Page 1
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
Page 2
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”
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Page 3
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
*
Page 4
P7040104AV
Installation (continued)
MODEL 915
1. Attach the winch cable hook to the bow eye on the
boat (See Figure 2).
3. 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
edg es, hot or moving engine parts (manifold, ra di ator, hoses etc.) 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.
TEMPORARY WIRING
To temporary wire the winch, follow the outlined pro cedures. A complete wiring harness is available from the
dealer (Part Number P7866000AJ).
1. Attach two large “alligator” type clips, one to the circuit breaker and one to the end of the black wire.
2. Run the red wire (with the circuit breaker) to the battery and clip the wire to the hot (positive) side of
the battery.
3. Clip the black wire to the vehicle frame or negative
side of the battery.
Operation (continued)
CLEAR THE AREA AROUND AND BEHIND THE
BOAT OF PEOPLE, ANIMALS, AND OB STRUCT ING
OBJECTS BEFORE LOADING OR UN LOAD ING.
POS SI BLE INJURY COULD OCCUR.
2. Remove the boat tie downs.
ALWAYS STAND CLEAR OF THE AREA BE TWEEN
THE LOAD OR ANCHOR POINT AND THE WINCH.
SERIOUS INJURY COULD OCCUR, IF THE CABLE
BREAKS.
3. Step clear of the winch and winch cable area. Use
the remote control switch and power-out the cable
until the boat is completely unloaded.
4. Remove the winch cable hook from the bow eye and
power-in the cable.
LOADING
To load the boat, follow the outlined procedures.
1. Align the boat and trailer.
Operation
UNLOADING
To unload the boat, refer to Figure 2 and follow the
outlined pro ce dures.
WINCH
CABLE
Figure 2 Operation Components
2. Power-out the winch cable and attach the winch
cable hook to the bow eye on the boat.
ALWAY STAND
CLEAR OF THE AREA
BE TWEEN THE LOAD
HOOK
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Page 5
P7040104AV
MODEL 915
Operation (continued) Maintenance (continued)
OR ANCHOR POINT AND THE WINCH. SERIOUS
INJURY COULD OCCUR, IF THE CABLE BREAKS.
3. Step clear of the winch and winch cable area. Use
the remote control switch and power-in the cable
until the boat hits the bow stop.
4. When the boat is fully loaded, secure the boat to the
trailer with tie-downs. It is not recommeded to use
the winch to hold the load because damage could
occur to the winch.
5. Remove the winch cable hook from the bow eye and
power-in the cable.
Maintenance
CABLE REPLACEMENT
To replace the cable, follow the outlined procedures.
Use an exact replacement Powerwinch cable. The
winch rating and cable strength are carefully matched.
Never replace the cable with rope.
ALWAYS UNPLUG THE WIRING HARNESS TO PREVENT AC CI DEN TAL STARTING BEFORE AT TEMPTING TO INSTALL, SERVICE, RELOCATE OR PERFORM ANY MAINTENANCE.
1. Power-out the cable using the remote control de vice
and unplug the wiring harness.
LUBRICATION
Once a year, the cable should be lubricated with
Whitmore’s Wire Rope Spray, WD40 or a similar product. Spray the drum and the cable as the cable is being
wound. Remove the cover and lubricate the gears once
a year with a lithium base grease. Be careful not to get
grease on the clutch lining.
2. Remove the two cov er rods and the four cover
screws
3. Cut the old cable approximately 2” from the drum
and push the remaining cable and fastener through
the drum to remove (See Figure 3).
CABLE
FASTENER
COUNTERBORE
2"
INSERT
NEW
CABLE
CABLE DRUM
Figure 3 Cable Replacement
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Page 6
P7040104AV
MODEL 915
Maintenance (continued)
4. Insert the new cable into the drum shaft hole at
the end opposite the counterbored end. Draw the
cable through the hole and out the counterbored
side of the shaft.
5. Push the cable through the fastener until the cable is
flush with the end of the fastener.
6. Crimp the fastener onto the cable and pull the cable
through the drum shaft until the fastener seats
inside the counterbore.
7. Install the cover, two cover rods and the four cover
screws and connect the wiring harness.
8. Power-in the cable with a light load to help wind the
cable straight into the drum.
1. Make sure a load is not attached to the winch. Locate
the jam nuts on the rear shaft on the left side of the
winch while facing the cable opening.
2. Loosen the outer jam nut and tighten the inner nut.
Turn the inner nut clockwise to increase the load
capacity or turn counterclockwise to decrease the
load capacity. The inner nut should be tight enough
to keep the load from slipping or creeping.
Do not overtighten the
inner nut. Overtightening the inner nut shortens the motor life.
3. Tighten the outer nut against the inner nut to se cure
LEVELWIND PLATE
When powering-in the cable, the motor will continue to
run for a few seconds after releasing the toggle switch
on the remote control device, especially without a load.
Be sure to allow for this. Do not let the cable hook go
into the winch and bend the level wind plate. When
winding the cable onto the drum with no load, keep the
cable taut (tight) going into the drum.
BRAKE ADJUSTMENT
The winch is equipped with a friction brake which holds
the load when the power is off. If the load creeps while
the power is off or if the brake slips while powering the
load in or out, the brake needs adjustment.
To adjust the brake, follow the outlined procedures and
refer to Figure 4.
Do not adjust the brake
with a load attached
to the winch. The load
could release and cause load dam age or personal
injury.
INNER
JAM NUT
STORAGE
The winch cable must be lubricated before storing.
Lu bri cate the cable with Whitmore’s Wire Rope Spray,
WD40 or a similar product. Spray the drum and the
cable as the cable is being wound.
Technical Service and Replacement Parts
Information
For information re gard ing the op era tion or repair of
this product, please call 1-800-243-3097 and have the
following information available:
• Model number
• Serial number
• Part number and description
Address correspondence to:
Carefree/Powerwinch
2145 West 6th Ave
Broomfield, CO 80020
OUTER
JAM NUT
Figure 4 Brake Adjustment
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Page 7
P7040104AV
MODEL 915
General Troubleshooting Guide
SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSE (S) CORRECTIVE ACTION
Winch will not
operate.
Clutch does not
hold.
1. Disconnected or bad wiring or
bad circuit breakers.
2. Bad plug.
3. Bad switch or motor.
1. Jam nuts too loose.
2. Worn gears or clutch lining
1. Start checking the wiring at the battery. Bypass the
circuit breakers and test the winch. If the winch
operates, replace the circuit breakers.
2. Check the wiring insulation for worn or bare spots
that may be causing a short.
3. Check all connections for tightness.
1. Check the male connection at the end of the wiring kit by using probe light across the two prongs
inside the plug. If the light illuminates, the wiring
is correct.
2. Remove the two cover connecting screws and rods
(See Figure 3) from the cover containing the female
socket. Plug the male socket into the female socket.
Use a probe light across the two connections on the
underside of the female socket. Replace the ap propri ate socket if the light does not illuminate. If the
light illuminates, check the switch and/or motor.
1. Test the switch by using a jumper wire to bypass the
switch. Keep fingers away from the winch mech anism. If power gets to the motor, replace the switch.
If no power gets to the motor, replace the motor.
1. Adjust the brake (See brake adjustment section in
this manual).
2. Replace gears or clutch lining.
– 7 –
Page 8
P7040104AV MODEL 915
Limited Warranty
A. This Limited Warranty is given by the Pow er winch Di vi sion of the
Scott Fetzer Com pa ny (the “Com pa ny”) to the orig i nal purchaser
(the “Purchaser”) of a Pow er winch Prod uct (the “Product”) speci fied in this man u al. This Limited War ran ty is not trans fer able to
any other party.
B. Responsibilities of the Company under this Limited Warranty:
1. Re pair or replace (at the discretion of the Com pa ny)
any part or parts of the Prod uct found by the Com pany to be defective within a two (2) year period from the
date of pur chase.
2. The Company will pay the transportation charge
for ship ment back to the Purchaser of any Prod uct
re ceived for legitimate War ran ty re pair.
C. Responsibilities of the Purchaser under this Limited War ran ty:
1. Complete (fully and accurately) and re turn to the
Com pa ny, the Warranty card included in the box. Other wise, Pur chas er will have to show dated proof of
pur chase to qualify for service under the pro vi sions of
the Limited Warranty.
2. Promptly notify the Seller or the Com pa ny of any claim
hereunder.
3. At the Option of the Company, return the Product to
the Company for inspection. Au tho ri za tion must be
given pri or to any Prod uct re turn. Call the Company at
1-800-243-3097 or write the Com pa ny at 2145 West
6th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80020, for authorization and
com plete in struc tions on how to return the Prod uct
di rect ly to the Com pa ny.
4. Use reasonable care in maintenance, op er a tion, use
and storage of the Product in ac cor dance with the
in struc tions con tained in the Own er’s Man u al.
5. Have Warranty work performed by a deal er or rep resen ta tive ap proved by the Com pa ny.
6. Except as noted in B.2., transportation charg es are
the re spon si bil i ty of the Pur chas er.
D. This Limited Warranty covers:
1. Defects in workmanship or materials.
2. Any part or parts of the Product sold or man u fac tured
by the Com pa ny.
E. This Limited Warranty does not cover:
1. Any failure that results from improper in stal la tion of
the Product.
2. Any failure that results from accident, Pur chas er’s
abuse, neglect, modification, improper main te nance,
or fail ure to operate and use the Product in ac cordance with the in
Man u al sup plied with the Prod uct.
F. THERE IS NO OTHER EXPRESS WAR RAN TY. IM PLIED WAR-
RAN TIES, IN CLUD ING THOSE OF MER CHANT ABIL I TY AND
FIT NESS FOR A PAR TIC U LAR PUR POSE, ARE LIM ITED TO
TWO (2) YEARS FROM DATE OF PUR CHASE. THIS IS THE
EX CLU SIVE REM EDY AND ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY AND
ALL IN CI DEN TAL OR CON SE QUEN TIAL DAM AG ES OR
EX PENS ES WHAT SO EV ER IS EX CLUD ED.
Some states do not allow lim i ta tions on how long an implied warran ty lasts, or do not allow ex clu sion or limitation of in ci den tal or
con se quen tial dam ag es, the above lim i ta tions may not apply to
you. This Lim it ed Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and
you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
struc tions pro vid ed in the Own er’s
All rights reserved. This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Powerwinch reserves the
right to alter specifications on any product without notice.
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