Boat Trailer Winches and Roller Bunks to Ease Loading of Boat on Trailer

Question:

I am looking at purchasing an Electric boat trailer winch and was interested in the Fulton XLT 7000 or 10000 model. I have not seen any pictures or instructions on installation to boat trailer as the current hand crank on mine has U bolt connectors. Thank you.

asked by: Peter L

Expert Reply:

Most boat trailer winches, whether manual or electric, use standardized mounting. The linked photo of the bottom surface of this Fulton electric winch shows the T-slot mounting scheme. This matches up to a plate such as the Dutton-Lainson Mounting Adapter Plate # DL24055.

The winch mount must be capable of handling the full capacity of the winch. For a trailer, you really should have a secure mount such as a steel plate welded to the trailer frame.

I suggest you have a look at the linked article on electric winches. It includes a chart that shows how the number of rope layers on the winch affect its capacity.

We also offer trailer roller bunks like # DL21741 and # DL21755 which greatly reduce the friction between boat and trailer. These can allow a lower-capacity winch to do the job but they can also let a higher-capacity model do the work with much less stress and wear, extending the life of the winch motor.

Please feel free to send along details about your boat (weight and length) and some photos of your trailer so we can see where your winch would best mount.