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Wiring up a trailer winch
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#1
03-09-2010, 01:03 PM
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Wiring up a trailer winch
I bought a small marine battery box, a small car battery (no vent) and
some std cable connectors (see attached picture). It was something like $75 for everything. The way I'm thinking about hooking everything up is as follows: Directly wire the winch to the trailer battery using the existing cables and spade connectors. Easy. Run a wire from the positive aux power (#4 black wire) to the trailer power panel (below the front of the trailer) then to the battery. Run a wire from the ground (#1 white wire) to the trailer power panel (below the front of the trailer) then to the battery. For the two wires above I would just match the existing gauge and verify the amp (size of fuse - I believe 40amps). I'm leaning towards this variation because it seems very simple and you don't have to depend on your truck's power to light the interior or run the winch. While towing the trailer battery would be getting charged up. If the trailer battery dies, it will draw from the truck's battery. Does this solution fly? What if the trailer battery dies and the winch is getting powered by the truck's battery? Would that cause a problem? Trailer Wiring Diagrams - http://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx
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We will now use the power of the Continuum Transfunctioner to banish you to Hoboken, New Jersey. BMW Spec E46 #609 
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#2
03-09-2010, 01:12 PM
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It sounds like it should work. Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg, in parallel. Then the truck should be able to charge both batteries. And I believe in some states the trailer brake battery must be wired dedicated to the trailer brakes.
As far as running the winch when the battery's dead on the trailer, then you likely also have no power on the brake's battery, too, which is a problem. You could simply use a volt meter to check status periodically. And if you're concerned about running the winch off the truck's battery, then simply unplug the electric to the trailer, and the truck will be isolated. Electrical gurus might know, but wonder if there's a way to charge both batteries in tandem when connected to the truck's running alternator, but have the trailer batteries isolated from each other. So the brake battery doesn't power the winch. I suppose a simple solution might be a switch in the 2nd batteries charge wire somewhere, so that "ON" it would receive a charge when driving down the road. But when "OFF", the winch is only drawing power from the 2nd battery (and saves the brake battery).
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- Tony P. Currently - 1984 944 SP2 racer - 1977 911 KM Special vintage racer - 2000 Boxster S (now mine) - 1995 993 (garage queen) - 2007 Cayman S (wife's track beast) - 2017 F350 (tow monster) - 2018 Jeep Wrangler - 1982 911 Targa (resurrection in process) Gone but not forgotten - 1989 944S2 - 1979 RX7 - 1986 944 - 1991 944S2 (in car heaven...) - 2001 Chevy Suburban 2500 (FIL's beast now) - 2012 Cayman R
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#3
03-09-2010, 01:58 PM
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Quote:
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David I hope to arrive to my death, late, in love, and a little drunk! Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand... Homer Simpson "That's what's keeping me out of F1.... Too much mental maturity...." N0tt0n Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. CHAOS, PANIC, AND DISORDER my work here is done... Live without pretending, Love without depending, Listen without defending, Speak without offending
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#4
03-09-2010, 01:59 PM
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Quote:
__________________
We will now use the power of the Continuum Transfunctioner to banish you to Hoboken, New Jersey. BMW Spec E46 #609
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#5
03-09-2010, 02:13 PM
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Youre asking for trouble. What happens when you plug a large winch battery thats partly discharged from sitting out in the cold disconnected for months into the wiring harness of a freshly charged (and likely running) truck battery. 100s of amps inrush and lots of sustained current too. Jumper cables are A LOT bigger than a trailer wire harness.
You need to determine a way to prevent the inrush w/ a limiting resistor of some sort. AFAIK, Thats how the brake battery charger boxes do it. (A large 12V PTC might be ideal here since the battery is much larger.) There are also things called 'battery isolators' for RVs that are basically two huge schottky diodes in a block. Allow you to charge two batteries but not have one back feed the other. We make a solar charger (SSPPT-15A) that can be used to rapidly charge one batt from a slightly higher voltage one (even 24 or 48v -> 12V) but is prob overkill for your needs. And $200+.
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Stephen www.salazar-racing.com 1970 914/6 - 3.0L GT 1983 911SC - 3.32L IROC 1984 930 - 3.6L dirt bikes (some gas, some electric), Sherco trials bike Sold: 2001 Boxster (hers), 2003 996tt x50  , SpecE30, 1996 E36M3 GTS2 racecar, 2015 Mustang GT, 2008 S2R1000
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#6
03-09-2010, 02:14 PM
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Screw the battery and box, just run a feed off your truck. That's what I did. Use this:
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Ryan (Wahooooo....) '19 991 GT3 RS Weissach '08 997 PCA H class '89 930 Targa '18 F150 Raptor '16 991 GT3 RS '18 991 GT2 RS '16 AMG GT S '10 997 GT3 RS '07 997 GT3 '09 Aston Martin DBS '96 993 H Class '14 F150 Raptor
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#7
03-09-2010, 03:34 PM
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I'm trying to emulate what trailex offers as an option.
I have the exact same winch/ stand etc. Trailex are smart people, so I'm sure it can be done safely. http://www.trailex.com/options2.cfm?id=93
__________________
We will now use the power of the Continuum Transfunctioner to banish you to Hoboken, New Jersey. BMW Spec E46 #609
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#8
03-09-2010, 04:06 PM
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Quote:
__________________
Stephen www.salazar-racing.com 1970 914/6 - 3.0L GT 1983 911SC - 3.32L IROC 1984 930 - 3.6L dirt bikes (some gas, some electric), Sherco trials bike Sold: 2001 Boxster (hers), 2003 996tt x50 , SpecE30, 1996 E36M3 GTS2 racecar, 2015 Mustang GT, 2008 S2R1000
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#10
03-09-2010, 04:25 PM
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Quote:
__________________
http://vimeo.com/29896988 “Those that can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” Voltaire. "There is grandeur in this view of life...." Darwin. The mountains are calling and I must go. “The earth has music for those who listen” Shakespeare. You Matter. (Until you multiply yourself times the speed of light squared. Then you Energy) “We’ve got lots of theories, we just don’t have the evidence’.
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