heavy wire and Anderson connectors

[mr.mindless]

Put a diode in the charge wire

the ME says the EE is dumb on this one

That went around in my head 4 times now.  ME is right, sparky is missing the point. Would need a low voltage cutoff as well to keep the trailer from draining the truck. It would "save" the trailer batt from truck drain but would let winching kill all three if the truck wasn't running.  Again letting me shoot myself in the foot.

I've found it's worth pre-planning to take away my own ammunition, otherwise I'm likely to find it and use it someday.

[Nick]

Put a wind mil ontop of the trailer! Bam problem solved SG shows the ME and EE how its done 

[gif]

if I HAVE to do that, I WILL forget it occasionally (just like I sometimes try to winch now before I remember to hook it up) and that seems a very stupid place to put myself in. Not to mention I have an intermittent phantom draw in the truck, and insurance against that would be nice - I don't get that with a direct hookup.

If I go with the trailer battery, I think it's smart money to spend 2 bills on what's actually a pretty high end charger that should keep that battery in tip top shape for years of abuse as long as I don't draw it down to DEAD and kill it.

so you can remember to hook up a charger but not to unplug the trailer?..?

I never unplugged my trailer when winching...    If you are pulling 40amps right off the start your winch battery is junk.
I could give you all the EE mumbo jumbo...

1) Carry spare 40a fuses

2) Could design a circuit when you turn the "Master" Winch "ON" the charging circuit from the truck is auto disconnected.

[mr.mindless]

Charger would be hard wired...

[M4wdFab]

you set your parking brake all the time right?  why not just have a relay open the charge circuit and isolate it while winching?


if you kill your trailer battery down far enouh that it trys to pull 100amps to charge it when you pull your ebrake off and allow charging, your battery is junk, your wire is junk, or you developed user error in winching.   


sounds pretty simple maybe im missing something.

[Ryan]

That is a great idea.

[etk300ex]

I'd swap that fuse put for a penny.  Should solve your problem, one way or another

[mr.mindless]

That is a great idea.

Yes

[mr.mindless]

Buuut the easy place to switch that it would kill trailer lights and brake controller too. Damnit

[M4wdFab]

easier that bending over for real wire

[rejeep]

just a stupid question...
but why not just hook the winch up to the battery and put the battery in a box...

you’re not winching nonstop on the road... after each trip place it on a charger.. deep cycle batteries are meant to be fully discharged and charged again...

I think your overcomplicating this..

[mr.mindless]

I usually do.

If I do that, and I run it dead before I'm done, I'm hosed.
Also, deep cycles aren't meant to be run DEAD - only very low. They'll still suffer shortened life if brought below 10.5 too frequently but they're more resilient to it.

[rejeep]

then why even deal with a battery on the trailer..
I would just wire up the winch with the andersons and 25ft of wire and call it a day..

[mr.mindless]

only reason would be so it is useful on any tow rig (and the self jump start) - but the winch that's on it now isn't anyway, since it also uses a dedicated plug.

prices matter too, I know retail it's $50 in plugs and I know copper is scary expensive. but so are batteries and that charger...

[rejeep]

yeah but its coming from me and its a better deal than normal considering its being done with us in mind..

ill price out the wire, but lmk how mnay feet