Can Master Lock Winch # 2953AT Be Used On a Fabricated Tilting Trailer
Question:
I am making a tilting trailer for a hovercraft. The craft weighs about 500lbs. I was wondering if this could be used as a winch to lift the deck of the trailer? I know this is not a lifting winch but I plan to have a pulley mounted on top of a pulley so it would not be doing straight vertical lifts. I have attached a picture that may make some more sense of what I am trying to accomplish. I really would like to use this product because I can hardwire it may small suv but just in case I am pulling it on my friends trucks I can still use it manually. By the way it does say it is free spooling does that mean it cannot be gently lowered?
asked by: Jason
Expert Reply:
Thank you for submitting the illustration of the tilting trailer you are fabricating for your hovercraft and for which you are looking for a power winch to raise and lower the trailer deck.
The actual weight of the deck should be considered, and this must be added to the 500-lb load of the hovercraft when considering appropriate power winches. If we assume a 200-lb deck weight then this Master Lock winch # 2953AT will have more than enough capacity, especially when used with a pulley system which increases capacity, to handle the 700-lb total load.
It is recommended that any winch have at least 12 inches of straight line from the drum before it is routed to any pulleys. You will want to keep this in mind as you design the trailer and determine placement of the winch and the pulley.
Free-spooling winches like this do not have power applied when feeding out, only when pulling in. This means that in order to gently lower the deck you will need to use the manual crank handle. One of my associates here at etrailer advised that some tilt trailers do not even use a winch, since the weight of the loaded vehicle can often provide enough force to tilt the deck up or down as it moves forward and backward on the deck.
If you prefer to use this Master Lock winch it is appropriately-rated for your application.
