Best place to wire in an Electric Winch (U1300L)

Dreadnought

OK it is time to wire in my 7.4 Ton Superwinch. (I,ve tried it a couple of times using jump leads and it whipped a fairly big apple tree stump out of the ground with seemingly little effort). But if I connect direst to the batteries it isolates my 'Isolator' (Red switch between the seats) Now I like that isolator and I want to keep it working, so how do I get round this? Wire in another isolator (say on top of the battery box) so that I can switch the winch in only when I need it. Or....is there another maybe better way to wire it in? While on the subject, my Unimog (by the markings on it was a Bundesheer Radio van with a box on the back or a radio set up inside the tilt, (it came without canvas so maybe the former) On top of the battery box are three elecrical connectors (screw on covers) and at the side of the battery box...a BIG connectore with a screw on cover...is the big one a Battery slave by any chance? and does anyone know what the other three were for?

dxmedia · Mud Obsessed Joined: 10 Dec 2008 Odometer: 2185

Do not use the factory isolator, winches can pull upwards to 450 amps, which will fry normal electrics.

On a mog sized vehicle, get hold of some thick (about double the size of the cable which comes with the winch) multistrand welding wire, and a heavy duty isolator - you should be able to pick up a 500amp isolator for about £30 if you look about.

To wire +ve Battery > isolator > winch

To wire -ve Battery > Winch

You can use a ground on the chassis, but you'll be pulling a huge current off the earth strap from the battery, so it's a better idea to run a dedicated cable.

IMO it's a good idea to keep winching electrics and vehicle electrics seperate. The winch is more likely to go wrong, and if it does it will take out everything else unless it's on a dedicated circuit.

dxmedia · Mud Obsessed Joined: 10 Dec 2008 Odometer: 2185

oh reason I say don't use the standard cable with the winch....

There's a funny formula which works out the cross section of cable needed against current draw against length of cable.

Id guess that the winch is going to be further away from the battery box than the stock cables alow, so you'll need to run some new cables.

I can't remember the formula off the top of my head, but it's a square law, so double the distance needs 4x the thickness of cable. Have a google on it to find an online calculator. Superwinch's website will have the maximum current draw of your winch under full load listed.

Dreadnought · Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 6:58 pm Post subject:

Thanks dxmedia, I,ll pick up some extra cable tomorrow and start proceedings. Extra HD Isolator on top of battery box.

johnhughes · Gate Opener Joined: 01 Dec 2009 Odometer: 40

personally i wouldn't have a external isolator, but put one in the cab, 2 reasons,
1 if all hell breaks loose and your winch jams on you are by the isolator and can switch it off faster, rather than jumping out of the cab and running to the battery box.
2 it has become quite fashionable for yobs to run a winch cable over/around a vehicle short the control contacts and watch the vehicle squash itself. a internal isolator reduces this risk.

j

teamidris · Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject:

Or run a choke/bonnet cable to isolator switch so you can yank it open from a distance. Gives as shorter electric cable run as possible, puts 'pull' in easy driver reach, and no need to fight cables under cab Very Happy

Cause them solenoids can stick in, and thats one of them twitchy ring moments Shocked

( we bent some roller brackets we didn't think would ever see full winch load, which was a tad nieve Embarassed

)

Dreadnought · Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 7:22 pm Post subject:

Had to laugh...thinking of some Landrover being squashed by it,s own winch!!! Luckily being in the far east of Poland I don,t think that kind of yobbery will come here until well after I hang up my winching gloves for good. (They just don,t have yobbos here!!!! well brought up?) Well the switch will be on a bracket on top of the battery box, opposite side to me so I will endeavour to teach the missus what to do if I scream at her that the winch has stuck on!!! or I will have to learn to jump out and sprint like hell around the Mog! Thanks for the help everyone. Anyone have any idea what those elecrical plugs on the battery box are for.....especially the big one by the step????