DODGE POWER WAGON 2007 2.G Owners Manual

3. Apply at least 500 lbs. of tension to the rope while
winding the rope in. Always use care to ensure the rope
does not pile up on one side of the drum and is neatly
wound onto the drum.
CAUTION!
Wire rope must spool on the winch drum in the
direction indicated on the drum rotation decal on the
winch.
Low Voltage Interrupt
Your winch is equipped with a device that will interrupt
winch function if the vehicle charging system voltagedrops to a low level. The winch will not power-in or out
for 30 seconds if this device is tripped. If the interrupt is
tripped, the vehicle should be operated at high idle for a
few minutes to allow the vehicle charging system to
recover before continuing to winch.
Winch Motor Thermal Protection
Your winch is equipped with a thermal protection device
in the motor. If the winch is operated for an excessive
duration, the device may interrupt motor function to
protect the winch motor. During this time the winch will
power-out but will not power-in. Allow the winch motor
to cool for a few minutes before continuing to winch. The
winch will resume normal function once the motor cools.
290 STARTING AND OPERATING

UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR WINCH
Winch Components
STARTING AND OPERATING 291
5

1.Motor:The winch motor is powered by the vehicle
charging system and features a thermal protection switch
that automatically stops motor function in the power-in
direction if the motor gets too hot.
2.Remote Socket:The remote socket allows the remote
control to be attached to the control pack to allow the
winch to function.
3.Winch Drum w/ Integral Brake:The winch drum
allows the wire rope to be stored on the winch and
transmits force to the wire rope. The winch is equipped
with an integral brake that will stop rotation of the winch
drum if the winch motor is stopped.
4.3 Stage Planetary Gear Set:Provides balance between
speed and pulling power.
5.Wire Rope:The wire rope allows the winch to be
connected to an anchor to provide a pulling force.6.Clutch Lever:The clutch lever allows the winch drum
to be disconnected from the winch motor to allow the
wire rope to be pulled from the winch by hand.
7.Remote Control:The remote control provides the
interface between the winch operator and the winch. The
remote control provides the ability to power the winch in,
out, and stop the winch. To operate the winch, the toggle
switch is pressed down to power the winch in and up to
power the winch out. The winch will stop if the switch is
left in the neutral (center) position.
CAUTION!
If not installed, the hook strap must be placed on the
hook.
Fairlead:The fairlead acts as a guide for the wire rope
and minimizes damage to the rope.
292 STARTING AND OPERATING

WINCH ACCESSORIES
The following accessories are necessary to attach the
winch to anchors, change direction of pull, and for safe
winching.
Gloves:Wire rope, through
use, will develop9barbs9
which can slice skin. It is ex-
tremely important to wear
protective gloves while oper-
ating the winch or handling
the wire rope. Avoid loose fit-
ting clothes or anything that
could become entangled in
the wire rope and other mov-
ing parts.Snatch/Block Pulley:Used
properly, the multi-purpose
snatch block allows you to (1)
increase our winch's pulling
power; and (2) change your
pulling direction without
damaging the wire rope.
Proper use of the snatch block
is covered in9Before You
Pull.9
STARTING AND OPERATING 293
5

Clevis/D-Shackles:The
D-Shackle is a safe means of
connecting the looped ends of
cables, straps and snatch
blocks. The shackle's pin is
threaded to allow easy re-
moval.
Tree Trunk Protector:Typi-
cally made of tough, high-
quality nylon, it provides the
operator an attachment point
for the winch rope to a wide
variety of anchor points and
objects, as well as protect liv-
ing trees.OPERATING YOUR WINCH
WARNING!
²Always use supplied hook strap to hold hook when spooling wire rope in or out.²Never use as a hoist.²Never use to move persons.²Never exceed winch or wire rope rated capacity.²Always wear heavy leather gloves when handling the wire rope.²Never touch wire rope or hook while in tension or under load.²Never engage or disengage clutch if winch is under load, wire rope is in tension, or
wire rope drum is moving.
²Always stand clear of wire rope and load and keep others away during winching.²Always keep hands and clothing clear of the wire rope, hook and fairlead opening
during operation and when spooling.
²Never wrap wire rope back onto itself. Always use a choker chain, wire choker rope or
tree trunk protector on the anchor.
²Never attach a recovery strap to the winch hook to increase the length of a pull.²Never attempt to tow a vehicle with the recovery strap attached directly to the winch
hook.
²Never use(bungee(straps that develop tremendous and potentially dangerous
amounts of force when stretched.
²Always disconnect the remote control when not in use.²Never winch when there are less than 5 wraps of wire rope around the winch drum.²Always pass remote control through a window to avoid pinching lead in door, then
using remote inside a vehicle.
²Never leave the remote control plugged into the winch while free spooling, rigging or
sitting idle.
Failure to observe any of these warnings regarding proper winch usage may result in severe
injury.
294 STARTING AND OPERATING

General Information
Practice using your winch before you get stuck. Some key
points to remember when using your winch are:
1. Always take your time to assess the situation and plan
your pull carefully.
2. Always take your time when using a winch.
3. Use the right equipment for the situation.
4. Always wear leather gloves and do not allow the wire
rope to slip through your hands when handling the rope.
5. Only the operator should handle the wire rope and
remote control.
6. Think safety at all times.
Vehicle Recovery Using the Winch:
CAUTION!
²Always Know Your Winch: Take time to fully read and
understand the included Installation and Operations
Guide, and Basic Guide to Winching Techniques, in
order to understand your winch and the winching
operation.
²Always inspect winch installation and wire rope con-
dition before operating winch. Frayed, kinked or dam-
aged wire rope must be replaced immediately. Loose or
damaged winch installation must be corrected imme-
diately.
²Always be sure any element which can interfere with
safe winching operations is removed prior to initiating
winching.
²Always keep remote control lead clear of the drum,
wire rope and rigging.
²Inspect for cracks, pinches, frayed wires, or loose
connections. Replace if damaged.
STARTING AND OPERATING 295
5

CAUTION!
Be careful not to pull the Winch Cable Collar
through the rollers. Watch and listen to Winch for
proper snugness.
1. Inspect the winch, winch mount, and wire rope for
damage. Do not use the winch if the mount is loose or
rope shows excessive wear or damage.
2. Put on gloves.
3. Disengage clutch to allow free spooling of the winch
drum, rotate the clutch lever on the winch to disengage.
Freespooling conserves battery power.
296 STARTING AND OPERATING

4. Free the winch hook and attach hook strap. Free the
winch hook from its anchor point. Attach hook strap to
the hook (if not attached).
5. Pull wire to anchor point. Pull out enough wire rope to
reach your anchor point. Be sure to keep a certain amount
of tension on the wire as it can become twisted and
Free Spool
Hook Strap
STARTING AND OPERATING 297
5

over-wrap when slackened, leading to wire rope damage.
To prevent losing the end, hold the hook strap while you
work.
6. Secure to the anchor point. Once you've established
your anchor point, secure the tree-trunk protector or
choker-chain around the object.
CAUTION!
Always be certain the anchor you select will with-
stand the load.
Tree Trunk Protector
298 STARTING AND OPERATING

NOTE: How to choose an anchor point:A secure
anchor is critical to winching operations. An anchor must
be strong enough to hold while winching. Natural an-
chors include trees, stumps and rocks. Hook the cable as
low as possible. If no natural anchors are available when
recovering another vehicle, your vehicle becomes the
anchor point. In this case, be sure to put the transmission
in neutral, apply the hand brake and block its wheels to
prevent your vehicle from moving. Ideally, you'll want
an anchor point that will enable you to pull straight in the
direction the vehicle will move. This allows the wire rope
to wind tightly and evenly onto the spooling drum. An
anchor point as far away as possible will provide the
winch with its greatest pulling power.
7. Attach the Clevis/D-shackle and Tree Trunk Protector.
Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap or chain
and through the hook loop, being careful not to over
tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the
clutch lever on the winch to engage.
NOTE:Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or
disengaged.
Clevis/D-Shackles
STARTING AND OPERATING 299
5