Winch for car hauler

[Coach v]

I have owned my car hauler/utility trailer for a few decades now. I have only hauled only 1 car on it, mostly using it as a utility trailer. I have heavy duty ramps, probably 6' long.

That was my son's 350z when it threw a rod bearing. It was lowered and it was difficult to get onto the trailer. Luckily he had many friends around.

I am picking up a fj60 donor vehicle. It won't have a motor, so at least it will be lighter but I won't have a group of manpower to push it on. I need a winch for the trailer. My dad, who doesn't have a ton of experience recommends a hand winch, I assume like on a boat trailer winch. Makes sense for ease and simplicity. Will it be enough pulling power to get a rolling vehicle up the ramps?

What kind of winch would you recommend?

 

[80t0ylc]

I have owned my car hauler/utility trailer for a few decades now. I have only hauled only 1 car on it, mostly using it as a utility trailer. I have heavy duty ramps, probably 6' long.

That was my son's 350z when it threw a rod bearing. It was lowered and it was difficult to get onto the trailer. Luckily he had many friends around.

I am picking up a fj60 donor vehicle. It won't have a motor, so at least it will be lighter but I won't have a group of manpower to push it on. I need a winch for the trailer. My dad, who doesn't have a ton of experience recommends a hand winch, I assume like on a boat trailer winch. Makes sense for ease and simplicity. Will it be enough pulling power to get a rolling vehicle up the ramps?

What kind of winch would you recommend? View attachment 4068861

Sounds like you rarely use your trailer as a vehicle hauling trailer. In that case, your dad‘s wisdom is a good choice. Maybe even a “manual come along“ would work. (A ratcheting hand winch with about a 15 inch handle and 20 foot (or so) cable.) Your biggest obstacle, besides a good share of patience, is where to attach it to your trailer to pull the rig on. I’m not sure how sturdy that front rail is, but for a one time pull, it might handle it. If you go with a 12 V winch, then you have two major hurdles to overcome. A secure mounting point and an adequate power source. You can also Google “trailer winch“ and you would get some options to ponder.

One last thing to consider is longer ramps. A ramp that is not quite so steep would be much easier to winch up your rig. I’m not sure how high off the ground the deck on your trailer is, but if it is around 12 inches and your ramps that you have are only 6 feet long, that’s a pretty steep slope. ADA specs on wheelchair ramps, for example, specify for every 1 inch of rise, requires a foot of ramp in length. I’ve spent the last several years assisting my brother-in-law, installing wheelchair ramps for the VA. So I’m familiar with folks that wonder why the ramps are so long.

 

[AirheadNut]

I've used a standard, 2000lb come along to pull vehicles up on trailers, it works fine. Some chain to wrap around one of the front members of the trailer to hook the come along to is useful as well.