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172 Posts
Very good question, Redtape. In the past I mounted a winch on a 2" receiver so it could be used front or back on my truck. Worked great and provided flexibility for moving the stuck vehicle and for loading the trailer. However, the "portable" long cable to the rear was always inconvenient to hook up, despite that it was "clean", so in reality I always looked for any other solution before using the winch in the rear.
The idea to run a tube to the back is also an excellent idea, but difficult to employ in practice. The tube takes up ground clearance, must be configured just right so as to not kink or stress the wire in front, but if these considerations are overcome, a rear strong attachment is easy enough through a rear 2" receiver hitch.
Carrying a second winch, aka 4k come-along, is an excellent idea. You can turn your vehicle this way, if necessary, unless of course you get stuck nose down on a steep hill. I ended up carrying a second winch which was only 2k pull and $50 from Walmart which quick mounted to the rear receiver hitch, and believe it or not, this is the one I employ most of the time, rather than use the come-along. It is a cigarette lighter plug in model, very unsightly, doesn't meet any standards on this forum whatsoever, but is now 10 years old, beat to heck with abuse, keeps on ticking, very simple to use, and better than a come-along. The rated 2000# pull might be 1000# maybe, but is about just a little bit more than my arm on a come-along.
Always carry two swivel blocks and small chains and plenty of cables, regardless of anything else. And a shovel. And a shovel. And a shovel.
Good luck, let us see your set-ups.
The idea to run a tube to the back is also an excellent idea, but difficult to employ in practice. The tube takes up ground clearance, must be configured just right so as to not kink or stress the wire in front, but if these considerations are overcome, a rear strong attachment is easy enough through a rear 2" receiver hitch.
Carrying a second winch, aka 4k come-along, is an excellent idea. You can turn your vehicle this way, if necessary, unless of course you get stuck nose down on a steep hill. I ended up carrying a second winch which was only 2k pull and $50 from Walmart which quick mounted to the rear receiver hitch, and believe it or not, this is the one I employ most of the time, rather than use the come-along. It is a cigarette lighter plug in model, very unsightly, doesn't meet any standards on this forum whatsoever, but is now 10 years old, beat to heck with abuse, keeps on ticking, very simple to use, and better than a come-along. The rated 2000# pull might be 1000# maybe, but is about just a little bit more than my arm on a come-along.
Always carry two swivel blocks and small chains and plenty of cables, regardless of anything else. And a shovel. And a shovel. And a shovel.
Good luck, let us see your set-ups.
