Adding Massive Winches On Old Ford Tow Truck Bed!

Robby and Hillbilly are taking their brand new Ford F350 Tow Truck to the next level by installing not one, not two, but THREE powerful winches! Buckle up, because this upgrade is a game-changer.
🔧 Winch 1: The Sides - Watch as we equip our beast with two rugged winches on the sides, ready to tackle any roadside rescue with ease.
🔩 Winch 2: The Back - But that's not all! We're also installing a heavy-duty winch on the back, adding even more muscle to our towing capabilities.
But here's the kicker, folks - we need your help! We can't decide on a name for our new tow truck, and that's where YOU come in. Should we christen it "King Fred" or go with the simple and catchy "BOB"? Your opinion matters, so drop your vote in the comments section below. The truck's destiny is in your hands!
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#RobbyLayton #AutoBody #repair
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[@justinjoiner7285]

King Fred!!

[@michaelfowler8289]

Chicken-fried redheaded Fred😢😅😮😊

[@michaelfowler8289]

Amazon has up to 180 amp maybe more alternators

[@stevez340]

In honor of the previous owner who passed away, the only name that should be considered is Fred, as in Ford-Red👍

[@benjy6358]

i'm about to comment this as well..

[@joecolosi1795]

My exact thought

[@tdro98]

Agree

[@AFloridaSon]

Robby is making it his own. It's going to be a different truck when he's done.

[@stevez340]

@@AFloridaSon And Fred is still the only name that would be appropriate for Robby’s “new and improved” truck👍

[@mendonesiac]

King Fred is coming along nicely!

[@ShaneZettelmier]

For the higher power alternator, just get a premier power welder, I believe it comes with a higher amp alternator, and then you’ve got the welder as well.

[@johnnawrocki6993]

King Fred, put a second alternator on it to a separate battery to run all the accessory lights and winches

[@Farm_fab]

There might not be room for a second alternator, but a battery isolator and a second battery mounted somewhere on the truck might be the answer. It could also be used for jump starting the truck, especially if no one is around.

[@edwardscott3262]

Those trucks were used in ambulances and stuff like that. There's definitely alternator options other than 80 amps. I forget the details but you can run some pretty high output alternators in there.

[@jimmorwood9715]

Why are those front tires all cupped on the red wrecker?

[@johnnawrocki6993]

@@jimmorwood9715 could be a lot of things air pressure suspension bad springs or shocks. I believe they said tires were flat spotted

[@landnnut]

The tire cupping is the partly the result of using tires that are incompatible with the design defects of the Ford twin I beam suspension. Also the toe setting may be out of specification.

[@MattJSavory]

King Fred!

[@kennethbrown8723]

I love how Demri just calls Robbie out when he makes a mistake and he’s not fazed in the least! That’s a confident man!

[@razghost2]

He's probably used to it lol

[@StrangerDanger69-dt7yf]

Robbie very much resembles the little autistic kid from the annoying Shriners Children's Hospital commercials,only all grown up. There might be something to this. Meaning that Robbie might not realize that he's even made a mistake!I mean he even sounds like the kid at 36:13 !😂😂😂

[@thelonerizla1]

CAD , cardboard assisted drawing .

[@jodywells7519]

Gotta be Fred! Never apologize for being particular about your work

[@dianeenlow123]

Since the previous owner named it Fred I vote for King Fred. Keeping the name Fred will honor and memorialize the previous owner. It’s a matter of respect towards his family. The winch cages look awesome.

[@danssmokintreasures]

Fred is good.

[@saintracheljarodm.holy-kay2560]

Fred works 👍

[@johndowning5344]

Agreed and Bob goes away as soon as it's painted and no longer red.. then it wouldnt be Robert Redford lol

[@jw2218]

I would drop the king part

[@zalakenpachi2680]

Elder Fred

[@ordinarypete]

King Fred! But paint it Robby’s crash derby colors! 🙏🏽

[@jasonlt1982]

Frank and Fred, a perfect pair!

[@teflonjohn.20]

Robbie and Freddie!!! On the 2nd battery, why not add a small solar panel on the roof to keep the system topped up, even when he is parked up

[@markworth7609]

Robbie you could mount another fair lead on the inside of the plate for the back winch then you will have a smooth transition on both sides

[@pat8988]

I was thinking along those lines, too. With those soft winch lines, you don't want them rubbing on any sharp corners, like the fairlead mounting plates. That would shred them in short order.

[@mh7743]

I am obsessed with watching you guys build and modify old vehicles, but the fact that you own one of the best paint shops in the country, absolutely drives me crazy that you don’t paint things after you get through with them! Lol I would paint that wrecker so red that a firetruck couldn’t compare to it if I owned your shop and had your talent! Please paint it please!😂😂😂

[@xxBlazinBobxx]

Big Fred is going to be awesome!

[@fredprice2710]

I agree with anything Fred related for obvious reasons. There’s not enough of us around.

[@LS-mv1ze]

King Fred

[@declansills1614]

Fred Put a battery cutoff switch on it, like on a race car. That should eliminate any drains on the battery.

[@Kiki-Kauai]

Awesome video. I vote Freddie, the hip version of Fred. Since it’s getting all the upgrades. 🌺

[@chrisnye3923]

I’d look into a 3g alternator upgrade. Inexpensive and can double the output of the stock one. Been running one for years, works great!!!!

[@Group_Anonymous]

4g LTE is better!!!!!

[@fredcorbit5078]

Fred sounds good👍 Bob is my welding table

[@kencrouch668]

You may want to make room for the tow dollies on that rig! Casey Ladelle has a wrecker similar to that - he used his dollies on a resent episode because the Tacoma that he was pulling out smashed into a tree and none of the wheels could be used,

[@stevehughes3098]

A Blue and Silver Tow truck named Red would be awesome..... 😁

[@ricks5984]

When you do the dual battery for the winches be sure to isolate the bed battery so the winches don't draw down the trucks starter battery which would leave you stranded have a jump pack in hand. Also, that 80 amp alternator just won't be able to keep up!

[@michaelwpaulin4876]

King Fred...that old Ford is turning into a real beast... Bending pipe is like anything else, just takes a little practice making yourself familiar with the machine. Winch Cages turned out great.. Keep on Truckin’ MWP Cosby, Tn.

[@dave6501]

He shall be King Fred. 😊

[@leonardbixler102]

Put one of those ultimate welders on it problem solved plus you have welding capabilities. Great content.

[@fredcarlson5775]

I vote for King Fred the winch cages are awesome the new jumper cable connectors should have covers that are available that are rubber that slide on and off I have them on my connectors

[@avendorn3685]

The knight rider historians are rebuilding the semi trailer and are looking for someone to paint it, That would be a great collab

[@AFloridaSon]

That really would be awesome.

[@keithharper9595]

King Fred gets my vote too. Avalon King are sponsoring it, and it is already named Fred, which should be retained in honour of its late owner.

[@thunderroad7289]

Can’t wait to see this old rig done. Looking forward to seeing the new paint job going to be a sharp looking rig when Robby gets done

[@fredclements6843]

Robby my wife is a little helper too they always let you know when u mess up😂😂😂😂

[@j.j.clingman4083]

Hey Robby I absolutely love those kind of jumper cables!! I have been making those kinds of jumper cables for people when they end up seeing me use mine on my truck!!! But I always use old welding leads that was used on stick welders!!! I’m a millwright so every time they would replace the welding leads I would always take the old ones and save for jumper cables!!! The wires have hundreds and hundreds of little strands of copper witch work really well and you don’t end up losing any power threw longer leads or jumper cables!!! I also use the cables for wiring up my winches on anything that I end up putting a winch on also!!! Plus by using an over sized cable I have found out that my winches will run longer without over heating!!! I have been doing it this way for over 25 years now and it definitely works out well!!! I have made over two dozen sets for other people also and they definitely love them also!!! For the longest time it was hard to find the gray boxes where other people couldn’t find them and would always ask me and I’d tell them I could make them a set!!! At first I could find them at a fork lift store and get a set of them for under 20.00$ now that others have found out more about them are local Napa stores carry them but cost almost 50.00$ a set now!!! I have also made several extension for times where a vehicle might be in a tight spot and I can’t get to the front of the vehicle to jumpstart them!!!! I just pull up behind them and connect my extension first and then my jumper cables and I have a total of 30’ witch is plenty long enough to get from the back of a full size pickup with a long box and even being a four door truck!! Plus I can also hook the cables to my winches and the other end to my batteries of my truck to run a winch if needed!!! Best set up ever!!!

[@DB-yj3qc]

Same here, I've even jump started a boat with mine from my Jeep. I got a set of 45 or so ft long. Other use for trail side welding. 👍

[@35manning]

Well, mostly it's not the size of cable, it's the surface area the matters. So smaller copper strands in a cable means more surface area.

[@thejmannn9993]

Same. I have a set of welding cable jumper cables. I made them long, for when you can't get to the battery easily.

[@soccer13austin]

Love Clifford the little red tow truck!

[@Kiki-Kauai]

I actually do too. It looks like a Clifford.

[@MrGripdeath]

Bob! all the way

[@ahnilatedahnilated7703]

Robbie, find a shop that can turn the alternator up from 80A. I have a local place called A&B electric that does that here in MN. They took my 60A Mazda alternator and made it 140A. You can also order aftermarket stuff up to 400A or so.

[@rickdeschenes1598]

king Fred, as always, very entertaining. Hill Billy, why not cut out the holes bigger, under the driver's side winche and weld in a couple bolts?

[@michaelmcclure8673]

The Boss lady giggles at 9:00 was the best ever.❤❤

[@garlandremingtoniii1338]

“A Birthday Potty.” she is without a doubt, a pure little angel. And what a beautiful, beautiful, precious little angel your daughter is!! I have really really enjoyed watching you guys build out this wrecker!! I feel that it’s going to serve you well for quite some time. Furthermore, you have a heck of a nice shop Robby my friend!! Also, I don’t know 🤷 what you would do without Hillbilly Robby.

[@MarkoMygun]

Great job guy's, that was a great idea Robby putting those guards around those winches. And great job Hillbilly on everything you did. And of course great job Demri on filming. Can't wait for the next one.

[@stephenfink4695]

King Fred. I’ve always been interested in seeing attachments for side pulling which will pull from the far or uphill side. If I ever build a wrecker I think I’ll try that. Thank you for letting us tag along with all you’re doing!

[@saintracheljarodm.holy-kay2560]

Have a good week and count your blessings amen.

[@chadsfab]

The wrecker is lookin' good. But, you're just going to have to go with Fred. BOB (Big Orange Blazer) is already taken, don't confuse people now 😁😂

[@mr.nobody3521]

I would go with King Fred. I don’t understand why nobody wants to use duel alternators. One for charging and one for accessories.

[@WA7ALUT]

Welding and extra power as he is using electric winches and lights

[@jcar1417]

I have factory dual alternators on my power wagon just because

[@35manning]

Why add weight and complexity when a single high output alternator can give you more power?

[@mr.nobody3521]

@@35manning. Hillbilly said the highest output he could find was an 80 amp. Putting in a separate 120 or 130 amp alternator to run all the accessories such as a welder, all of the winch’s, and lighting will reduce the wear on the 80 alternator and put the strain on the even higher output.

[@35manning]

@@mr.nobody3521 maybe Hillbilly isn't that well versed on the internet, because I found a 270 amp alternator to suit a 1992 F series 5.8L and 7.5L petrol engine. Not knocking on Hillbilly or his computer skills. I'm also not sure which engine their Ford has because I'm not a Ford person. But its VERY likely to be a larger engine and those are the largest two engine options in petrol. Which means a bolt in option exists. And even if a bolt in option didn't exist, look what what you'd need to do to run a second alternator. You'd need a mounting bracket, an new belt and pulley, new wiring and an alternator. What would you need for a generic high output alternator that will not fit the engines existing mounts? A mounting bracket, alternator and wiring, and MAYBE a new belt and/or pulley. So, worst case, you need EVERYTHING to do either option, so is there a benefit to one or the other? Dual alternators take up more space, they add weight, they add complexity and they MAY add some redundancy depending on how they are wired. Now, granted adding a high output alternator alongside the original alternator will increase the overall power output available, but if you really need more then the 270 Amps the bolt alternator provides, then there are alternators that are even higher in output. The site I found the 270 Amp alternator on also has a 370 Amp alternator intended for the 7.3L diesel 1992 F350 engine. Which goes begs the question, if 270 Amps is the max they offer for the petrol engines, have they determined that to be the maximum output the engine can reasonably handle and if that's the case, it's really not that smart to run TWO alternators that will exceed that limit. Further, two alternators rated at 100 Amp each will provide the same amount of power as a single 200 Amp alternator, however they will consume more mechanical power to do that as you now have TWO sets of bearings, drive shafts, pulleys etc to power. The ONLY reason it would be smart to use dual alternators, in any universe, is if it was done purely for redundancy, or if the highest output alternator wasn't enough AND the engine had the spare horsepower to drive them, or you needed to run two different voltages AND you can't find a DC-DC charger or converter of a large enough capacity. The last vehicle I drove with dual alternators was a Mercedes offroad vehicle with 12v and 24v systems. The 24v alternator was mounted low and it was required to stop the vehicle, flick a switch to disable the 24v alternator and then restart the vehicle before doing any water crossings, then ensure the 24v alternator was dry enough before turning it back on. That was a VERY poor solution to the customers 24v power requirement, especially given the predominantly offroad nature of the vehicle.

[@garyg2882]

Looking great Robby and crew! A work light on each side of the wheel lift would come in handy when hooking up a vehicle at night. Also, on our trucks we had grill protectors mounted on the push bumper, on top of each end of it, we welded short verticle posts and put radiator hose over them, that way you can wrap your cables around the two posts and then clamp each end of your cables to the post when travelling. May not make sense for you, but it did to us as we had a dozen trucks that did about 30 calls a day each. It's coming along nicely though. You could definatley save some amperage by switching the emergency beacon and all worklights with L.E.D.

[@ronaldotto7851]

You need a CB Radio. That would look great.

[@jefftabor595]

King Fred. Seems good to me. Great content as always.

[@hotflashfoto]

Having one or two batteries in the bed is a good idea. Just use a DC-to-DC charger so the alternator charges the main battery under the hood and is disconnected from the bed battery(ies) so it'll always start, and then charges it/them once the engine starts. You may need to add a second alternator to charge the bed battery(ies), but that's for another day. Between Bob and Fred, I vote to call it King Fred. Then it won't matter what color you make it.

[@jasonmanley5287]

If you guys want a high output alternator that will bolt right up, Mean Green makes one for your truck that is supposed to put out around 375 amps at 2000 RPM.

[@ZombieKillerRex]

It's already been named, "THE WRECKER"!

[@808SSCamaro]

DAYUM! Robbie being as old as he is able to get a young 21 year old 😀 Thanks guys for sharing!

[@Crewsy]

Definitely Fred. It already has a name and you can’t rename a FORD because they’ll get confused.

[@petemiller9404]

So you are adding all sorts of electrical stuff to a truck that was dead this morning?

[@sandkworkshop]

Y’all crack me up. Fun to watch.

[@badbudgie1539]

Demri's laugh is infectious.🙂

[@mib7483]

Thanks for hosting us this weekend, great class and I learned a lot.

[@brucegarrett7232]

Fred!! Second alternator at 100amps plus second battery in/on wrecker bed. How are you gonna respool the winches when needed if they are close to the bed rail?

[@mh_vegas]

It would be good to keep the name Fred, and King Fred seems even better!

[@jackfoo2]

KING BOB!!!!!

[@wayne-oo]

Maintenance is a thing ! And when you have none you get what you get !

[@danieldunham9978]

Winches look great! Should make it a lot easier to recover stuck vehicles.

[@DaniPitchford]

King Fred, Never Dead!!!

[@imafarmboy2]

I can't believe how scalloped that front tire is. The joys of Fords.

[@deannalemburg10]

Looking quite good, love your garage Muriel makes me smile everytime I see it , king Fred. Thank you for your support on Matt's channel love Bronc star shirt 👕

[@jpc27210]

You will most likely have to do the alternator wire upgrade to get high output

[@mikewhisky9605]

such a noble beast should be called WINSTON !!!!!!

[@therealdavis2788]

Pretty cool old truck. Happy to see it getting to and work again

[@lonhoschar1943]

The old wrecker is getting some love!! LOL!! I think it's name should be "King Fred". You guys got a lot done on the wrecker!! Good job on the winch protectors too!!

[@chancesmalley6708]

Definitely bob!

[@wolfgangricky]

Bob would look good Blue & silver. Ty for taking us along

[@hartwigschmid783]

BOB = Big Old Beauty

[@johngormley7516]

Just need a slight raised but reinforced strength winch on rear that swivels to face each side, not three winches. That way you keep weight down, like winch thats 3 in 1 use..

[@stevenreining6805]

I think you might be going a little overboard on the Winch roll bar. I wonder how easy its going to be ifin you need to get the winch out

[@wyattly]

You need to use some free-all of those bolts on old Fred.

[@jamesbigham9036]

I definitely like the name Big Fred. That is my vote. I love hearing commentary from the lovely boss the beautiful camera lady. I think having 4 winches is a great thing on the wrecker

[@CallMeAdam2023]

Those winches are all fancy and everything, but what if you have to reline one while your out? Won't it be hard to do?

[@baddawg3380]

Also, I think he'll have to cut everything apart if one of the winched goes bad.

[@briand01]

@@baddawg3380 I think he bolted the winches through the plates and through the bed then welded the plates onto the bed. because he shot down hillbilly's idea to weld them all together. Saying and take a third option and not be able to remove them.

[@35manning]

I had to reconnect and spool a winch in the field. In Australia, almost all winches are mounted inside of a bull bar and are difficult to access, but it wasn't that hard to re-spool it.

[@markdillon1574]

I seen a saw tooth pattern in the tire tread as you were bringing "Bob"into the work bay...looks like it needs front shocks😂👍...keep up the awesome work 😀

[@NathanielHatley]

I just saw that as I was watching, definitely needs a suspension inspection / alignment check.

[@35manning]

You meant to say King Fred didn't you!

[@LostandRefound]

King Fred! Like we said in the previous comments: Fred in honor of the previous owner and his family and the King part for Avalon King's sponsorship.

[@MIKEH.777]

Hey guys the next time you can't get too the other side of the bolts just cut the head of the bolts off and weld the bolt to the plate of steel. I love watching your channel and you guy's are awesome I love all of you. Keep up the great work and God Bless you guys and your families. 👍👌🙏🏼

[@barryhollingshad2685]

Bob rimes with Rob (Example Rob and Bob went out on a toeing mission.) Flows well when ya try it!

[@andrewjones-productions]

I'm really liking the winch 'roll-bars'. I'm just wondering though, won't you need some sort of out riggers to stabilise the wrecker if pulling from the side? Winching from the front and rear has the advantage of the longitudinal shape of the vehicle not to mention all of the weight on the front and rear. The side winches are devoid of that advantage. I suppose it all depends on what you intend for the winches to pull from the sides.

[@hausmaster9801]

I doubt it’ll be pulling that much weight from the side winches to be a problem

[@mikerubynfs]

Use the winch on the other side to hold on to a fixed point, tree, vehicle etc.

[@andrewjones-productions]

@@mikerubynfs A tree I can understand, but if there is enough room to put two vehicles side by side, why would you winch from the side in the first place?

[@mikerubynfs]

Maybe not space on the track the second vehicle could be above or further away. I just gave example of why out riggers may not be needed.@@andrewjones-productions

[@roncashion695]

I’m going with BOB. Even before the story👍

[@catdog8641]

I would put a 130 amp alternator with the 7" bolt spacing and get the wiring harness from 93' to 97' f- series. It's what I did to my 1992 f 150 that has a snow plow on it. Little grinding and one wire to change the end on but all mounted in nicely ☺️. And for being a wrecker I would dual alternator it. Great job 👍 love the extra work makes a great video ❣️

[@camillethetacoturd7210]

What do you mean by the 7” bolt spacing? What benefit do you get from that? I’m ignorant so I’m just trying to learn me something… thanks

[@catdog8641]

@@camillethetacoturd7210 this alternator comes in two different mounting sizes. One is 7" across and a 9". From center mounting bolt to the other center mounting bolt. Smaller one is more for v6 and V8. Bigger one came from inline 6. But all for high out put demand.

[@camillethetacoturd7210]

@@catdog8641 Appreciate it!

[@paulcarragher2067]

King Fred deserves a new 7.3 Godzilla swap. Or find a 6.2

[@robertmartin2387]

Definately,BOB!

[@1944chevytruck]

GOOD JOB EVERYONE!

[@danielwadley8225]

I like Bob for the tow truck. Simple and to the point.

[@Equine_frederikke]

Never leave the donor running while starting. You risk burning out the diodes in the alternator. You won’t know right away, but in a few months you might need a new alternator. (Unless you use protected cables)

[@marklar7551]

Alternator is doneski

[@promethbastard]

Every jump start I've ever done has had the second vehicle running to provide extra amperage. Never had a problem.

[@major__kong]

I always let the dead battery charge up first before attempting a crank. That way it's helping. If the battery is dead dead, don't try to jump start. Neither vehicle will be happy. I always carry a multimeter with me, so I can measure if it's dead dead. It's best to start with both vehicles off, jump, start, charge, shut down both vehicles, disconnect, then start. Those protected cables don't do much. The real problem is load dump, and they don't help that much in that case. You really want that protection across the alternator not way downstream. And you have to remember to disconnect the car being jumped first not the donor car first. It's better to use the procedure I mentioned above. But this is all moot for me now as I carry a lithium jump pack and just use that. The main issue is the alternator. No alternator in jump packs :-)

[@35manning]

​@@promethbastardyes and no. On old school cars, I've ALWAYS used the engine with a few revs to get peak alternator output. Newer cars with fancy computers, I turn the engine off so that having two alternators running (one of each vehicle) doesn't cause any issues for the "smarter" car. It's rare in my experience, but you can blow / damage the computers.

[@promethbastard]

@@35manning I've done it on post and pre 2000's vehicles, zero fucks. Just get it done. I even used a mid-2000s German car to jump another - held 3k RPM and boom we got enough juice to get it going again (It was well fucked). I'm aware of the logic and the caution and the stories, I work in IT and have done a very long time. But ultimately, I just don't bloody care.

[@SuperDutch56]

Loved seeing the Ed "Big Daddy" Roth trike! My son-in-law is putting the finishing touches on the trike he's building.

[@leannelangton3253]

Totally agree it has to be King Fred

[@davesdetail906]

King Fred is a Masterpiece! He deserves a good buffing out with rubbing compound for his original color and then leave all the patina. Yes? 😮

[@gumbystown]

Holy smokes when I just watched you drive that red tow truck into the garage those tires are massively cupping

[@lensmith8876]

It maybe an idea to put a blank Anderson plug into the jumper lead socket on the front bar to keep any debris out.

[@stephengallina1774]

King Fred. It’s just right for a vehicle to keep its name

[@MarkWilliams-lf5tc]

Good to see Fred get upgraded

[@donaldbowlin430]

It has to Bob!! You have a Frank and now you need Bob!!

[@altonbarbee8864]

I like Bob, short and simple

[@TrevorDennis100]

A perfect ending with wee Abby rebelling by insisting that she was going to point the OTHER way! 🤣 She is going to be a lot of fun on the channel when she gets older. Heck. What am I saying? She's a lot of fun NOW!

[@fredcederholm284]

I think it should be Freddie, it will always be Ready Freddie!

[@fredfrontino3706]

King Fred for sure.