Using 7.2KW to Power Portable Winch

[Kliza]

All of the winches I have found so far are meant to connect directly to the battery for obvious reasons.

Since I have the 7.2KW generator package, I have all of the power in need in the bed of the truck. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether a winch could be powered by the generator?

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[EricR]

Sorry to not be of help, but am interested in this as well.

 

[Buyer2021]

As long as the AC-powered utility winch you choose is rated to operate under the Pro Power outlet limits (20A@120VAC or 30A@240VAC) then it'll work.

If an extension cord is involved then pay attention to its rating, too.

You might be surprised at how little 'pulling power' that provides in comparison to many high-current DC winches made for automotive applications connecting directly to a vehicle battery / charging system, but maybe you don't need that much. Comparative cost and weight might be a consideration, too.

 

[Snakebitten]

There are a few AC winches and you could set one up to mount temporarily into your trailer hitch. But I still haven't found one that is as robust as one that I would want. So DC it will probably stay.

 

[ColoradoHunter]

As long as the AC-powered utility winch you choose is rated to operate under the Pro Power outlet limits (20A@120VAC or 30A@240VAC) then it'll work.

If an extension cord is involved then pay attention to its rating, too.

You might be surprised at how little 'pulling power' that provides in comparison to many high-current DC winches made for automotive applications connecting directly to a vehicle battery / charging system, but maybe you don't need that much. Comparative cost and weight might be a consideration, too.

I have a 110V winch that I use with my Powerboost to load elk. It worked great 3 times this year. Most of the A/C winches don't have the pulling power of the DC winches, so a 2 part line hook-up can come in handy. As you said paying attention to the winch power needs is important.

 

[Jimalt]

As long as the AC-powered utility winch you choose is rated to operate under the Pro Power outlet limits (20A@120VAC or 30A@240VAC) then it'll work.

If an extension cord is involved then pay attention to its rating, too.

You might be surprised at how little 'pulling power' that provides in comparison to many high-current DC winches made for automotive applications connecting directly to a vehicle battery / charging system, but maybe you don't need that much. Comparative cost and weight might be a consideration, too.

Totally agree...I have a Warn winch rated for 1500# that runs off AC and draws 15 amp under load with 120V cord. Useful for rolling cars onto a ramped trailer - would probably have to double the pull with a snatch block if I had a heavier car to load. BUT it only has a 20' coil so I sometimes have to strap the car and reset the winch. OK to intermittent use and you could use it off the Pro Power.
I also have a PowerWinch connector ran to the rear of my truck. PowerWinch is a common winch used to pull a boat onto a trailer. You have a short cord with 8ga wire that plugs into an outlet that is fused at 60 amp (that's 60 amps at 12 volts!) and connected directly to the engine compartment battery (the traditional battery). AGAIN, this is a 1500# rated winch and more of a convenience to pull boat onto trailer.
Both of these are solutions for light loads such as i described and others have used for hunting, ATV recovery, etc. A "real winch" rated for 10,000 or 12,000 pounds will draw nearly 500 amps (that is at 12 volt!!!) which is why they are directly connected to the traditional battery, the truck must be running and the use of the winch should be "intermittent" so the the alternator can recharge the battery as you are drawing it down faster than the alternator can charge it. Naturally, this needs large cables such as 0 gauge.
Lastly, I have a "real winch" that is a Warn 12,000# and mounted it to a receiver plate. I can slide it into any receiver on any vehicle and winch forward or back. It weighs 75# and I store it in the vehicle when I go off road. My jeep has a quick disconnect ran to the front receiver and the rear receiver so I simply plug in the quick disconnect when I slide the winch into the receiver. BUT I also have a 25' set of high quality jumper cables with a quick disconnect on one end. That allows me to use the winch with other vehicles such as my PowerBoost, lend it to a friend, etc. But, it is a heavy mug and not as convenient or cool looking as a mounted winch - esp one like on the 5.0 shown in this post 9pretty badass)! BUT, my winch method is much more flexible, is not sitting in the weather, and won't need the synthetic rope replaced every 2 years.

 

[amschind]

I'm doing this, but it has been a long journey and the end result won't be great for most folks. I have a Warn 3000# AC winch which SHOUDLN'T trip the 240V breaker (fingers crossed/butthole clenched....gonna be real sad if it does). I'm having a mount made for it to slot into my trailer hitch which should be ready pretty soon. I am doing the wiring myself after the electrician that I tried to hire first refused to touch it and then told me that it needed to be grounded to the frame instead of the plug ground (I don't think that he grasped what was going on and assumed that it was somehow DC). The biggest challenge for this winch is the controls.

The switch that it comes with is a purely mechanical 1952 model GE Frankenstein's laboratory 3 throw dual pole switch made from $40 of copper. I am gonna keep it but don't want to use it. Instead, I am making the same circuit from 6 high voltage SSRs and a small bluetooth controller. I will use a 12V feed from the Raptor Upfitter switches to power the 12V DC controller module which sends 12V DC to the SSR gates which then allow the 240V AC to power the winch. The advantage is that I only have to stand as close as the ($19 Amazon special) Bluetooth remote range will allow and don't need to physically touch anything with high voltage AC running through it. I will have positive physical control over AC power in (unplug it) and DC control (flip the overhead switch). When doing a recovery, I can be out of the line of fire.

The upside is that the truck could pull on that winch all day. The downside is that even with one pulley, which requires a helpful tree or other vehicle, I still only have 3 tons MAX. This truck only off roads when the situation demands it, but I am likely to be alone (though I did just buy a tractor, so at least I have MORE options now). For skidding logs or making a redneck hoist, it will be perfect, but it won't haul Cousin Jimmer Bob's lifted coal powered Superduty out of "Truck Graveyard Holler".

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