whats a good winch for enclosed trailer?

[olds48]

FINALLY scraped together enough money to a (used) enclosed car trailer. Tickled to death to put an end to gravels flying all over the front of my hotrod! But I'm not sure what size winch to get to pull the car in with. I figured a 2-2500 lb would be about right. I want to save money,but don't want to but a cheap winch that has a line pull of like 3 feet per minute,either.What have ya'll used? My car weighs 3200 lbs. Thanks alot.

[mopar1968]

I have a warn, 4000 lb in my trailer i use it to unload and load.

[olds48]

4000!Whew!I'm sure it don't work hard!I wonder if a larger capacity winch will draw on a battery a whole lot harder?Yours 12 volt?I even considered buying a 120 volt winch and running it off the generator.Actually I thought about making one out of an old starter motor,like alot of old wreck trucks have,but figured that it would end up being more of a novelty,than a conveinence.Trying to save a buck!!

[hollowayshotrods]

I have a Warn 4700 on my tilt trailer. I hook it straight to my Optima red top that we keep charged for that application only. Makes loading and unloading a roller or dead one very easy! Have loaded and unloaded four cars in two days, red top stillworking, although starting to feel the drain. The only thing I don't like is the remote cable isn't long enough. I had to extend it from 12' to 20', other that that, excellent! Purchased at Northern Tool around $500 w/fairlead roller. BTW, glad to hear you got an enclosed, you are going to love having it!! :)

[olds48]

Thanks big Rudy,I'm tickled to death.

[spib]

when I bought a winch I spent a lot of time , looking around and asking, I bought this http://www.jegs.com/i/Superwinch/846/1440200/10002/-1

It has been a excellent winch, I have a deep cycle rv battery mounted next to it and charge it a few times each yr, works excellent, I would buy another if I ever get a differnt tag

[olds48]

Cool!Thanks Spib.I would imagine our cars(truck?...don't know what you like to call it)HOTRODS! :D probably weigh about the same.Seems I'm gonna have to come off some more $$$ and buy a bigger winch than what I thought.

[olds48]

Hey guys,while I'm picking ya'll's brain,is there a right or wrong way to load a car?I know that sounds completely stupid,but all the guys I run with have either FEDs or roadsters,and are so small they practically will go in by themselves.What I was wondering is,when you get the car lined up will they generally go on in straight or do you have to monkey with the steering wheel.My windows are plexiglass and dont roll down,and I don't have enough room to open the door.Trailer has an escape door in exactly the right spot,but the car is about 6 inches to low to allow the door to open(I knew I shoulda went with a tall straight axle :x ).So I was curious how hard it is to line it up or whatever.Like I said,I bet this ? makes me look pretty ignorant,but any advice,tips or tricks would be very much appreciated.Thanks!

[Tod74]

you could just drive it in and let your girl drive the truck and you ride to the track in the car.....congrats on the trailer that is my next big purchase.

[spib]

what I do is drive it up on the door to back of trailerstraight in, but to the right some, were I still can open door. I put it in park, hook winch up to front eye I welded on frame, put tension on cable, tell its taunt, go open door and put in neutral, make sure tires are straight, then in she goes, when rear clears back door I hook up two tie back straps to rear, then winch on in tell she stops, get out rachet straps crossed in front tighten them up, then put a lil slack in winch cable, but leave it hooked up and ready to roll, on all 4 corners of my blazer I have a bracket with a hole in it welded to frame, so I dont have to crawl under rig, simple, straight in straight out

[olds48]

It doesn't try to wander around on you,Spib? Tod,you are always good for a laugh!Good one,bud. :D

[olds48]

Reason I ask,Spib is,my car does not have a locking steering wheel.I guess you are still using your factory column with the lock in it.I was wondering if I could rig up some sort of bracket of off the backing plates for the front drums where I could stick a pipe in it and direct the car in while I work the winch from the front.But I don't know if it will even be a problem in the first place.You know how it is when you're new at something.Try to figure out all the variables

[mopar1968]

Mine is 12 volt, doesn't draw much, use it 3 weeks before charging have a 1000 cranking amp battery [mopar battery of course] on winch.

[olds48]

:D Having that Mopar sticker on the case makes the acid eat the lead slower? :lol: :lol: Just pickin' on ya Mopower!

[mopar1968]

:lol: :lol: Nah the sticker really it make's it work faster [mopower] :) :)

[olds48]

:lol: 8)

[spib]

I dont lock the wheel, when you go from door to floor of trailer you have to go slow and careful, so tire dont turn,but after that it goes straight in and when I unload, its the same, un do straps, let winch go in reverse and straight out

[Xrated1]

Why dont y'all just drive them in???? Most trailers are 83 inches between the wheelwells, drive it in as far right as you can, open the door and get out. Why make something that is so simple so difficult?

[gearhead1011]

Why dont y'all just drive them in???? Most trailers are 83 inches between the wheelwells, drive it in as far right as you can, open the door and get out. Why make something that is so simple so difficult?

My car sits so low the door won't clear the trailer fender. Even pulled as far right as possible it won't open enough for even a small guy to squeeze in or out of the car. I guess driving it in would be ok for a car with windows that open so you could crawl in like one of the Duke boys :roll: or if it's jacked up like some 4x4 so the doors clear the fenders and you don't mind beating up your paint.

[Xrated1]

OK makes sense now. I have a buddy at the track with the same prob as you. He takes his drivers door off and hangs it on a rack he built on the wall of the trailer before he drives it in.