Ramsey RE-12000 User Manual

Congratulations

You have purchased the finest winch available in its service
class. It features a strong worm and gear drive to provide load
reversing protection. An exclusive semi-automatic RAM-LOK

TM

clutch disengaes for free-spooling and is spring loaded for
positive engagement. It was designed and manufactured to
provide you with the utmost in utility. As with any device that
combines power and movement in its use, there are dangers if
improperly used. At the same time, there are easier and faster
was for getting the job done if certain precautions are taken
first.

Please read this manual carefully. It contains useful ideas
in obtaining the most efficient operations from your Ramsey
Winch and safety procedures you need to know before begin­ning use. When you follow our guidelines for operation, your
Ramsey Winch will give you many years of satisfying service.
Thank you for choosing Ramsey. You will be glad you have
one working for you.

Please Note: Ramsey RE 12000 Series winches are designed
for front mount vehicle use. It is not designed for and should
not be used in industrial applications (car haulers/carriers,
wreckers, hoisting, etc.) and Ramsey does not warrant them
to be suitable for such use. Ramsey makes a separate, com­plete line of winches for industrial/commercial use. Please
contact the factory for further information.

Ramsey Winch Company

OWNER’S MANUAL

Front Mount Electric Winch

RE 12000

Special for Military H-1 Hummvee

Layer of Cable 1234

(lbs) 12,000 10,000 8,600 7,500
(kg) 5,450 4,540 3,900 3,400

(ft)*204070100

(m)* 6 12 21 30

(lbs) NO 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000
(kg) LOAD 900 1,810 2,720 3,630 4,540 5,450

Line Speed First Layer (FPM) 14 7 5 4 3.5 2.5 2

(MPM) 4.2 2.1 1.5 1. 2 1 0.7 0.6

Amp Draw 24V 30 50 85 110 135 160 190

* Depends on cable being uniformly wound onto drum.

Rated Line Pull Per Layer

Cumulative Cable
Capacit y P er Layer
(3/8" - 9mm - dia. Cable)

Line Pull Firs t Lay er

Contents

Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Tips for Safe Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Techniques of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Electrical Connections and Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Cable Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Winch Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-7

Test Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover

CAUTION: Read and understand this manual before installation and operation of winch. See precautions.

2

Safety Precautions To Guard
Against Possible Injury…

A minimum of five wraps of cable around the drum
barrel is necessary to hold the rated load. Cable
clamp is not designed to hold the load.

A. Keep yourself and others a safe distance to the side of

the cable when pulling under load.
B. Don't step over a cable, or near a cable under load.
C. Use supplied hook strap when handling hook for spooling

wire rope.
D. Don't move the vehicle to pull a load on the winch cable.

This could result in cable breakage.
E. Use a heavy rag or gloves to protect hands from burrs

when handling winch cable.
F. Apply blocks to wheels when vehicle is on an incline.
G. Winch clutch should be disengaged when winch is not in

use and fully engaged when in use.
H. Modification, alteration, or deviation to the winch should

only be made by Ramsey Winch Company.
I. Keep the duration of your pulls as short as possible. If

the motor becomes uncomfortably hot to the touch, stop

and let it cool for a few minutes. Do not pull more than

two minutes at or near rated load. Do not maintain power

to the winch if the motor stalls. Electric winches are for

intermittent usage and should not be used in constant

duty applications.
J. Disconnect the remote control switch from the winch

when not in use. A Ramsey Part # 282053 safety on-off

switch in your vehicle is recommended.
K. Note: Do not use winch in hoisting applications due to

required hoist safety factors and features.
L. Do not exceed maximum line pull ratings shown in

tables.
M. To respool correctly, it is necessary to keep a slight load

on the cable. This is accomplished by (wearing gloves)

holding the cable with one hand and the remote control

switch with the other, starting as far back and in the cen-

ter as you can, walking up keeping load on the cable as

the winch is powered in. Do not allow the cable to slip

through your hand and do not approach the winch too
closely. Turn off the winch and repeat the procedure until
all the cable except a few feet is in. Disconnect the
remote control switch and finish spooling in cable by
rotating the drum by hand with clutch disengaged. On
hidden winches, spool in cable under power but keep
hands clear.

Tips for Safe Operation

Do not underestimate the potential danger in winching opera­tions. Neither should you fear them. Do learn the basic dan­gers and avoid them.
The uneven spooling of cable, while pulling a load, is not a
problem, unless there is a cable pileup on one end of drum. If
this happens, reverse the winch to relieve the load and move
your anchor point further to the center of the vehicle. After the
job is done you can unspool and rewind for a neat lay of the
cable.
Store the remote control switch inside your vehicle where it
will not become damaged. Inspect it before you plug it in.
When ready to begin spooling in, plug in remote control switch
with clutch disengaged. Do not engage clutch with motor run­ning.
Never connect the hook back to the cable. This causes cable
damage. Always use a sling or chain of suitable strength as
shown in the illustration.
Observe your winch while winching, if possible, while standing
at a safe distance. If you use vehicle drive to assist, stop and
get out every few feet to assure the cable is not piling up in
one corner. Jamming cable can break your winch.
Do not attach tow hooks to winch mounting apparatus. They
must attach to vehicle frame.
When double lining during stationary winching, the winch hook
should be attached to the chassis of the vehicle.
Since the greatest pulling power is achieved on the innermost
layer of your winch, it is desirable to pull off as much line as
you can for heavy pulls (remember, you must leave 5 wraps
minimum on the drum). If this is not practical, use a snatch
block and double line arrangement (see illustration).
Neat, tight spooling avoids cable binding, which is caused
when a load is applied and the cable is pinched between two
others. If this happens, alternately power the winch in and out
a few inches. Do not attempt to work a bound cable under
load, free by hand.

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Techniques of Operation

The best way to get acquainted with how your winch
operates is to make a few test runs before you actually
need to use it. Plan your test in advance. Remember you
hear your winch as well as see it operate. Get to recog­nize the sound of a light steady pull, a heavy pull, and
sounds caused by load jerking or shifting. Soon you will
gain confidence in operating your winch and its use will
become second nature with you.

When pulling a heavy load, place a blanket, jacket or tar­paulin over the cable five or six feet from the hook. It will
slow the snap back in the event of a broken cable. Also
open the vehicle hood for additional protection.

For basic self-recovery, anchor to a tree or heavy rock.
When anchoring to a tree, always use a tree trunk pro­tector.

Stakes driven in solid earth and chained together make a
good anchor point for self-recovery when no solid
anchor point is available.

For a solid anchor, bury a log with earth or sand or place
it in a deep ravine.

Use the vehicle wheel power to help the winch, but do
not overtake the winch line. Plan your pull. You cannot
always hook up and pull out in one step. Examine all the
areas for anchoring possibilities as well as leverage situ­ations, direction, and goal.

Your winch will not only pull you up or ease you down a
steep grade, it will also pull another vehicle or a load
while your vehicle is anchored in a stationary position.
The following sketches show you a few techniques.

For direct pull of 2,000 lbs, hitch truck to a tree or solid
anchor, and take out of gear.

To double the pull, use 2-par t line with snatch block and
tie off to chassis. Take out of gear.

Winches equipped with cable guide fairleads can pull
from several directions. Pull from an angle only to
straighten up the vehicle-otherwise you can damage
structural members or other parts of your vehicle and
cause excess cable buildup on one end of the winch
drum.

Installation

This winch is designed to be used exclusively in the
Ramsey Military H-1 Hummvee mounting kit. Install the
winch in the H-1 Hummvee Mounting Kit P/N 295376
according to the instructions supplied with the mounting
kit.

Substitution of attaching hardware items (bolts, nuts, or
washers) different from those supplied with your winch
mounting kit can lead to failure causing damage or seri­ous injury. Use SAE Grade 5 bolts or better.

Electrical Connections and Operations

For normal self recovery work, your existing electrical
system is adequate. For power requirements for this
winch, refer to the table on page one of this manual. Your
battery must be kept in good condition. A fully charged
battery and proper connections are essential. Run the
vehicle engine during the winching operation to keep the
battery charged.

Connect the battery cables according to the instructions
with the mounting kit. A good electrical ground is
required for proper performance.

The remote control switch is water-proof and has push
button stations on either side. It is designed this way to
prevent quick winch reversals which lead to solenoid fail­ure. Make the winch motor has stopped fully before
reversing.

When first setting up your winch, follow the directions for
inserting the proper “IN” or “OUT” labels in the thumb
button. The switch is also color coded to aid you in not
having to guess at the direction your winch will run.

Cable Installation

1. Unwind cable by rolling it out along the ground to

prevent kinking. Securely wrap the end of the cable,

opposite hook, with plastic or similar tape to prevent

fraying.

2. Insert the end of the cable, opposite hook end,

under drum and into the 7/16” dia. hole in drum

barrel. Secure cable to drum barrel, using setscrew

furnished with winch. Tighten setscrew securely.

3. Carefully run winch in the “reel-in” direction.
Keeping tension on end of cable, spool all the cable
onto the drum, taking care to form neatly wrapped
layers.

Inspect the cable frequently. If the cable becomes frayed
with broken strands, replace immediately. Cable and
hook assemblies may be purchased from a Ramsey dis­tributor.

Operating Instructions

The RAM-LOK

TM

semi-automatic clutch provides free
spooling and clutch engagement with the cable drum.
With the clutch disengaged, the cable can be pulled off
the drum by hand. For winching in the load, the clutch
must be fully engaged with the drum.

To disengage the clutch, run the winch in the reverse
“reel out” direction until the load is off the cable and the
cable drum stops turning. Rotate the clutch handle 90°
clockwise. The clutch is now locked out and the cable
may be pulled by hand. (NOTE: If the handle will not
rotate, run the winch momentarily in reverse to relieve
pressure on the clutch jaws.) WARNING: DO NOT

ATTEMPT TO DISENGAGE THE CABLE DRUM WHEN
THERE IS A LOAD ON THE CABLE.

To engage the clutch, rotate the handle 90° counter­clockwise. Run the winch in reverse until the cable drum
starts turning. To confirm that the clutch is fully engaged,
remove the plastic plug in the top of the clutch housing
to inspect the clutch. After the winch is fully engaged, the
winch is ready for winching in the cable.

Maintenance

Check monthly the action of the clutch, making sure it is
fully engaging and disengaging with the cable drum. With
the clutch in the engaged position, remove the plastic
plug in the top of the clutch housing and observe if the
clutch is engaging. If the clutch is not fully engaging,
inspect the clutch shifter assembly parts. Check for
damage or excessive wear and replace as necessary.
Observe the jaws on both the clutch and cable drum,
checking for rounding of the driving faces. If rounding
has occurred they should be replaced immediately.

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