7 Pin Trailer Plug To Power A Truck Bed Winch

[@johnwaynewilliamson]

I appreciate what you did here. With infrequent use, short bursts, light and unbound loads, you MIGHT be ok. You are gambling with your truck's wiring harness. 6-10 ga battery quick connect terminals in the bed, or even terminal on 1 end of extended jumper cables, would be worlds better. A heavy rubber mat would save your bed. DO NOT run things in close with that wireless control, there are times when you left off that wireless control and it keeps running for 1.5 seconds or so, it can be very destructive to things or tear itself apart. The wired control response is instant. A piece of hard plastic would save the top rail of your ramp from the cable. If it is ever going to be in the rain, disassemble and seal that control box. Spray conformal coating on the guts of that wireless fob to get a longer life out of it in the rain. Keep the vids coming.

[@oldmanadventuring]

Thanks for the feedback. I like the hard plastic suggestion. I did notice some scratching. Fortunately, This is getting infrequent use and so far its been working great!

[@danburch9989]

The winch should be run with 10 ga wire directly from the battery per the specifications on the HF website. Read your owner's manual on that winch. The winch draws 25 amps for each 500 lbs it has to pull. At a full 2500 pull, it can draw 132 amps! And that's only if you have ONE layer on the capstan. The current draw goes up from there for each layer of rope. 12ga chassis wire may overheat and blow like a fuse when under heavier loads or if the winch encounters resistance to pulling. That winch has one powerful labor union. Work for 45 seconds, then take a 14m:15s rest break. The labor union may allow the winch to work a few seconds longer with that stump grinder as it probably isn't a full load on the winch.

[@oldmanadventuring]

Thanks for info and specs. I’ll never run more than 500 lbs. it’s just for a small stump grinder and hogs I hunt when I am alone.

[@leo959]

This is the best cheapest route. Thanks for sharing.

[@patrickmurphy5611]

Great Video and Great Job Sir Thank You!

[@watertownfddotcom]

Thank you for these comments too explain that this is a terrible idea!!

[@slashsplat]

That winch is spec'd at 132 amps. That would be 4AWG wire at least, and that is WAY beyond what is wired in the truck harness to the trailer connector. The 12AWG that you are using is horribly inadequate. I suggest that you look to a heavier gauge wire and go direct to the battery. You think the little 2500 is a small winch, but using 132 amps is a third of what your starter uses. Also note that the power of the winch is compromised on the full spool, and that will cause it to draw much amps even for a small load. This is NOT a good idea. Replacing the truck wiring harness is not fun or cheap. That 12v on the connector is for charging a breakaway battery for electric brakes.

[@oldmanadventuring]

Thanks for info, much appreciated. Just to clarify, its 132 Amps at the full 2500 lbs of pull weight. The Stump Grinder weighs 250 lbs or 10% of the total pull the winch is capable of. If straight math is applied here (if that's the way it works) that would be 13 AMPs. The most I would ever think about pulling up on this is maybe 500 lbs. I did this specifically for the Stump Grinder only. The newer truck models circuit breaker is 30 AMPs for that circuit. My wishful thinking here says that I should be okay :).

[@kelvinlau9623]

Good job. I learn something. Yhank you.

[@Police19005]

I like that you explain yourself when you do your things. I ask you, how do you turn on the ignition?

[@oldmanadventuring]

Haha, push button or key?

[@youcanthide004]

awesome job, very well engineered. How about long-term review?

[@oldmanadventuring]

Great idea! I’ll add this to the backlog. It may be a while. Check back every so often.

[@slashsplat]

That 60 watt iron should be able to heat the wires to solder them. Apply FLUX (not acid for plumbing) to the wires and apply heat with a small bit of flux core 60/40 solder to help xfer the heat to the wires from the iron tip. Hold the iron on place for a LONG time, until you can melt the solder slowly ON the wire, NOT on the iron. Apply a bunch. Hold the iron on the joint for 10 seconds after the last application of solder to heat the entire joint. Your un-soldered joint is going to heat up as it oxidizes and corrodes and as its jiggles loose. This is a fire waiting to happen - at worst. At best, your current flow will be badly compromised.

[@oldmanadventuring]

Thanks for the advice! Definitely one of my issues is that I didn't have any patience to do anything you suggested. I also didn't have any flux. Lessoned learned and now I know. Thanks again for the education!

[@darrenrawie9893]

I need to know how you made the connection at the 1:00 and 7:00 positions

[@oldmanadventuring]

There was a separate video on KZbin by someone who showed the wiring position. You’ll need to search for that one.

[@popwall4297]

Wonder how long it will be before he catches his truck on fire

[@SFS13-01]

You had better pray that the wiring melts before you destroy your pickup bed. The way you intend to anchor the winch with chains to your front corner tie-down lugs of the bed at 2500 lbs. will collapse the bed, IMHO.

[@oldmanadventuring]

Thanks, I’ll never pull anything in there at 2500 pounds. The primary use is for pulling a small stump grinder or a feral hog from hunting when I am by myself. At most a couple hundred pounds.

[@SFS13-01]

@ Thank you for the reply and please understand that I only wish you the best and don’t want you to destroy your truck. Pickup beds aren’t really made out of much. Have a Merry Christmas!

[@suekotchevar2765]

Put a 4x4 across front of wheel well secure some way

[@jamisonhuntington7317]

That monkey beaver harness though!!!

[@oldmanadventuring]

Haha, love mine!

[@110americalovingpatriot2]

Will that supply enough juice for a 14 ton winch?

[@oldmanadventuring]

Whew… that’s a lot and I just don’t know the answer to that.

[@ourcountryacres4862]

Nice !!

[@foxtrot68]

This is a terrible idea...You will melt your vehicles wiring harness and destroy your truck ! The wiring harness back to your 7 pin or 4 pin trailer hook up will NOT handle the amps and it WILL melt ! ..Run a single 6 guage minimum wire from your positive side of your battery all the way back to the rear of the truck ..ground a separate piece about 3 feet long to your body and install them in quick connects ( copper awg wire ) must be copper ..

[@oldmanadventuring]

I haven’t had any issues. That said I am only pulling a few hundred pounds on it, a small stump grinder or Hogs from hunting when I am alone.

[@RollinOTR]

Would this work with a 12000lb winch?

[@nickgibb4687]

just tried it...just waiting on the fire dept

[@SFS13-01]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

[@oldmanadventuring]

I wouldn’t recommend it. I only run a few hundred lbs on mine for a small stump grinder and hogs from hunting when I am alone.