Replacing your bow stop with an 8000 lb. winch!!

(billhall) · (billhall) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 10-19-2009, 3:42 PM

One of our customer's boats showed up today for winterization and had an unbelievable winch setup on the front of it. He took out his regular bowstop/winch on his Ram-Lin trailer and used a regular multi-mount Ramsey winch in place of it.

My first thoughts were....there is no bow stop, a little unsafe for stopping purposes on the highway. He claims it's a marriage saver so to each his own.

Please no bashing for his design and implementation of the electric winch. It is clear there are potential issues as far as safety.

Upload

(ajholt7) · (ajholt7) **Join Date: Apr 2009** 10-19-2009, 3:54 PM

It is probably not that unsafe as long as he has some strong transom straps. Would hate to see what would happen if he ever forgot them.

(liquidmx) · (liquidmx) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-19-2009, 4:24 PM

Whats up with this? Does it connect to something else normally?

Upload

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 10-19-2009, 4:28 PM

Thats pretty funny. Good idea, but could be a better implementation. No bow stop, no roller fair lead, could be mounted head on, and using a winch rope would be a lot safer.

murrayair 10-19-2009, 4:34 PM

Pretty sweet idea. The lack of a bow stop does bother me, but like AJ said above, if you had transom straps it should be ok. It would be great to have a winch wherever you go with your boat. I can't count the times I've been at a lake and seen a really cool place to set up a winch in a really shallow part.

(davenk) · (davenk) **Join Date: Feb 2008** 10-19-2009, 4:59 PM

Sly,

That does not look like a winch for boarding, more like a winch for a 4x4 or ATV, used solely for winching the boat up on the trailer.

IMO-this seems to be way overkill, there used to be "power winches" made just for this back in the day, I would guess they are still available at West Marine or somewhere like that.

Any thoughts?

mendo247 10-19-2009, 5:02 PM

Wow... Sorry, but I dont see much good that could come of that.

(hatepain) · (hatepain) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 10-19-2009, 5:19 PM

Haha where was that when I got my trailer all hung up on the damn launch! I honestly don't really see the point and feel it would only slow me down.

(tdc_worm) · (tdc_worm) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 10-19-2009, 5:37 PM

my guess is that second snap hook is for a solid turnbuckle that is used as a safety for the bow eye. in theory, it shouldnt allow the boat to come too far forward before it gets a bind and limits the boats forward movement on the trailer...

and i am not sure how it saves a relationship...i drive my boat right up on the trailer until the bow eye touches the bow roller...

(wstr01) · (wstr01) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 10-19-2009, 6:11 PM

Not sure what his situation is but I am so glad my wife backs the trailer down to launch and load the boat. Doing all that by yourself would be a pain and take too long tying up the launch. Not saying it can't be done, but having a capable wife/gf just makes her that much more valuable.

I think I'll give her a big hug when she gets home..........

(Message edited by wstr01 on October 19, 2009)

(266crownlinebr)

Well, at least you know you will be getting some fiberglass money out of this guy. Wait until he slams on the brakes and all that red fiberglass gets shaved off. Not a good idea at all.

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 10-19-2009, 7:10 PM

By tdc_worm (tdc_worm) and i am not sure how it saves a relationship...i drive my boat right up on the trailer until the bow eye touches the bow roller...

Just a guess.... but maybe because power loading is illegal in some states. A buddy of mine got a ticket for it last summer. So winching it the only way to do it if Johnny Law is there watching you.

(882001) · (882001) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 10-19-2009, 7:32 PM

he could easily add a nautique style bow stop to that setup. but then there would be no need for the winch. i also dont do any winching at all maybe 2 clicks and its tight.

killyourtv 10-19-2009, 8:10 PM

the winch is removable! i would guess he has a nautique style bow stop by the type of trailor.

i could have used that set up at my last lake. the ramp angle was really wierd. i could not load the boat under power, only by the hand winch

(jtnz) · (jtnz) **Join Date: Sep 2007** 10-19-2009, 8:22 PM

I can see how it would be useful for a 30+ footer, those things get heavy. Not so much for a wakeboat. Wouldn't want to get hit by that cable if it snapped...

(99_slaunch) · (99_slaunch) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 10-19-2009, 8:36 PM

Looks like it has a positive bow stop in the 4th pic. I do agree the install could be better but it works for him.

That little boat will never snap that cable.

You could park the truck and trailer at the top of the ramp. Then pull the boat out of the water. Drag it up the ramp and on the trailer with that winch.

(dizzyj) · (dizzyj) **Join Date: Jul 2003** 10-19-2009, 9:04 PM

he could winch the boat up a cliff with that.

got to appreciate the overkill

(trace) · (trace) **Join Date: Feb 2002** 10-20-2009, 6:21 PM

The receiver mount is 90º from how it should have been mounted. This is probably NBD because the winch is so oversized, but still... He definitely put some time into it and the execution otherwise looks good.

(rio_sanger) · (rio_sanger) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 10-20-2009, 8:43 PM

I agree trace, that is not a good bend in the cable at the point of entry into the fair lead.
It is actually mounted upside down, and backwards, besides being ridiculously overkill...

(jimmy_z) · (jimmy_z) **Join Date: Jun 2009** 10-20-2009, 8:51 PM

Great idea for a man with no arms!!!!!

But then how do you drive the boat????????

(dragracn) · (dragracn) **Join Date: Jun 2008** 10-21-2009, 4:38 AM

I have put a winch on in place of our hand crank and is the best thing I have done! One of the lakes we visit is a no power loading ramp, and it is also a water treatment plant lake, so you cant touch the water with your body until two miles out. Our camp is also on a pond with a Beach loading ramp, so we try not to power load there, we still have to rake the hump down once a year from people power loading! To make things worse the ramp is very hard to get the trailer level in the water, one fender is usually a few inches lower then the other. With the electric winch I can leave the trailer out a bit more and just winch it on much faster and easier then with a hand crank. We used a 2000lb Warn ATV winch, straight pull with the bow stop still on the trailer. Mounted a small ATV battery to the trailer hooked to the power wire at the trailer plug so the truck keeps the battery charged at all times. I can leave the trailer a little high, with the boat stopping about 8-10ft from the bow stop and easily winch it up nice and straight on the trailer. It really has been one of the best upgrades we've done!

(ajholt7) · (ajholt7) **Join Date: Apr 2009** 10-21-2009, 5:09 AM

Dragracn: any pics?

(daveronix199) · (daveronix199) **Join Date: Feb 2009** 10-21-2009, 6:51 AM

EPIC

(dragracn) · (dragracn) **Join Date: Jun 2008** 10-21-2009, 9:35 AM

No, I'll try to get some tonite.

(big_b_21v) · (big_b_21v) **Join Date: Oct 2006** 10-21-2009, 9:59 AM

Power loading is becoming a huge problem in our area. Due to the economy the state and city park budgets have been cut and this last summer it seems that many of the boatramps now have that hump built up from people power loading. I am just as much to blame as others but the winch idea seems valid in certain scenerios.
Dragracn, I am interested to see your setup as well.

(bill_airjunky)

We stopped power loading in some circumstances a couple years ago for just this reason. I've used my winch more in the last couple years than in the last 10 - 12 yrs.
Our own private ramp is just a soft sandy beach. Works great if the water is deep enough to get over the hump. We go out there in the middle of the summer & rake it out too. We folded a prop over on the hump last fall.

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-21-2009, 2:07 PM

I was thing how does this this work? He said it's a marriage saver? So Im guessing this is how this guy loads his boat.
The guy drives the truck and trailer down to the water. He put's the trailer very shallow in the water where the bunks are pretty exposed. The wife drives the boat up and on to the trailer. Because of how high the bunks are in the water the boat self centers in the trailer and stops way before anything bad can happen and the wife's job is done. Then the guy hooks up the winch and pulls the boat up into position on the trailer and pulls out. Happy husband/wife.
That's my guess. IMO Most people that have problems getting the boat on the trailer have problems getting the boat centerd on the trailer. Now if the boat self centerd and all you had to do was control how far the boat went up on the trailer via the winch I could see this set up being a some what Husband VS Wife drama free load session. Hey Im for anything to get people outa my way faster at the ramp at the end of the day. Now only is all the hillbilly retards @ my ramp could get with the program

(westsidarider) · (westsidarider) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 10-21-2009, 2:18 PM

I would be willing to be that alot of money and time would have been saved just teaching the wife to drive. I love watching when people launch thier boats and pull them out and everyone else just stands around while the owner runs around all controlling

(dirtrider) · (dirtrider) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 10-21-2009, 3:42 PM

I'm thinking that the guy uses this winch on his 4x4 also and decided to adapt it to his boat trailer. That would explain why it isn't mounted at the proper angle. I bet he removes it
when towing and uses the turn buckle that m-dizzle pointed out.

(dirtrider) · (dirtrider) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 10-21-2009, 3:43 PM

He might even have a bow stop that fits into the
receiver that the winch is mounted in for towing.

(billhall) · (billhall) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 10-21-2009, 4:35 PM

G, not exactly sure how it's a marriage saver except he said his wife will not touch the boat if it involves driving it on the trailer. At least that's what I got out of it. Your right in that I still don't see how this is faster than the normal bowstop/winch set up but it definitely is cooler haha.

Johnny,

There is a bowstop with built in winch but it is obviously removed and not used at all, nor is the turnbuckle. My concern would be if you have to emergency stop and had wet trailer bunks. The boat would slide forward and take up about 16" of slack in the winch cable before stopping and probably be on top of the winch and crushing that battery. He hasn't had a problem yet so I say it's all good.

(ajholt7) · (ajholt7) **Join Date: Apr 2009** 10-22-2009, 2:51 AM

Does he not use transom straps? I don't see how the boat would go forward at all if he did.

(dragracn) · (dragracn) **Join Date: Jun 2008** 10-22-2009, 5:02 AM

Here are a few pics. This winch is the old style winch with the big rotary switch. A new model would actually be 2500lb and have a small weather proof rocker switch with small wires running to a water proof relay that ran big wires to the winch. I had a few old winches around and made one working one out of all of them. It really has been a nice upgrade for us with the beach ramps we load on!!

Upload

(Message edited by DRAGRACN on October 22, 2009)

(nelson) · (nelson) **Join Date: Jan 2009** 10-22-2009, 8:57 AM

If it works and keeps the wife from taking the boat in the divorce then good for him. I would use a different style winch. That winch is not the best choice for that setup. I am sure he went that way for the wireless remote option but a Warn works winch would be a better choice. Nothing I would do think it would just slow us down at the ramp.

(Message edited by Nelson on October 22, 2009)

(bill_airjunky)

Hey Tyke. That is a a much better execution. Are you charging the battery from the truck too? Is it plenty of power to pull the boat up?
The only other thing I'd suggest is to replace the winch cable with a rope. If it ever broke, there would little or no damage to the truck or operator.

I don't think this kind of setup is for guys who can power load on normal ramps. It would be for guys who use ramps where your not allowed to power load, or like myself, where we launch at a sandy beach.

(Message edited by bill_airjunky on October 22, 2009)

(dragracn) · (dragracn) **Join Date: Jun 2008** 10-22-2009, 11:31 AM

Yes, the truck charges the battery. I actually have some synthetic rope for it already and was going to be one of my winter projects, along with possible upgrading to the mini rocker and relay style over rotary switch. It pulls it very well, and has never "stalled" or came close. Its actually much faster then the hand crank, it free spins out with ease, and is very fast coming in, almost too fast, made me nervous the first few times.

(tampawake) · (tampawake) **Join Date: Mar 2008** 10-22-2009, 12:46 PM

Tyke that looks great thought about buying one for my boat. Anything to make things easier at the ramp luckily I am pretty much a private lake most the time. The winches I saw were freaking ridiculously expensive.

(bill_airjunky)

Found this option designed for the purpose, for $149 at Overtons.

Upload

And here on Ebay I see that Gorilla makes them for $89 shipped.

(Message edited by bill_airjunky on October 22, 2009)