How To Choose Correct Size Wire for 12K Winch on Rear of Vehicle

Question:

Purchased a 12,000 ton badlands winch and want to mount it on the rear on my truck using a hitch mount. And would like your thought on size welding cable I should use to connect to the battery up front. About 20 to 25 feet away from winch

asked by: William S

Expert Reply:

In order to find the correct size wire for a winch you'll need to know the amp rating. The Bulldog Winch Trailer Winch part # BDW10040 for example which has a 12,000 lb capacity and can pull anywhere from 65 - 400 amps depending on the load. It would take a very large wire to handle this much power over a distance from the front of the vehicle to the rear and that is not something we offer unfortunately. If you were only pulling out small loads then you could get away with the Bulldog Winch Rear Wiring Kit part # BDW20348 which uses 1 gauge wire otherwise you would need to stick to the front of the vehicle due to the distance from the battery.

If you want to get super technical, you can use some online calculators for wire size based on your load and winch rating.

If you don't already have a mount for the winch, I recommend the Bulldog Winch Hitch Mounted Winch Mounting Plate with Handles part # BDW20011 which can be used on either the front or rear.

expert reply by: Conner L