Extra 12v bat for winch ?s

[Stewbuntu]

I defer to you pros

I have a winch on the golf cart now and there is no 36v to 12v reducer that works with enough amps from what everyone tells me. I'm looking at 12v batteries and it's been awhile since I last figured out how it will work. Now that I have the winch installed I'm wondering how long can I winch on a marine deep cycle battery? I forgot how many HAs a 12v marine deep cycle battery has. The 2500 lb winch says 3.5 amps, but I remember needing 30+ amps for a 36 to 12v reducer. The 12v battery will fit under the back seat, so I don't think two golf cart batteries will fit back there.

For $80 Costco has group 27(12v) deep cycle reserve capacity is 160 which I read is around 67ha

My cart rides up the ramps until the back wheels start up the ramps. I only need to be able to winch about 6ft - until the bulk of the cart is in the back of my 8ft bed. I just couldn't use a come-a-long any longer

Charging options:
I can just charge it when I get home or to camp.

or

I can trickle charger on the way home with a 12v solar charger and charge it when I get home.

or

hook up a 12v charging cable from my 7pin trailer plug that will charge it from the alternator after I winch it up. I read on Reddit not to have it connected while winching so I don't draw through that small wire and blow it. Then fully charge when I get home/camp

I thought about mounting it in the truck, but I drive around a forest and there is a lot of mud so I needed one on the cart also. I already have a plan for my 12,000lb winch. It's mounted on a hitch plate. I plan to store it on a Reese receiver plate that has a hitch tube on it and store it in the back. I can then also use it on my front hitch and rear hitch when I need it and in that bed tube also. But that is a lot of wiring to get it to the back and the bed and I will get to that project later.


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[yensidcamper]

I had a friend mount the winch in the bed of the truck and pull the cart up that way. You won't need a battery because you can use the truck's electrical system to run the winch.

[Stewbuntu]

Originally Posted by yensidcamper

I had a friend mount the winch in the bed of the truck and pull the cart up that way. You won't need a battery because you can use the truck's electrical system to run the winch.

I also drive in the forest and need a winch on my cart, and it's installed already. There is mud everywhere :)

I already have a plan for something similar with my 12,000lb winch. It's mounted on a hitch plate. I plan to store it on a Reese receiver plate that has a hitch tube on it back there. I can then also use it on my front hitch and rear hitch when I need it.

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[yensidcamper]

Originally Posted by Stewbuntu

I also drive in the forest and need a winch on my cart, and it's installed already. There is mud everywhere :)

I already have a plan for something similar with my 12,000lb winch. It's mounted on a hitch plate. I plan to store it on a Reese receiver plate that has a hitch tube on it back there. I can then also use it on my front hitch and rear hitch when I need it.

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Sounds like a great plan.

[bronsonj]

Originally Posted by Stewbuntu

The 2500 lb winch says 3.5 amps, but I remember needing 30+ amps for a 36 to 12v reducer. The 12v battery will fit under the back seat, so I don't think two golf cart batteries will fit back there.

Your winch will pull far more amps than 3.5. If it had no load, I bet it'd pull more than 3.5. To compare, I looked up a WARN brand winch, 2,000 pound. At no load, it pulls 20.3 amps. 500 lb load, 41.9 amps. 1000 lb load, 64.2 amps. 2000 lb load, 118.7 amps.

If your winch is similar you'll need to plan on a lot more than 3.5 amps. The WARN is geared to 180:1 ratio. If your ratio is higher it would possibly draw a little less amps. If your winch is a Harbor Freight 2500lb, the max amp pull in the manual is 132 amps and that is assuming the line is spooled all the way out so it is only on the first layer. As the line comes in, it layers on top of the prior line increasing the gear ratio and therefore increasing the amp draw at the same load.

Going up the ramp I'd put a wild guess at the load being near enough to 500 pounds that we can use that amp draw as a rough guess. 41.9 amps for the Warn winch. So any Marine Deep Cycle would work for this. A group 27 auto battery should be fine too, considering you'll be using it for 3 minutes, letting it rest an hour then maybe use it another 3 minutes, repeat.

If I were you I'd mount a 60 amp maxi-fuse and keep a spare and pulley on the cart. If you get stuck in a mud hole and pop the fuse you'd need to replace it with your spare then use a pulley. The pulley will reduce the load on the winch by half.

[yurtle]

A pulley like this would be fine for loading, Getting unstuck from mud would likely be too far from a tree.

[bronsonj]

I also looked up the SuperWinch brand of 2500 lb winch. At max load (2,500 lbs) it pulls 162 amps. So depending on winch brand and gearing, the 60 amp fuse may not be large enough.

Another thing to consider is the wiring. If you are pulling 60 or 80 amps and the wires are 12' long or so, then you'll need 4 gauge wire. If you're planning on longer cables or more amps, you'll want a thicker wire. If you go with 6 gauge you'll see voltage drop and heat. I'm not an electrical engineer, so someone else will have to share more on the risks of using too small a wire.

[bronsonj]

I have a rope winch similar to this one but mine is a 'Maasdam' brand and was a little over twice as much money.
https://www.northerntool.com/images/..._2000x2000.jpg

The idea being I can winch however long I need so long as there is enough 1/2 rope with me. The rope comes in and drops out the bottom, no spool to worry about filling. I don't know what diameter rope the pictured puller uses, but mine uses 1/2".

Given as rarely as I use the puller I could not justify the winch cost. Plus there's no worry about a battery being too drained to run the winch.

[70oldsracer]

Originally Posted by bronsonj

I also looked up the SuperWinch brand of 2500 lb winch. At max load (2,500 lbs) it pulls 162 amps. So depending on winch brand and gearing, the 60 amp fuse may not be large enough.

Another thing to consider is the wiring. If you are pulling 60 or 80 amps and the wires are 12' long or so, then you'll need 4 gauge wire. If you're planning on longer cables or more amps, you'll want a thicker wire. If you go with 6 gauge you'll see voltage drop and heat. I'm not an electrical engineer, so someone else will have to share more on the risks of using too small a wire.

My 2,500 Harbor freight winch came with a 50 amp fuse. I would hope that the 50 amp fuse would be fine even for full amp draw of the winch. If it needed a bigger fuse, I'm sure they would have supplied it. I don't think there are too many golf carts that weigh 2,500 lbs. Well, one can only hope it will be fine.

[yurtle]

I got mine at a garage sale for $20. $140 (S&H) used:

https://www.ebay.com/i/401686467197?chn=ps

1500/3000 pound 3/8" wire rope. I like the reversible handle, and the knob for effortlessly taking up the slack.

Parts ain't cheap:

https://www.aceindustries.com/c-636-...404wnb-mc.aspx