Strap or Cable??

In the meantime cranking is preventative medicine!!! I HOPE I get old AND scrawny!!! :grin: :smt043
 
H2ONUT said:
I have a Powerwinch that has a strap. I had it on a roller trailer hooked to a 170 FourWinns bowrider. Worked perfect. I still have the winch in the garage. I forget what the capacity is.

http://www.powerwinch.com/Strap_Winches/Strap_Winches.html

It's the 215 that i have.
Click to expand...

thanks for info
now I know why no one using that setup commercially - capacity.
it will work for trailer set up for one boat but when you towing many different boats on same trailer you can't take a risk breaking strap and possibly loosing someones boat
 
Ok I need some expert advice here.

I've only had the boat/trailer since Oct '06 yesterday when pulling it out of the water trailer almost completly submerged which works best to get as much of the boat on the trailer as possible.

Trailer has bunks no rollers (except at the winch) after gentally motoring (I wouldn't say powering as I was able to get it on in just over idle speed) I was maybe 1-2 inches from the which wheel.

So I put the strap on and started cranking.. SNAP! the threading where they have looped the strap through the hook and sticked it back to itself ripped out.

Is that suppose to happen? Luckly I had a couple of ratcheting tie downs to connect the boat eye to the trailer and the safety chain reached fine so now the boat sits about 1 -2 inches back from normal.

I assume I need to get a new strap but is there one better then the one I have? The strap itself is fine its the stiching that came out.
 
Sundancer said:
As a matter of fact I do see trailering professionals using straps every day. Good point! They also use straps when lifting the boats in and out of salt water. I've never had it done, but I've heard about it!

Rust? Never a problem here in the dry climate of Eastern Washington. I haven't treated my current winch and there is no rust on it anywhere.

And the winches still have the problem of the cable getting loose inside. A strap it is!!
Click to expand...
Maybe boatmailster has nailed it! I see lots of trucks hauling hay and other things. Wire rope is never used, it is always straps. Matter of fact, I have straps for that myself. And when they lifted my boat at Cap Sante, straps were used.

Things here don't rust. I should live in the same state as Sundancer. Unfortunately, the border between WA and OR goes the wrong way. It should go north and south, along the cascades, not east and west as it does.
 
In this thread is a recommendation on a 2" 8000# winch strap.

My question is since I need to replace mine because the threading came undone that holds the hook on I was going to get one of these 2" 8000# straps but I just measured my current broken strap and it's 1 7/8" will a 2" be ok?

Thanks
 
I'd go with whatever will fit in your winch. If it can handle the 2" wide strap, then go for it!!
 
Sundancer said:
I'd go with whatever will fit in your winch. If it can handle the 2" wide strap, then go for it!!
Click to expand...

That's just it I don't know enough to know. I measured it and it looks to be exactly 2" so I assume that's why the strap is 1 7/8 inch to leve a 1/16th of room on each side of the strap.

I liked the 2" one posted here cause it was rated at 8000# everything I see at West Marine looks like junk.
 
H2ONUT said:
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...1_74624_200004005_200000000_200004000_200-4-5

I think you'll be OK. I just measured the strap on my winch and it's 1-7/8 wide. Probably like lumber measurements, they call it a 2x4 but it really isn't.
Click to expand...

Thanks, didn't think of that but maybe your right. Or they call it 2" cause it fits a 2 inch winch. :huh:

Thanks for measuring though and wow 10000# I should be able to pull the hook eye out of the boat before that breaks I would think but hmm that might be a bad thing.
 
I trashed the cable years ago and use the 2 inch strap. A few notes though - I always float onto the trailer and barely need to winch the boat forward with much force. I also use a chain attached to my winch post in case the strap breaks. This is probably the same as most of you. I think the strap is much better and plenty strong.
 
I found a tow strap at Lowe's that handles quite a bit. It was 12,000 or something ridiculous like that. I just cut it in half and now have two five foot tow straps, one for each boat. If you need longer, you can just cut the hook off one end and that will leave you with about a 10 foot strap. I used it to pull the 300 on the trailer the last couple of weekends and it works great! I didn't measure the width of the winch but it fits in there with a little wiggle room. The strap was only $18! Once on the trailer the chain holds it anyway!
 
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