Replacement winch strap

[tdappleman]

I'm in the market for a new winch strap for my trailer. Amazingly they don't like getting caught in the winch gears.... What I can't figure out is what capacity it needs to be. Most heavy duty 2" straps seem to have a breaking capacity of 10000lbs and a working load of anywhere between 2000-4500lbs. It's to get my 270 up the last 1.5-2' without having to power up. The heaviest I can get locally is 4000lbs working / 10000lbs breaking in nylon. Any ideas?

 

[Lazy Daze]

Dang those gears - always getting in the way!

The one I use is the 10,000lb one. That's the biggest one I know of that will fit. Typically, you'll see this one in a yellow color. I'm not at the store to check the shelf right now, but I think it's made by Fulton.

 

[Sundancer]

I buy tow straps, cut them in half and I have two! I only need about 6 feet or so and that's about all that I can pile on the winch. The rating on most are 10,000 lbs, but the hook is attached and they are available everywhere and usually for less than $20 or so.

 

[tdappleman]

Thanks Dennis - that's the one WM has. Interestingly enough the one which broke is gray which probably isn't the correct one - at least based on what I can find online about color codes. Is the Fulton a 10000 working load or breaking load?

 

[tdappleman]

I buy tow straps, cut them in half and I have two! I only need about 6 feet or so and that's about all that I can pile on the winch. The rating on most are 10,000 lbs, but the hook is attached and they are available everywhere and usually for less than $20 or so.

That's a good idea - how do you attach it to the winch itself? You relying on pressure to keep it in place? The one I have has a loop on the winch end and a bolt goes through to hold it in place so it can't spin freely under load.

 

[Sundancer]

My winch has a small bolt that runs through it. I go under that, and back around it and then wind it on the winch. I haven't had any slippage and it makes it very quick to replace if I'm on the ramp holding up traffic!

With yours, you could just run the bolt through a hole in the strap. I'm not sure you'd need the loop? You could always fold the end and run the bolt through both layers to hold it.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Thanks Dennis - that's the one WM has. Interestingly enough the one which broke is gray which probably isn't the correct one - at least based on what I can find online about color codes. Is the Fulton a 10000 working load or breaking load?

I'm pretty sure it's breaking strength. I'll check when I get to work and let you know if that's not correct.

 

[tdappleman]

I went ahead and went to WM and bought the yellow 10k pound one. It is definitely a stronger strap than the previous gray colored one which may have been underated. Interesting since the trailer was originally used for a 260DA before I purchased it through Marine Max. Oh well - $20 isn't bad and it's certainly a wear item so we'll see how long this one lasts. Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions.

 

[Lazy Daze]

I went ahead and went to WM and bought the yellow 10k pound one. It is definitely a stronger strap than the previous gray colored one which may have been underated. Interesting since the trailer was originally used for a 260DA before I purchased it through Marine Max. Oh well - $20 isn't bad and it's certainly a wear item so we'll see how long this one lasts. Thanks for everyone's help and suggestions.

Yeah, but who knows who did what with straps before you got it, you know? The PO might have replaced the strap (maybe it got caught in the gears...:smt001) and just bought the first thing he/she saw at the store.

 

[Sundancer]

I see a lot of straps that look like they are made from the same stuff used on seat belts. Sure, those will pull your boat up if it's small enough for a while, but they aren't designed for the stresses of a larger boat. The 10,000 yellow strap is fine for pulling my boat up. I don't think the working load of 3,333 lbs is exceeded just pulling the boat on to the trailer. There are heavier straps, but I think those might be overkill too.

 

[CaptianWilly]

The wife and I just completed the Coast Guard Boating safety course and interestingly, within the section on trailering, there was a statement indicating any boat in excess of 16' required a cable instead of a strap. We intend to have or boat inspected the next time they offer them and it should be interesting to see if our 'strap' passes the inspection.

 

[Sundancer]

Capt Willy, were they assuming the cable was being used JUST for loading and chained once loaded? Or, were they assuming the cable/strap does double duty of controlling the load WITHOUT a chain? I use a chain to hold the bow secure and the strap is just for loading purposes only. I can't see why they would care what or how you load it as long as it is secured with chain for example, afterwards.

 

[tdappleman]

I'm not aware of the Coast Guard having any requirements on trailers. Far as I know it would be up to the state you are in to create and enforce trailer laws. Examples would be brakes on trailer, brake away brakes, safety chains, tie downs, specific light requirements, etc. If you have a copy or a link I'd love to see it - otherwise it would be the instructor's opinion. One of the things I realized while researching which strap to actually purchase is the winch capacity is typically less than 4000lbs. This is apparently why the only winch straps I could find were up to a 4000lb working load and a 10000lb breaking point.

 

[KRB64]

I'm in the process of re-doing the trailer for the 260. I bought a 25'X2" strap by BoatBuckle. It has a 2,667lb working load, 8,000lb breaking strength and 10,000 webbing. Buckle on one end, loop on the other. It just about completly fills up the winch.

I also added a chain to hook through the eye once on the trailer.