I have a 2019 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 with the TRD Off Road package. I'm starting to think that it would be handy to have a winch to help me get some stuff done around The Compound. I plan to do approximately Zero off roading with this truck, so I have no interest in a front bumper mounted winch. What I would like is a rear mounted receiver hitch that I can toss on the back and use when I need it.
What's the best way to set up the wiring for a removable rear mounted hitch?
Something like this with bigass cable to the battery and ground.
Find the peak amperage draw of the winch. Then consult a Amp/Wire gauge chart to determine how big the wire needs to be. Run that size from the + battery terminal (fused and switched at the battery) back to the rear along the frame rail. Use the same size for the ground, but you can use a 3/8" bolt and a big ring connector to ground it to the frame.
Then you can use an Anderson connector on the winch and the truck to disconnect it. Like this:
Switch on the battery like this or similar:
Tow trucks often use Andersons tucked in the grill of the truck for jumper cables. Easy to hook up the dead car and then plug in the Anderson to avoid sparks at a battery, and without the danger of the two loose ends accidentally touching.
Oh... I see that Purple Frog linked to the same type of Anderson connector
I use a battery booster pack to run my winch, so I don't need to run a big old cable full of potential smoke from front to rear.
Curtis, Your pictures make a better post. 
I took the lazy way out.
I'm guessing wirenuts and speaker wire isn't a good idea?
In reply to Curtis73 :
Dumb question time:
Fuse before the switch or after?
Stefan said:I'm guessing wirenuts and speaker wire isn't a good idea?
Wire for these speakers?
Woody said:In reply to Curtis73 :
Dumb question time:
Fuse before the switch or after?
Fuse as close to the battery as possible, IMHO.
codrus said:Woody said:In reply to Curtis73 :
Dumb question time:
Fuse before the switch or after?
Fuse as close to the battery as possible, IMHO.
I second this.
Just get a second, spare battery specifically to run the winch and keep it loose in the trunk. I have a buddy with a winch like this, its own battery helps keep maximum portability between vehicles.
Anderson plug at the bumper and cutoff switch near the battery.
Welding cable for the run from front to rear.
Cactus said:Just get a second, spare battery specifically to run the winch and keep it loose in the trunk. I have a buddy with a winch like this, its own battery helps keep maximum portability between vehicles.
Having a loose battery floating around in the trunk (of a Tacoma?) doesn't seem like a great idea to me. Heavy, dense, bad things happen if gets accidentally shorted, and if it's not being regularly charged it'll be dead when you want to use it.
The welding cable + Anderson connector thing works great, that's what I did when I had a removable winch on my open trailer. It got parked in a remote storage place so I didn't want anything on the trailer that was worth stealing. I didn't bother with the disconnector switch, but it's not a bad idea. Note that you can get weather caps for Anderson connectors (mcmaster sells everything you need there).
For use on a vehicle not prepped for it I got a pair of jumper cables, cut the clamps off one end, and put on another Anderson connector instead.
I just use my huge 25ft jumper cables. If i had to do it on an almost daily basis I'd maybe hardwire for it, but I only use the big winch as often as i use a car trailer to move broken cars so the jumpers are fine for occasional use.
I do have a small ATV winch in my shop for pulling dead cars up the small hill and 2-3" lip at the entrance to the shop. I use that a lot more often. The only reason it's a 12v winch is they are half or less the price of the 120v version and i already have a 12v setup in my shop for running my shop stereo and charging car batteries, testing bits and bobs etc.
Cactus said:Just get a second, spare battery specifically to run the winch and keep it loose in the trunk. I have a buddy with a winch like this, its own battery helps keep maximum portability between vehicles.
That's actually what I do for the little ATV winch that I us on my trailer. I was just looking for a more professional solution.
I'm actually starting to think that this might do everything that I need it to do.
https://www.amazon.com/WARN-885005-PullzAll-Cordless-Electric/dp/B00437IHOC
snailmont5oh said:codrus said:Woody said:In reply to Curtis73 :
Dumb question time:
Fuse before the switch or after?
Fuse as close to the battery as possible, IMHO.
I second this.
Depending on the application (battery post style) I will bolt the fuse directly to the battery post. The least amount of distance between the battery and the fuse means the least possibility of an unfused short.
In reply to Curtis73 :
Thank you
Cactus said:Just get a second, spare battery specifically to run the winch and keep it loose in the trunk. I have a buddy with a winch like this, its own battery helps keep maximum portability between vehicles.
I do that so I can chain it to the trailer to pull a dead car on or off the trailer......
also chain it to a tree to pull a car out of the yard.......
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