Winch Install on Car Trailer - Badland ZXR 5000

We will be installing a Harbor Freight Badland ZXR Winch on a car trailer along with a tongue toolbox, battery, wiring and modifying the trailer jack.

[@ridermak4111]

Remove the hand crank from the tongue jack and modify to drive with a cordless drill. 👊😎 It will make you smile.

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

I have seen that done and it works really slick. If this was my trailer I definitely would follow your advice. Thanks

[@MrFranckster]

Thank you so much for the instructional video. Very helpful.

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

You are very welcome, I am glad I was of some help to you. Mark

[@QD85]

I ran a similar setup with the same winch on my 20’ car hauler, I figured it’s got a 5k payload capacity so a 5k winch would be fine. I’ve used it a few times once even to winch a 1500 Silverado 4x4 up on it going slightly uphill, like it wasn’t even there. Definitely worth its price I’d say

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

Absolutely! Anyone that has used a come a long to pull a heavy vehicle onto a trailer knows what a time consuming pain in the butt it is. Rolling weight of a 5k vehicle is much lower than its scale weight even going up the ramps as long as they aren't shorties. I would bet the winch could pull a 10K vehicle onto a trailer if it had to.

[@QD85]

@@FoothillPaintandFabrication yeah I carry a snatch block in case it struggles at all

[@KevinModz65]

I was wondering if the 5000 would be sufficient for my car trailer. I’ve seen others say the 5000 might work but struggle a bit. I guess this video and this comment in particular settles that. I just wonder how it would do on a vehicle with flat tires or been out in someone’s back yard for a few years

[@QD85]

@@KevinModz65 I also keep a snatch block in my toolbox just in case to help double up the line if it struggles any but so far if it rolls and has at least some form of tire it hasn’t had a issue.

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

@@KevinModz65 4 flat tires sunk down into the dirt might be a tough pull but like was mentioned above a snatch block will increase your pulling power, just slow it down by half.

[@rsanchez1669]

these guys always cutting without a guard, drives me nuts!

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

Interesting enough it has gotten me worse with the guard on but you are right I have a few gouges from running no guard.

[@davidtrevinojr739]

Is 5000 lbs winch sufficient enough that seams to little?

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

@@davidtrevinojr739 We discussed that and figured the biggest load would be the front wheels about half way up the ramps. Since it is a rolling load 5K seemed sufficient. He has used the winch several times with no issues and he wishes had bought it much sooner. So much easier and faster to load non running vehicles.

[@yadirarosalesvargas6349]

Thank you me ayudo mucho sir

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

Me alegro de poder ayudar

[@ElectricBillAlbright]

I am in the process of installing one of these on my car trailer. There's no clear instructions on the mounting and I thought it was strange how the bolt heads are hanging down in the way of mounting to a flat surface. I suppose it has to do with it being for ATV/UTV use as you mentioned in the video. Seems like a 5000 lb winch is a bit overkill on such of a vehicle. I was thinking of running the bolts that the fairlead plate is using going up into the winch and putting them through the trailer deck and the fairlead plate into the bottom of the winch. Also bolt it down through the plate as done in the video with at least 2 more grade 8 bolts 🔩. The nuts from the rollers, maybe just drill holes in deck slightly larger than the nuts so they will drop below the deck surface. Kind of like counter-sinking them. For the spacer method, sometimes I have used iron pipe and slice off pieces for homemade spacers. Trying to make them perfectly square to the sides and each the same size can be a bit of work because of how short they will be. Not much of a way to hold on to them. Great video! I might need to use spacers and you gave good ideas including the box which I am thinking of doing also. 👍👍👍

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

Thanks, it has been working out great for my friend and is one of those "I should have done this years ago" type of situations. You are correct 5K for an ATV seems silly. Unless you are pulling stumps with your trailer winch the lateral pull will not be that great spread out over several fasteners. Mark

[@brikkijim]

I noticed you attached the little red wire that is supposed to go to ignition to relay box instead of positive terminal. Is this preferred?

[@FoothillPaintandFabrication]

That little red wire energizes the relay like a safety so the winch will not operate unless the key is on but since this was being installed on a trailer not an ATV or truck there is no ignition to attach to so I connected it to the red hot cable terminal. On a vehicle it is best to attach it to the ignition like instructed.

[@brikkijim]

@@FoothillPaintandFabrication thank you

[@puchalapallivenkareddy3271]

Verry good

[@cottagecarvings3582]

You didn't show how tp wire the neutral wire or white wire that comes with it?