Hello all, I am having trouble with my bed lift in my converted toy hauler and need some advice. I am using a 12v winch motor to power the pully system that lifts and lowers my bed from the ceiling of the trailer. Problem is the lift begins fine and then 70% to the top the motor cuts in and out in a jerking type motion. This is powered from my 12v fuse panel which is fed from the 24-12v buck converter. Letting the bed down of course is no issue. When this happens it will also cause other items connected to the same 12v panel to turn on and off.
Hmmm my DIY toy hauler bed lift reeking havoc!
- Thread starter nicpaige
- Start date
Your motors are probably drawing more amps than the Buck converter can handle. It could be that as the motors warm up from use they start drawing more juice or the buck converter is getting warm and causing issues. What are the buck converter and the motor specs?
boondox
Chief Engineer, RedNeckTech Industries
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First guess is something is binding. Did it always do this? Does the purchase angle remain the same through the entire length of travel or chage as it gets higher? Look at the wire wrapping onto the spool as one culprit. If it is getting stacked on one side that would explain the 70% thing.
Definitely a good point as well
This is the consensus here at work, the winch motor can draw as much as 110 amps DC. My buck converter is only rated for 60. I have looked for a bigger converter but wow do they get pricey at 100 amps or more.
The cord wraps up on garage door pulleys, it does not change the angle of pull as it lifts.
Yes it did until I put the mattress on it. It is a 2500lb winch. I estimate the bed weighs 300lbs.
John Frum
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Are you saying that the weight of the mattress is the problem?
Hedges
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"winch motor powers pulley system"
Is cable being taken up on the winch, so more turns means less mechanical advantage?
Or just one layer on a reel, which is how the spring-loaded take-up works for mine?
There's one solution - spring assist. Although it will assist less the higher it gets, because unlike my garage door tracks, your bed keeps going straight up.
If a 2500 pound winch has trouble with a 300 pound load, appears it is really being starved for power. Unless, the winch was rated for how heavy a vehicle it could pull on flat ground.
Set up a block and tackle that cuts load to 1/2 or less?
24/12 buck converter - Supercap?
I've heard they're being put in car doors to power the window motor, cheaper than fat enough wires. (I would use boosted voltage if I designed it)
Two small additional 12V batteries - series with system to charge, switch to parallel for 12V operation of motor.
Two, (identical) 12V winches wired in series, each taking half the load.
Tap off 1/2 the battery bank for 12V. Make a switch so you can use one 12V battery one time, the other battery the other time, to balance discharge.
Is cable being taken up on the winch, so more turns means less mechanical advantage?
Or just one layer on a reel, which is how the spring-loaded take-up works for mine?
There's one solution - spring assist. Although it will assist less the higher it gets, because unlike my garage door tracks, your bed keeps going straight up.
If a 2500 pound winch has trouble with a 300 pound load, appears it is really being starved for power. Unless, the winch was rated for how heavy a vehicle it could pull on flat ground.
Set up a block and tackle that cuts load to 1/2 or less?
24/12 buck converter - Supercap?
I've heard they're being put in car doors to power the window motor, cheaper than fat enough wires. (I would use boosted voltage if I designed it)
Two small additional 12V batteries - series with system to charge, switch to parallel for 12V operation of motor.
Two, (identical) 12V winches wired in series, each taking half the load.
Tap off 1/2 the battery bank for 12V. Make a switch so you can use one 12V battery one time, the other battery the other time, to balance discharge.
I do not know how much the 60Amp one cost but you can run 2 in parallel if needed. I wouldn't put that large of a load on half the battery it will unbalance it too far.
Hedges
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Hedges
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Have a link to your "2500 pound" winch?
There are 2500 pound winches, and then there are 2500 pound winches.
Here's one I found:
www.harborfreight.com
Reviews include:
"Useless
I’ve had this on my atv for 5 years, it’s dead weight! Where they came up with 2500 lbs must have been using several pulleys. Tried to use on many light weight projects. I wouldn’t put this on my Barbie Jeep! Get what you pay for. In my opinion, this items description capabilities is an outright farce!"
There are 2500 pound winches, and then there are 2500 pound winches.
Here's one I found:
2500 lb. ATV/Utility Winch with Wire Rope
Amazing deals on this 2500Lb Atv/Utility Electric Winch at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com
Reviews include:
"Useless
I’ve had this on my atv for 5 years, it’s dead weight! Where they came up with 2500 lbs must have been using several pulleys. Tried to use on many light weight projects. I wouldn’t put this on my Barbie Jeep! Get what you pay for. In my opinion, this items description capabilities is an outright farce!"
boondox
Chief Engineer, RedNeckTech Industries
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If you are using batteries and have sufficiently sized cable and good connections then either there is some sort of bind, the winch has issues (bad brush connection or the like) or the winch is a piece of crap. What size cable and how long a run to the battery? Do you have an ammeter? If so, take a reading of the amps as it goes up and see if it climbs quite a bit when you get to the problem area. You can also watch the voltage and see if it drops.
Hedges
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24V to 12V battery charger, or just linear voltage regulator as trickle charger, and suitable 12V gel-cell.
Max Discharge Current 195A (5s)
Max Discharge Current 195A (5s)
LOL, thats it. My brother has the same winch on his side by side and it has pulled us out of many ruts and mud holes. I modified this winch to connect directly to my driveshaft for this system so I cannot return it. Live and learn I guess. I think I will hook up a spare car battery I have and see if it has the same issue. The highest amp reading from the winch was 36amps. This is not the initial momentary "in rush" though.Have a link to your "2500 pound" winch?
There are 2500 pound winches, and then there are 2500 pound winches.
Here's one I found:
2500 lb. ATV/Utility Winch with Wire Rope
Amazing deals on this 2500Lb Atv/Utility Electric Winch at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
Reviews include:
"Useless
I’ve had this on my atv for 5 years, it’s dead weight! Where they came up with 2500 lbs must have been using several pulleys. Tried to use on many light weight projects. I wouldn’t put this on my Barbie Jeep! Get what you pay for. In my opinion, this items description capabilities is an outright farce!"
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
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Haha, the ad for that winch showed up in my inbox this morning.
OK, just need more mechanical advantage. Could use block and tackle (maybe one per corner of bed) and wind up on the winch. Smaller size cord will work, since it isn't holding 2500 pounds. If you have four cords winding up on two ends of a shaft, put pulley at each corner of bed and secure cord to ceiling for 2:1 advantage.
Alternatively if you have the garage door shaft windup mechanism, need gear (pulley) reduction system to drive it with the winch instead of direct drive.
Or, are you using the large pulleys of a garage door mechanism? Wrap cord around the much smaller shaft, instead.
OK, just need more mechanical advantage. Could use block and tackle (maybe one per corner of bed) and wind up on the winch. Smaller size cord will work, since it isn't holding 2500 pounds. If you have four cords winding up on two ends of a shaft, put pulley at each corner of bed and secure cord to ceiling for 2:1 advantage.
Alternatively if you have the garage door shaft windup mechanism, need gear (pulley) reduction system to drive it with the winch instead of direct drive.
Or, are you using the large pulleys of a garage door mechanism? Wrap cord around the much smaller shaft, instead.
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