I have a 2000 F250 CC SB V10. Just installed 4.88 with F/R Limited Slips and Bilstein 7100, X-Springs up front, F/R Firestone air bags going on this weekend. Bridgestone Revos 285/75/16. The truck serves a dual purpose for me; Summer time it tows my boat from the house to the launch ramp seven miles away, also 300 miles to Lake Powell through Flagstaff. During the winter it is my desert toy, like cruising dirt roads about 50mph without getting the truck air borne. I leave the tight and rocky stuff to the people with jeeps, I just like to get close enough to watch.

This winter I want to take the truck up to Moab to explore the southern corner of Utah, probably a trip where we only have one vehicle.

I have an opportunity to buy a Warn 16.5ti and a hidden mount for the truck. I know it would add 200lbs to the front end which would not be a bad idea for the X-Springs. But I have to ask myself if I would ever really use the winch......

I drive the truck conservatively, but AAA does not go into the desert and the winch would pay for itself the first time I got stuck, though in the desert there is not much to hook up to....

A setup consisting of the Warn 16.5, with the hidden winch mount, with two yellow top optimas mounted in the truck bed, with 00 cable between the optimas and the winch = about $2200-$2400

Looking for thoughts and opinions.... thanks.

 

IMO it's not worth the money, the hassle, the junk in the bed or the extra weight you'll carry around. If you were constantly in situations where you NEEDED a winch that would be one thing but as you already stated, you're not . . . and even if you needed it you probably wouldn't have anything to attach it to.

Typically you'll need to upgrade the charging system too or you'll burn out a stock alternator in short time. Even with dual batteries that's a HUGE drain on the system and you need to charge them back up.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. If it was a screaming deal (like under $1000 for all) then I'd say go for it. I wouldn't bother spending $2000+ on a system you may never use.

 

That is my thinking as well.... Thanks, KC

 

I have one on my truck,which is also my daily driver. I can not go nuts doing the little off roading I do. Have to take it easy so I can get to work on Mon.( Can not wait to get the two boys thro school) I use mine all the time. It is a life saver. But you do need something to hook it to. Most of my trails are in fields and woods and my boys are with me with their trucks to hook to. But without a hook it is just 200 lbs of good looking junk. Erv

 

My vote is for not.
You don't need it for anything other than looks on your truck, kind of like mine.
I go through mud in mine, but 99% of the time there isn't a tree around for a few 100 yards, so there isn't any use for me to have a winch other than for looks and to say I have one.

 

get a hi-lift, shovel, chain, and a strap, you will be golden

 

Come alongs are cheap, light, fit in a tool box, and will accomplish the same thing. Add a couple tow straps to your tool set and you have a manual winch with a 80' "cable".

 

I put a winch on my diesel cause I always wanted one growing up, but never used it except to pull out some firewood that I could have pulled with the truck itself. Now with my F150 I thought about putting one on, but I agree with everyone else that it will just sit there looking pretty and is not worth the coin. I have a 3 ton comealong, some cable, and a hi-lift and it all fits in my dry box. Works for me.

 

Perfect solution, and my advice to the original question as well.

 

This is great feedback, thanks to everyone. I’m going to add lots of goodies to my recovery gear based upon your posts. The winch can wait.

 

Make ramps for your tires if you think you are going to get stuck in sand. I tell you, some screwed together 2x12s, with 2x4s (flat side) or ballisters on one or both sides, under the tires gives excellent traction. Just make sure on the tire side the 2x4s are spaced out enough so the tires fit in between. Obviously, counter sink the screws. The ramps do not weight much or cost much to make. That with a high lift can get you out of anything except frame deep mud.

What you do is get going and once to something solid, you walk back and get the boards. I used this to get 2x4 E-350 vans unstuck off road.

I would bring a shovel with a long fiberglass handle for making winch holes or digging tires out. Short handle shovels stink, especially if you have to dig a frame out.

Basically dig a big deep hole and pop a tree trunk into it. Or considering the desert you could make a pull pal thing of scrap metal with a very wide blade and bury it deep. If you really need a winch, then I would go hydraulic, a lot cheaper and a lot more useful in the middle of nowhere.

What I would do (and have done in snow) is air down before off road, once stuck to the frame, put the ramps under each rear tire (not the front if they kick back), air up and get the frame clear, if not clear, then boards up front too and air up the front, and drive off. Once clear, air down again.

In snow (never did sand), you usually want to back out, so you put the boards under the front tires, back out, then ram it again. So... if you are backing out, you lift the front and put the boards under the front tires.

A lot cheaper then a winch.

 

I have been by myself, no cell reception, no road and no help likely and stuck in sand. I was glad to have my winch. I carry a 24lb Danforth anchor to hook up to. Just get the points buried, thirty feet from the truck and winch away. It pulls the anchor at first, but as the anchor is dragged it digs deeper and deeper. Tried it twice, worked twice.

I might have gotten out with the hi-lift, but it would have been a ton of time and work.

 

i would sure not spend $2000 on a system like that esp since you admitted you may not ever even use it. what i would do is get the receiver hitch mount and get a front receiver hitch. that way you could use it front or rear OR you can let a buddy use it if need be (not really advised though). much more versatile. problem with the desert scene is like you said not much to hook to.... only answers i can come up with is ride with at least one other vehicle, that way you have a movable anchor or get a pull-pal. and i dont think i'd do dual yellow top batteries, you really only need one good battery for occassional winch use. i ran a 1200CA tractor battery on my rig for a long time and my alt had a hard time killing that thing. although dual batterys are cool and when setup right can be a wonderful thing

 

I have a 9,000lb Warn winch on my F150 and a 9,000lb Ramsey winch on my Wrangler. Both of them were lightly (if at all,) used and I paid $350 for each one.

 

if you can spare the $$ go for it, but it sounds like youl never use it....its nice to have one when your stuck by yourself though.....