Powerwinch 915 User Manual

OPERATION AND PARTS MANUAL

®

BOAT TRAILER WINCH

MODEL 915

READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO ASSEMBLE, INSTALL, OPERATE OR MAINTAIN THE
PRODUCT DESCRIBED. PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS BY OBSERVING ALL SAFETY IN FOR MA TION.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS COULD RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR PROPERTY
DAMAGE. RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

Description

Trailer winches are used for launching and loading
boats. This winch features power-in and power-out
ca pa bil i ties with a hand-held re mote con trol device.

Unpacking

When unpacking this product, carefully inspect for any
damage that may have occurred during transit.

DESIGNED TO HOLD RATED LOADS. ALWAYS
LEAVE A MIN I MUM OF FIVE WRAPS OF CA BLE ON
THE DRUM AT THE BOTTOM LAYER TO ACHIEVE A
RATED LOAD.

General Safety (Continued)

THE CABLE FASTEN­ERS ON THIS OR ANY
WINCH ARE NOT

General Safety Information

The following safety precautions must be followed at
all times:

1. Read all manuals included with this product care­ful ly. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls and
the proper use of the equipment. Only persons
well acquainted with these rules of safe operation
should be allowed to use the winch.

8. Inspect the entire cable for weak or worn condition or

9. When replacing the cable, always use a Powerwinch

10. Never substitute rope for cable. Possible injury

11. Do not attempt to pull a load greater than the rated

12. Do not use the winch to hold or support the load

ALWAYS UNPLUG

THE WIRING HARNESS TO PREVENT AC CI­DEN TAL STARTING BEFORE AT TEMPT ING TO
INSTALL, SERVICE, RELOCATE OR PERFORM
ANY MAINTENANCE.

2. Never use the winch to lift or move people or ani­mals.

3. Stand away from the winch when in use and keep
chil dren free from winch area at all times.

ALWAYS STAND
CLEAR OF THE AREA BE TWEEN THE LOAD OR
ANCHOR POINT AND THE WINCH. SERIOUS
INJURY COULD OCCUR, IF THE CABLE BREAKS.

4. Always keep hands clear of cable spool (drum
area).

5. Do not wear loose fitting clothing, scarves, or neck
ties. Loose clothing may become caught in mov­ing parts and result in serious personal injury.

6. Never use the winch for over head lifting.

7. Always wire the winch with circuit breakers. Failure
to use the breakers could cause overheating thus
creating a potential fire hazard or motor damage.

13. Never wrap the winch cable around the load. Use

14. Always wear leather gloves when handling the

socket to avoid moisture collection in the socket
and prevent the pos si bil i ty of short circuiting.

15. Always block the vehicle wheels to help prevent

16. Do not operate the winch under the influence of

Various load conditions will affect the winch per for­mance. The line pull required for a specific applica­tion depends on the weight of the load, condition of
the trailer rollers, and the degree of the loading ramp
incline. The chart on the following page is based on a
single line pull and is a guideline to aid in calculating
pulling requirements.

kinking (short tight twist or curl) before each use.

cable with the same winch rating and cable
strength.

could occur.

load of the winch.

once a job is complete or to permanently secure
the load. Damage could occur to the winch or the
load..

an Ecostrap™ or chain to prevent the cable from
kinking or fraying.

cable. Steel cable can cause hand injuries.

After using the winch,
always disconnect the
pow er cord from the

the vehicle from rolling when pulling a load with
the winch.

drugs, alcohol, or other medication.

Specifications

Copyright, 2006 Carefree of Colorado

P7040104AV 12/06

P7040104AV MODEL 915

Chart 1 Approximate Rolling Load Capacities

Level

% incline Surface 5% 10% 20% 30% 50% 70% 100%
(° incline) 0° 3° 6° 11° 17° 26° 35° 45°

Boat Wt.
(in lbs.) 32,000 20,010 15,060 10,200 7,830 5,580 4,590 3,870

• A 10% incline (or 6°) is 1 ft rise in 10 feet.

• To convert pounds to kilos divide by 2.2.

• Capacity can be increased (almost doubled) by using a pulley block.

Chart 2 Winch and Boat Capacities

Single Double Approximate* Approximate*
Model Line Pull Line Pull Boat Weight Boat Size

915 3,200 lbs 5,900 lbs 9,500 lbs 22-29 ft

* Boat size and weight are approximate and varies depending on boat type. When cal cu lat ing the boat

weight, be sure to use fully loaded weight in clud ing boat, motor, fuel ,etc.

Chart 3 Winch Specifications

Line Speed @ Gear Voltage Circuit Unit Weight

Model Capacity (FPM) Ratio (volts) Breaker (lbs) Depth Height Width
(amps)

915 10 450:1 12 60 40 10” 10” 8”

– 2 –

P7040104AV MODEL 915

Installation

MOUNTING
The winch can be mounted on the trailer in the same
position and location as a present winch. After re mov­ing the hand winch, bolt the Powerwinch unit using a
min i mum of (2) 3/8” Grade 5 machine bolts and lock
nuts. The Powerwinch Quick Mount Kit (P7700000AJ)
is avail able from the dealer.

The cable hook on the winch and the bow eye on the
boat should be at the same height when the boat is in
the fully loaded position on the trailer. If the bow eye is
too high, extra pull is required of the winch and extra
stress is exerted on the boat’s stern and bow eye.

To achieve equal height of the winch and boat, raise or
lower the winch stand. In most cases, the trailer man­u fac tur er will have an adapter available for use with a
inch.

A minimum of 12 inch

clearance is required
be tween the winch and the bow eye to prevent the
cable hook from being drawn into the winch drum
when the boat is in the fully loaded position on the
trailer.

If necessary, extend the bow stop to obtain the clear­ance.
When using a double line pull (using a pulley block),
install an appropriate eye bolt on the winch stand as
close as possible to the base of the winch. If a Quick
Mount Kit is used, make sure the winch is in the for­ward position before installing the eye bolt.

PERMANENT WIRING
To permanently wire the winch, refer to Figure 1 follow
the outlined procedures.

Rear Mounted Winch

1. Attach the circuit breaker to the positive (+) battery
post or to the positive (+) battery side of the starter
solenoid (See Figure 1).

Never attach the cir­cuit breaker to the
battery ground termi­nal.

2. Run the wire under the vehicle to the battery, at tach­ing at suitable intervals to the vehicle frame. Use
nylon wire ties (not supplied) to secure the wire to
the vehicle frame about every 18 inches. If no wire
ties are available use electrician’s tape. Avoid sharp
edges or places where the wire might rub.

3. Attach the ground wire (black) to the vehicle frame
using a 5/16” bolt and lock nut. Before attaching
the wire, clean the metal with a wire brush, steel
wool, or sandpaper.

4. Remove the knock out plug in the spare tire well and
draw the excess wire up into the vehicle.

Front Mounted Winch

1. Attach the circuit breaker to the positive (+) battery
post or to the positive (+) battery side of the starter
solenoid (See Figure 1).

2. Cut the harness at the circuit breaker end to the
required length.

BATTERY
TERMINAL

*

12 VOLT CAR
OR TRUCK
BATTERY

NOT SUPPLIED

*

Figure 1 Permanent Wiring Hookup

– 3 –

5/16" BOLT

5/16"LOCK WASHER
AND NUT

*

VEHICLE
FRAME

*