I was looking at the Ram brochure last night and noticed that the 07 PowerWagon came from the factory with a Warn 12,000lb. winch behind the factory bumper. I would like to do this to my truck as well (07 Ram 1500), but dont know if its a bolt-in item or if I need new bumper mounts. Has anyone done this mod before? I am also looking to add tow hooks to the front as well.

This came up because this weekend, my dad got stuck at my complex in his 2wd truck and we had to go buy tow straps, figure out how to hook them to his truck, and then yank him out. Would have been a LOT easier with a winch. :-)

If anyone has pics of their PowerWagon winch assembly, I would appreciate those as well. In the meantime, I will be searching through the gallery.

Thanks!!

-Mike

 

some info
https://dodgeforum.com/m_597944/tm.htm
or
https://dodgeforum.com/m_480004/tm.htm

I did a search "winch" is 3rd gen section.

The winch is mounted between the frame rails, not to the bumper, on the PW.

 

excellent info! Seems like it wont fit the 1500 setup due to frame clearance issues. Nothing a fab shop cant work through. I also read that I will need new front springs, thats ok too.

Then again, I wonder if I could just mount the winch in the bed? That would be a secure mounting point....

Hmmmm

 

Another idea for you... buy a hitch mounted winch. This way, you install a Class 3 hitch to the front of your truck, and if you don't already, install one to the rear. Now you can winch off the front or the rear, and not have to haul around the winch when you don't need it. Especially usefull if you have other vehicles that you would like to use the winch with, it becomes pretty universal.

 

It's possible a leveling kit would do the trick to give the front end lift because of the added weight, not sure though.
I had a friend who did that on his '94. He has a cabin off the beaten path in the UP of MI and it worked great for getting unstuck in deep snow,backingthru the ruts already made. The ultimate, I agree with FFmedic1479,is to have winching at both ends. I saw this quite a bit when I was in Alaska last year, even 2 winches on one vehicle.

 

ok medic, I do have the factory hitch on the back of the truck already, a Class IV. Is this one mounting point strong enough for a 12,000lb. winch? I was considering the bed because it gives a stable mounting point, can be hidden under the tonneau cover, and is only a dropped tailgate away from use. As much as I would like to have it on the front, I guess if it is easier to do in the bed, then thats where it will go.

Also, whats the difference between a $800 12,000lb winch and a $1800 one? And since my truck weighs 5800lbs, would I need a 12,000? Or will a 9,000 be sufficient?

 

You may also want to look into a stronger torsion bars for the front end on your 1500, or see if there is some sort of option to add air bags to help the front end lift. That winch will weight a lot!!!
Something else to possibly consider, a second battery. The diesels have that second battery box for the right side

Just stuff that crossed my mind while I was reading through your post

 

Well... as for the cost of things, I guess you get what you pay for. There are a variety of options for winches: type and length of cable, speed of motor, wire or wireless remotes, etc. A cool new option, I think itsfrom Warn, is a built in air compresser. The only problem I see with the bed mounted option is 1) it is mounted in your bed 2) got to be careful of the angle of your cable coming out of the bed, if it is over the tailgate or edge of the bed, it could easily damage the sheetmetal or the cable 3) you are going to have to cut into your bed to build some sort of frame, either that or you are mounting it on some flimsey sheet metal that the winch can tear out of. Look up in the owners manual the rating for your hitch, I imagine that as long as the rating for the winch and the hitch are the same, there shouldn't be any problems. The weight of you truck is important when figuring out what winch you use, but also consider what resistance you are going to be meeting when winching. You or someone else is obviously stuck, but in what. Mud, brush and hills all put addional factors on how much you are actually hauling out, and the winch will need to overcome that.

 

gone fishin, my truck does not have torsion bars, its a coil over setup.

medic, on the way home tonight, I looked at the bed and determined........bad idea. So I am now back to having it behind the bumper. I am pretty sure a bracket can be made to hold the winch there, and if its bolted directly to the frame rails, all should be golden right?

truth is, im not an avid 4-wheeler (yet) and will only use the winch in the winter. BUT, it would be nice to know that I can pull out just about any vehicle on the road, and myself, should the need arise. I just need a good, solid location.

 

FYI-
There are some aftermarket rear bumpers made for hidden winch setups.
The WARN 12k winch made for Dodge in the PW weighs ~140lbs., not including all the heavy cast steel mtg. brkts. That's the reason not designed for the 1500.