Anyone make a rear in-bed winch mount?

[LKelly]

Well, I guess the title pretty much sums up what I'm looking for. I'd like to move my factory winch to the rear of the truck, since 90% of the time I need the winch I need to be pulled out backward...but there aren't many options for mounting. At first I was thinking of putting a winch in the location of the spare tire, but with the amount of salt they use on the roads around here it'd really be best to mount it inside the bed, just inside the tailgate (preferably with a quick-disconnect in case I needed to remove it). Does anyone know of an aftermarket winch mount like that?

I suppose I could make my own, as it wouldn't be all that tough to make something that goes through the bottom of the bed and hooks to the frame rails...but I'd rather find out if someone makes something like that before I start cutting holes in the bed. I know it seems a bit odd to mount the winch inside the bed, but I can't be the only one out there with the idea. That way when I went to use it in the winter, it wouldn't be a big frozen chunk of ice...and maybe the electronics would work for more than 6 months at a time. I'm also thinking of putting a plow on the PW, and taking the weight of the winch off the front before I do would be a good idea.

Plus, another benefit is that the winch would be high enough I could use it to pull vehicles up onto my car hauler.

[MSparks909]

Forgive my typing in advance...had a few too many tonight. Anyways I don't think anyone has an aftermarket winch mount that you're envisioning. I have seen some Warn 15K and 16.5's mounted against the front of the bed nearest the cab. Custom mounts mounted to the frame rails. You'd probably have to make some custom mounts to mount the winch near the rear of the bed.

[John's_05PW]

You could build a mount that would go into your receiver and you could just put it on as needed. I have seen this done many times.

[04Ram2500Hemi]

This is from a thread over on DT of my old truck. It might give you some ideas.
http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255192

[TwinStick]

I would still mount it underneath. Just build a box to go around it for protection & once mounted, Fluid Film the shit out of it. You'll be good to go. Good excuse for new rear bumper too, if you need one.

If not, then you could mount it in the bed as planned but i dont know what you would do about the tailgate. The cable would likely bend it when winching sooner or later. It is always best to put the tree saver strap as low or close to the ground as possible when winching. I winched a tree over onto my atv once with its 3000 lb winch. It was the only one around & it was not very big & in a swamp. I would hate to do that to the PW or even F-up the tail gate.

[LKelly]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I looked into the ones that fit into your receiver hitch, but my doctor doesn't want me lifting more than 20 pounds due to health issues - which sucks, but at least it's better than the 10 pound limit I had before. Normally I'd just ignore my doctor's advice, but after spending 6+ weeks in the hospital for a collapsed lung I've decided to start listening to him. Plus, having chest tubes put in is not a very pleasant experience.

So, I'd have to leave the winch attached to the hitch all the time, which would kill my departure angle.

As far as the tailgate goes, I've got a topper with a rear door that swings upward out of the way - so I wouldn't have the tailgate in the way for winching. Obviously the winch would be in the way in the bed, but since I'm not moving anything large/heavy right now anyways it isn't a big deal...if it's light enough I can pick it up, it's light enough that I can just throw it up towards the front of the bed.

In the end I might just mount the winch underneath, and perhaps wanting to put it in the bed is just wishful thinking. I think a big part of it is that I've had so many electrical issues with it that it'd be nice to be able to work on it without removing it from the truck. In an ideal world, I'd have it mounted on sliders where I could just slide it to the rear of the bed when I needed it, and then just slide it towards the front of the bed when I didn't. I thought about ways to adapt a gooseneck/fifth-wheel hitch to mount the winch, but haven't worked out the details yet.

[TwinStick]

Well, if you do mount it in the bed, you would want it as close to the rear of bed as possible, to eliminate the issue of the cable coming in contact with the metal of the truck (bed or otherwise-if at an extreme angle) as much as possible.

Maybe you could make a set up that has Q-release pins/bolts (of the proper strength) & have it so it pivots to the side when not in use, using the same QR pins to secure it to the side & out of the way as much as possible. IDK.

[MOPARManiac]

Just drive every where in reverse. Problem Solved.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[BlkWgn]

This is from a thread over on DT of my old truck. It might give you some ideas.
http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255192

I have the same winch on the same mount that I have been using on the back for a few years. Works great

[MSCH2112]

this is what i did to my ole 05' PW. mounted a warn 9.5 winch in a winch cradle. bolted a hitch on the bed to hold cradle. then when i needed it i just put the cradle to the truck hitch with power and it was all good. i didn't want to have winch mtd. in the rear hitch full time because the departure angle would suck.

mike

[GunniPWguy]

Just need to get aluminess to make you one like this guy has with the Warn 16.5 TI mounted underneath
http://www.expeditionportal.com/vehicul ... wagon.html

[GunniPWguy]

Just noticed too that his rock rails are capable of storing compressed air from his on board compressor? How awesome is that!!

[BlkWgn]

I got to check out that wagon and talk to the owner for a while out at overland expo last may. It is a nice rig, and he actually uses it for what it was built for. He has the scares on every piece of armor to prove it

[Dawizman]

I am thinking about making a mount that I can drop in to my fifth wheel hitch rails. Or maybe one with a king pin on the bottom so that I can just slide it in to my fifth wheel hitch, and then it would be above the box sides, and pivot...