Portable winch option

[gj_washington]

I don't winch vehicles or do recovery, but I keep one of these in my truck for loading heavier items into the bed and plug it into the 120v. It's a completely different load level, I'm moving 500-800lbs not a 8000lb truck but figured I would post it here in case it helps.

VEVOR 3-in-1 Electric Hoist Winch

How do you attach the winch to your bed? I too am interested in a cargo winch that’s small and easy to use.

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[Yellow Buddy]

How do you attach the winch to your bed? I too am interested in a cargo winch that’s small and easy to use.

It really depends on what I’m winching up. My redundancy goes up if it’s something heavier vs something that might be light but bulky. I also level the truck so the tailgate is as low as possible.

Generally speaking, it’ll be on a dolly and going up a 10ft wheelchair ramp.

In that case I’ll use two ratchet straps pulled across the two back tie downs. I’ll hook one side of the winch to the strap.

If it’s heavier to the point I’m concerned about being behind the load, I’ll start combining at multiple tie downs, using snatch blocks, and setting up secondary ropes but I haven’t moved anything that concerning yet. Generally the stuff I’ve had to winch up is heavy but not too heavy that if it should snap I can’t push it while it’s on a dolly.

 

[gj_washington]

It really depends on what I’m winching up. My redundancy goes up if it’s something heavier vs something that might be light but bulky. I also level the truck so the tailgate is as low as possible.

Generally speaking, it’ll be on a dolly and going up a 10ft wheelchair ramp.

In that case I’ll use two ratchet straps pulled across the two back tie downs. I’ll hook one side of the winch to the strap.

If it’s heavier to the point I’m concerned about being behind the load, I’ll start combining at multiple tie downs, using snatch blocks, and setting up secondary ropes but I haven’t moved anything that concerning yet. Generally the stuff I’ve had to winch up is heavy but not too heavy that if it should snap I can’t push it while it’s on a dolly.

Thanks. I was wondering if you needed a fixture like a mounting plate and it sounds like that’s not needed in the common case. Just the tie-downs.

 

[Phatman113]

For the hecklin' boomers who say, "Never trust anything from Harbor Freight that can kill you if it malfunctions"

There's a bunch of offroad recovery companies that use Badlands winches...
https://www.youtube.com/@MattsOffRoadRecovery
https://www.youtube.com/@Casey.LaDelle
https://www.youtube.com/@FabRats
Just three, but they basically swear by the badlands stuff (I don't think either are affiliated with HF, but could be wrong...) There's also several others. HF is definitely cheaper, but paying more for a WARN or other winch doesn't seem worth it to me.

 

[dgennetten]

Assuming you get the power situation figured out, the biggest draw back is that you may be in a situation where you simply can't use a snatch block. Also, you may really need more capacity than you'll get from even using two snatch blocks. A good example would be getting stuck in the mud. You'll definitely need more capacity than the 7100lbs that the R1T weighs. For my Wrangler, I got an 8000lb winch, even though the curb weight is a little under 5000lbs. An argument could be made that my winch is still under powered.

I don't understand this argument. A stuck 7000 lb block on a horizontal surface requires 7000 to lift straight up. On a near-level surface—even in mud —it isn't likely going to require anywhere near 7,000 lb to pull forward. For most situations where your just south of stuck, driving out while using this via the remote seems viable. Certainly, way better than nothing.

I'm looking at this 2200 lb 110V for my kit:

NOLANTISI Electric Hoist Winch - 2200LBS - 25FT - 110V - 3 in 1 Electric Hoist Winch - Manual, Wired and Wireless Remote Control - with Lifting Strap - for Factories,Warehouses,Garages,Building Sites https://a.co/d/jlSU5qY

Along with a tow hitch shackle, some extras straps for extension, and these:

Ucreative 1PC Black Recovery Ring and 2PCS Gray Soft Shackle kit for Synthetic Winch Rope for ATV UTV SUV Truck Off-Road Vehicle Recovery https://a.co/d/eslmdha

 

[R.I.P.]

I don't understand this argument. A stuck 7000 lb block on a horizontal surface requires 7000 to lift straight up. On a near-level surface—even in mud —it isn't likely going to require anywhere near 7,000 lb to pull forward. For most situations where your just south of stuck, driving out while using this via the remote seems workable.

I'm looking at this 2200 lb 110V for my kit:

NOLANTISI Electric Hoist Winch - 2200LBS - 25FT - 110V - 3 in 1 Electric Hoist Winch - Manual, Wired and Wireless Remote Control - with Lifting Strap - for Factories,Warehouses,Garages,Building Sites https://a.co/d/jlSU5qY

Along with a tow hitch shackle and these:

Ucreative 1PC Black Recovery Ring and 2PCS Gray Soft Shackle kit for Synthetic Winch Rope for ATV UTV SUV Truck Off-Road Vehicle Recovery https://a.co/d/eslmdha

If you don't "understand the argument", you have not spent much time winching vehicles. The 2200lb winch you linked to is going to struggle to pull out a stuck atv. I do not believe it would be much use at all on a 7000lb vehicle.

I know it seems that an an 8000lb winch should be able to pull a 5000lb jeep straight up a tree, but that is not the case. 8000lb winches on jeeps often struggle, especially against suction in mud or snow. I run a 12000lb winch on the TJ. It is fine, but would want something with a lot more power for my R1.

 

[zefram47]

I don't understand this argument. A stuck 7000 lb block on a horizontal surface requires 7000 to lift straight up. On a near-level surface—even in mud —it isn't likely going to require anywhere near 7,000 lb to pull forward. For most situations where your just south of stuck, driving out while using this via the remote seems viable. Certainly, way better than nothing.

I'm looking at this 2200 lb 110V for my kit:

NOLANTISI Electric Hoist Winch - 2200LBS - 25FT - 110V - 3 in 1 Electric Hoist Winch - Manual, Wired and Wireless Remote Control - with Lifting Strap - for Factories,Warehouses,Garages,Building Sites https://a.co/d/jlSU5qY

Along with a tow hitch shackle, some extras straps for extension, and these:

Ucreative 1PC Black Recovery Ring and 2PCS Gray Soft Shackle kit for Synthetic Winch Rope for ATV UTV SUV Truck Off-Road Vehicle Recovery https://a.co/d/eslmdha

Based on your lack of knowledge, please find someone local who knows about winching safely and/or take a training class. The amount of energy in play while winching a vehicle, especially one as heavy as the Rivian, is incredibly high and very dangerous if done wrong. Here's just a quick overview from Superwinch talking about required capacity for vehicle GVWR along with some winching basics. Mud, sand, and other materials that resist vehicle movement will dramatically increase the needed capacity for all equipment involved from the winch to the line itself. As this document briefly mentions, you can increase effective capacity of the winch by using pulley blocks. But for that sort of complex pull you'll often need multiple winching vehicles to free a stuck vehicle...yet one more reason not to wheel solo.

https://funtreks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/WhatMostPeopleDontKnowAboutWinching.pdf

 

[EVnewb]

Old thread but… It is possible for a 2200lb winch to free a R1T? Absolutely! Is it worth the time and effort? Probably not.
Mechanical advantage is a remarkable thing so technically you could even pull one out by hand given enough ropes and pulleys! But like @Sgt Beavis, @R.I.P. and @zefram47 said, you’re better off with a winch that has a rated pulling power of 1.5x - 2x the weight of the vehicle you’re attaching it to. The problem (as already pointed out) is powering it. Bringing along a Deep Cycle or two to run a heavier winch in a pinch is your best option currently like the setup @HighVoltOverland put together.

Cool video about mechanical advantage:

 

[zefram47]

Cool video about mechanical advantage:

Indeed. The big problem is having trees nearby when you need them like above tree line in the mountains where I often go. There are devices like the Pull Pal that can help, but I wouldn't want to rely on mechanical advantage all the time if I could help it. That said, at the moment we still don't really have an option. For the kind of wheeling I enjoy doing, I never needed to use the winch I had on my 4Runner and a lot of folks I've wheeled with have really only used theirs to pull others out of a bad situation.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

HF either changed ownership or leadership. Lots of their current products are actually on par with well regarded offerings from other brands. I got the Badlands jack on Black Friday and am impressed by its quality. Keep an open mind. Things can change.

 

[HaveBlue]

That winch in a box looks to have a 1000lb pull on the outer wrap. Should be a perfect match for the motorcycle sized battery in the Rivian.

 

[IPTV65]

Old thread but… It is possible for a 2200lb winch to free a R1T? Absolutely! Is it worth the time and effort? Probably not.
Mechanical advantage is a remarkable thing so technically you could even pull one out by hand given enough ropes and pulleys! But like @Sgt Beavis, @R.I.P. and @zefram47 said, you’re better off with a winch that has a rated pulling power of 1.5x - 2x the weight of the vehicle you’re attaching it to. The problem (as already pointed out) is powering it. Bringing along a Deep Cycle or two to run a heavier winch in a pinch is your best option currently like the setup @HighVoltOverland put together.

Cool video about mechanical advantage:

Thanks for the great post and info. It’s the part at the end that kills me. Most any ICE vehicle can power a decent winch but an ELECTRIC adventure vehicle with a 135KW battery lacks this capability. It’s just crazy in my opinion.

 

[msorel]

The problem you have is draw (amperage).

An EV has a much smaller 12v system than an ICE, because the typical loads are less (no engine starter). Most EVs have a battery that is 1/4 the size of an ICEs battery, and instead of being charged by an alternator, it charges via a DC/DC converter. This is important, because a DC/DC converter acts very differently from a mechanical alternator under the extreme loads a winch can exert on the system.

If you pull more amperage than an alternator can deliver, it simply plateaus at maximum output; giving as much as it can (until it overheats). It is well suited for these high stress loads, and heavy duty units are used in this way all of the time.

The DC/DC converter operates very differently. Instead of the mechanical (spinning) windings used in an alternator, it has static windings that step down the voltage (in this case from 400v to about 14v). These static windings will quickly burn up if overloaded, so they are typically fused or brakered for protection.

Of course testing is in order with the Rivian, but hooking high-draw winches to DC converted systems in the past has usually resulted in either smoking the converter or blowing the fuse.

It is imperative to exercise caution when selecting a winch for an electric vehicle (EV) due to the significant disparity in power delivery between EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. EVs typically feature smaller 12-volt systems, managed by a DC/DC converter, which differs from the robust alternator setups in ICE vehicles. While ICE alternators can withstand high draw by plateauing at maximum output, DC/DC converters are more delicate and prone to damage if overloaded. Prior experiences with high-draw winches and DC converters have often resulted in converter damage or blown fuses. Hence, thorough testing and consideration are essential to ensure compatibility and prevent damage to the EV's electrical system.

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