Recommended Way To Power An Electric Winch For Boat Trailer

Question:

I have a 2013 tacoma with a factory7 pin trailer connector . I have a small 17 foot boat with i belive a four. My question is i also have a electric winch for boat that i use to direct wire to battery . Do i still need to do that or is there a adapter . If i need to wire to battery any sugestions as to where and how to run .

asked by: Gary

Expert Reply:

There are a few ways you can wire the winch. The first is to wire it with some quick-disconnects like part # DW05312 to your vehicle battery. Your battery should have at least 440 cranking amps to be able to handle the winch power.

Another way is to wire the winch to a separate battery mounted on your trailer. You would need to mount the battery on the trailer in a location where it would not be under water when launching or loading your boat. You can use a battery box.

If you choose the trailer mounted battery I recommend a battery charger like the NOCO Genius Mini # 329-GENIUS5 to make sure the battery is charged and ready to go when needed. this charger will not overcharge like many chargers.

Depending on how often you use the winch I would recommend installing a trailer mounted battery box and a charger. That way you do not have to worry about getting under the hood of your truck when you want to use the winch.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L