They come in various models for various jobs, some are installed in trailers and some are for rough terrain travel. Installing a winch is the best insurance and the best utility tool for your vehicle. Though installing a winch can get complicated, especially so when installing them on trailers. Installing the winch on trailers is just the start, connecting them to the power source is another thing to do.

Adding a winch on a trailer can assist you with using the vast majority of the winch capabilities. Note that wiring a winch on your trailer can get specialized. Specialized it may be, with our guide, we can assist you with wiring a winch on your trailer with no prior knowledge. Wiring the winch takes some time, so follow out tutorial cautiously as you will be handling electrical connections.

At a Glance

Safety

Before we get into how to wire the winch to any power source, you first have to follow the safety guidelines. This needs to be followed thoroughly as you will be handling electrical wires and connections.

Keep Safety In Mind: Always proceed with caution, especially so when handling electrical connections. Also, winches are designed to pull thousands of pounds of force so keep that in mind when working with it.
Clean Your Working Space: Keep your working space in clean condition. Make sure that there isn’t any stuff that can cause you to trip or slip.
Wear Gloves: Winches are intended to pull or hoist heavy objects, and these objects can weigh thousands of pounds. Additionally, winch cable may have metal splinters on them, so make certain to wear gloves to shield yourself from mishaps
- Take note that you are going to work with electrical wirings as well, so make sure to protect your hands from electricity.
Do Not Wear Loose Clothing: Avoid wearing any jewelry, watches, or any loose clothing as they can get caught in the winch’s moving parts.

Wiring A Winch On A Trailer

Now that you have followed the proper guidelines for safety, let’s get on wiring your winch on a trailer. There are two ways in which way the winch and winch battery is connected to.

Winch’s Power Source Is The Car’s Battery

This procedure is when your winch is directly connected to the Car’s battery for its power source.

Rear Of The Vehicle

Find the best place at the rear of the vehicle to install your quick disconnect. The quick disconnect is useful for when you want to quickly attach or detach the wires connecting the car to the trailer winch.
Install the negative wire, usually black, from the quick disconnect to a clean, metal surface on the vehicle frame.
Run along the wires from the quick disconnect to the vehicle’s battery, while avoiding any places where wires could get hot.

Under The Hood

Connect the positive wire, usually red, from the rear of the vehicle to the positive post on the vehicle’s battery.
Using the separate, negative wire with eyelets at both ends, ground the battery to a clean, metal surface on the vehicle’s frame

On The Winch

Attach the positive wire to the positive post on the winch.
Attach the negative wire to the negative post on the winch.
Run the opposite ends of the two wires, the end with the quick disconnect, to the coupler of the trailer for use

For the winch to have power, simply connect the car’s quick disconnect to the trailer’s quick disconnect.

The Winch Has Its Own Power Source

This procedure applies when the winch has its own power source. This can be especially useful when the winch is frequently used, not causing the car’s battery to drain quickly.

Find a suitable spot to mount a battery for your winch’s power source. Make sure to cover the battery and the wirings to protect it from the elements.
Attach the power and ground leads to the appropriate posts on the winch.
Run the power and ground wires to the trailer-mounted battery
Attach the positive wire to the positive post on the winch.
Attach the negative wire to the negative post on the winch.

Winch Recommendations

In the event, you are looking for winch kits to get for your utility work, consider Lewis Winch. Lewis winch is known for its winch durability and reliability at a cheap price. Getting a Lewis winch assures you that your winch will last long and is durable even if frequently used.

Conclusion

That is the end of our tutorial, do you think I’ve missed something? Do you have anything to add? Comment below! For more in-depth tutorials and tips check out these articles How To Install A Winch, Best Hand Winch for Boat Anchors, and Winch Bench Test.