www.iFourWinns.com

Last season I bought a Power Winch RC30, used it once and decided that cable was not going to work at all! So I talked to my machinist friends and this is what we came up with. (The strap in the photo is a 10,000 LB tow strap)







I will look forward to using it this season! (even though I will most likely be slipped)

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Brett DiMichele

Nice Job Brett!

My hand winch needed it's strap replaced and I did a swap for something very similar last Fall. Those heavy straps are much better than the seat belt material that was on my winch.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Marc,

Thanks, well I got the thing all back together and it works! It was a trip getting the winch back together since there are about a bazillion washers and spacers and bearings and gears! But she's back to life I hooked her up to the truck and powered the strap in, seems to work fine. I guess I will know for sure the first time I retrieve!

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Brett DiMichele

Brett,

When you did this conversion, how much strap were you able to get wound on the spool? I'm converting a Powerwinch 915 currently and it looks like mine's only going to hold about 15' of my 20' 10,000lb strap. That will bring it out close to the edge.

Thanks!

Joe

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USCG 50 Ton Master Inland/OUPV Endorsement+Towing

1998 278 Vista - Twin 4.3 GLs, Kohler 4KW Gen, AC/Heat.
1999 Yamaha Waverunner SUV
2003 Yamaha Waverunner SUV w/MR-1 HO conversion

Joe,

Yep 15' is all the more I could get on there. I am sure if you had a whole new spool side machined and moved the contactor out of the path you could probably get 20' or so. But I kinda figured 15 was way more than I would ever need in any situation.

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Brett DiMichele

That's what I thought, too. Honestly I've never used more than 2' of it on the hand winch because I power-load all of the time. Thanks a lot for sharing the idea - you were right about the steel cable - I used it once and realized that converting to a strap is the only way to go!

_________________
USCG 50 Ton Master Inland/OUPV Endorsement+Towing

1998 278 Vista - Twin 4.3 GLs, Kohler 4KW Gen, AC/Heat.
1999 Yamaha Waverunner SUV
2003 Yamaha Waverunner SUV w/MR-1 HO conversion

jzellers - where do you guys boat? I'm down around Rend lake and Carlyle.

Brett - nice job on the conversion. I will keep this in mind!!!

Usually we go to Clinton Lake, mainly because the water is warmer (nuclear power plant) a lot longer and it's only 25 miles away. We also go to the Illinois River in Peoria. It's nice down at Rend and Carlyle but I've never been on either lake - it's on my to-do list, though. My mother-in-law lives in Carterville so we're down that way several times a year.

_________________
USCG 50 Ton Master Inland/OUPV Endorsement+Towing

1998 278 Vista - Twin 4.3 GLs, Kohler 4KW Gen, AC/Heat.
1999 Yamaha Waverunner SUV
2003 Yamaha Waverunner SUV w/MR-1 HO conversion

I've never been to Clinton but I am very familiar with the plant. I work for Ameren. I've often wondered about the Ill River. I drive over it many times a year and look at the homes and lifts thinking hmmmmm. But for now we are stuck just south of Effingham.