Winch Assembly and Strap Replacement for Personal Watercraft Trailer

Question:

How often should you replace a winch on a trailer for a personal watercraft? What should you look for to determine whether to replace just the strap or the entire winch assembly? Which winch and Strap do you recommend if it needs replacing for an aluminum Trailer for a personal watercraft??

asked by: Joe

Expert Reply:

If a winch assembly is used beyond its rated capacity, corroded from severe exposure to the elements or otherwise mechanically damaged in some way it may require replacement. If the main structure/housing is intact then it may only be necessary to replace the wire rope or nylon strap periodically if these show extreme wear or deterioration. Some times it may be necessary to replace a few components in the winch, but these repair kits are fairly simple and less costly than a whole new winch.

In normal use within its rated capacity a hand winch with nylon strap like the Fulton Single Speed # FT1500Z0301 should last for many years. It comes down to specifics: are there rough surfaces on the trailer that will slowly abrade and damage the strap? Is the strap routinely being used very near it maximum capacity? Is the trailer stored inside our outside during the off-season?

With winches, as with many other items, its never a bad idea to have extra capacity to provide a safety margin. So if your PWC weighs 600-lbs you might want to consider a winch rated for say 1000-lbs - the incremental cost is relatively small compared to the potential benefits. Sometimes peace of mind comes cheap.

For a PWC-trailer application I suggest a brake winch like the Fulton # F143100. A brake winch allows for easy cranking and automatically applies a brake to hold the hold whenever you stop cranking.

The linked article will give you plenty of additional information on winches.

expert reply by: Adam R