Wiring a Trailer Mounted Winch to a Trailer Battery and Vehicle Battery

Question:

Im putting this winch on a new manual tilt bed trailer. I dont want to power it off of the truck because I trade trucks quite often and dont want to permanently wire it to it. I know Ill have to mount a battery on the trailer, What type of battery would you recommend and what wiring to keep the battery charged?

asked by: Kurt

Expert Reply:

I have just what you will need. I have linked an FAQ article that explains the various ways to wire a winch. You will need the second half of the page titled Option 2: Wiring the Winch to a Separate, Trailer-Mounted Battery. I have also included a picture that shows how it would all go together.

You will need wire like # 10-1-1 sold in 1 foot increments, and a 40 amp circuit breaker # PK54540. You will wire it all up like in the picture.

Please note that a vehicle battery and the wiring will provide a maintenance charge only to the trailer mounted battery. The vehicle battery, alternator, and wiring is not strong enough to push enough amperage back to charge up the trailer mounted battery. The trailer connector must be disconnected from the vehicle before operating the winch to avoid damaging the vehicle battery or wiring.

To charge up the trailer mounted battery you are doing it right by charging it up using a battery charger and shore power. If you are interested in the latest in battery charging technology I recommend CTEK charger # CTEK56353. Three or four of us here own this charger and it is, in a word, awesome. It will not overcharge a battery and will actually help to extend battery life.

As for what battery to install on your trailer, I would recommend the nicest automotive battery you can afford honestly. The bigger the battery the longer it will hold a charge and would require less time on the charger.

expert reply by: Jameson C