POWERWINCH 915 Guide

READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO ASSEMBLE, INSTALL, OPERATE OR MAINTAIN THE
PRODUCT DESCRIBED. PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS BY OBSERVING ALL SAFETY INFORMATION.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS COULD RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR PROPERTY
DAMAGE. RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
Description
Trailer winches are used for launching and loading
boats. This winch features power-in and power-out
capabilities with a hand-held remote control device.
Unpacking
When unpacking this product, carefully inspect for any
damage that may have occurred during transit.
General Safety Information
The following safety precautions must be followed at
all times:
1. Read all manuals included with this product care-
fully. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls and
the proper use of the equipment. Only persons
well acquainted with these rules of safe operation
should be allowed to use the winch.
ALWAYS UNPLUG
THE WIRING HARNESS TO PREVENT ACCI-
DENTAL STARTING BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO
INSTALL, SERVICE, RELOCATE OR PERFORM
ANY MAINTENANCE.
2. Never use the winch to lift or move people or ani-
mals.
3. Stand away from the winch when in use and keep
children free from winch area at all times.
ALWAYS STAND
CLEAR OF THE AREA BETWEEN THE LOAD OR
ANCHOR POINT AND THE WINCH. SERIOUS
INJURY COULD OCCUR, IF THE CABLE BREAKS.
4. Always keep hands clear of cable spool (drum
area).
5. Do not wear loose fitting clothing, scarves, or neck
ties. Loose clothing may become caught in mov-
ing parts and result in serious personal injury.
6. Never use the winch for overhead lifting.
7. Always wire the winch with circuit breakers. Failure
to use the breakers could cause overheating thus
creating a potential fire hazard or motor damage.
General Safety (Continued)
THE CABLE FASTEN-
ERS ON THIS OR ANY
WINCH ARE NOT
DESIGNED TO HOLD RATED LOADS. ALWAYS
LEAVE A MINIMUM OF FIVE WRAPS OF CABLE ON
THE DRUM AT THE BOTTOM LAYER TO ACHIEVE A
RATED LOAD.
8. Inspect the entire cable for weak or worn condition or
kinking (short tight twist or curl) before each use.
9. When replacing the cable, always use a Powerwinch
cable with the same winch rating and cable
strength.
10. Never substitute rope for cable. Possible injury
could occur.
11. Do not attempt to pull a load greater than the rated
load of the winch.
12. Do not use the winch to hold or support the load
once a job is complete or to permanently secure
the load. Damage could occur to the winch or the
load..
13. Never wrap the winch cable around the load. Use
an Ecostrap™ or chain to prevent the cable from
kinking or fraying.
14. Always wear leather gloves when handling the
cable. Steel cable can cause hand injuries.
After using the winch,
always disconnect the
power cord from the
socket to avoid moisture collection in the socket
and prevent the possibility of short circuiting.
15. Always block the vehicle wheels to help prevent
the vehicle from rolling when pulling a load with
the winch.
16. Do not operate the winch under the influence of
drugs, alcohol, or other medication.
Specifications
Various load conditions will affect the winch perfor-
mance. The line pull required for a specific applica-
tion depends on the weight of the load, condition of
the trailer rollers, and the degree of the loading ramp
incline. The chart on the following page is based on a
single line pull and is a guideline to aid in calculating
pulling requirements.
OPERATION AND PARTS MANUAL
MODEL 915
BOAT TRAILER WINCH
Copyright, 2006 Carefree of Colorado
P7040104AV 12/06
®

– 2 –
P7040104AV MODEL 915
Chart 3 Winch Specifications
Line Speed @ Gear Voltage Circuit Unit Weight
Model Capacity (FPM) Ratio (volts) Breaker (lbs) Depth Height Width
(amps)
915 10 450:1 12 60 40 10” 10” 8”
* Boat size and weight are approximate and varies depending on boat type. When calculating the boat
weight, be sure to use fully loaded weight including boat, motor, fuel ,etc.
Single Double Approximate* Approximate*
Model Line Pull Line Pull Boat Weight Boat Size
915 3,200 lbs 5,900 lbs 9,500 lbs 22-29 ft
Level
% incline Surface 5% 10% 20% 30% 50% 70% 100%
(° incline) 0° 3° 6° 11° 17° 26° 35° 45°
Boat Wt.
(in lbs.) 32,000 20,010 15,060 10,200 7,830 5,580 4,590 3,870
• A 10% incline (or 6°) is 1 ft rise in 10 feet.
• To convert pounds to kilos divide by 2.2.
• Capacity can be increased (almost doubled) by using a pulley block.
Chart 2 Winch and Boat Capacities
Chart 1 Approximate Rolling Load Capacities

– 3 –
P7040104AV MODEL 915
BATTERY
TERMINAL
*
5/16" BOLT
*
5/16"LOCK WASHER
AND NUT
*
12 VOLT CAR
OR TRUCK
BATTERY
VEHICLE
FRAME
* NOT SUPPLIED
Figure 1 Permanent Wiring Hookup
Installation
Rear Mounted Winch
1. Attach the circuit breaker to the positive (+) battery
post or to the positive (+) battery side of the starter
solenoid (See Figure 1).
Never attach the cir-
cuit breaker to the
battery ground termi-
nal.
2. Run the wire under the vehicle to the battery, attach-
ing at suitable intervals to the vehicle frame. Use
nylon wire ties (not supplied) to secure the wire to
the vehicle frame about every 18 inches. If no wire
ties are available use electrician’s tape. Avoid sharp
edges or places where the wire might rub.
3. Attach the ground wire (black) to the vehicle frame
using a 5/16” bolt and lock nut. Before attaching
the wire, clean the metal with a wire brush, steel
wool, or sandpaper.
4. Remove the knock out plug in the spare tire well and
draw the excess wire up into the vehicle.
Front Mounted Winch
1. Attach the circuit breaker to the positive (+) battery
post or to the positive (+) battery side of the starter
solenoid (See Figure 1).
2. Cut the harness at the circuit breaker end to the
required length.
MOUNTING
The winch can be mounted on the trailer in the same
position and location as a present winch. After remov-
ing the hand winch, bolt the Powerwinch unit using a
minimum of (2) 3/8” Grade 5 machine bolts and lock
nuts. The Powerwinch Quick Mount Kit (P7700000AJ)
is available from the dealer.
The cable hook on the winch and the bow eye on the
boat should be at the same height when the boat is in
the fully loaded position on the trailer. If the bow eye is
too high, extra pull is required of the winch and extra
stress is exerted on the boat’s stern and bow eye.
To achieve equal height of the winch and boat, raise or
lower the winch stand. In most cases, the trailer man-
ufacturer will have an adapter available for use with a
inch.
A minimum of 12 inch
clearance is required
between the winch and the bow eye to prevent the
cable hook from being drawn into the winch drum
when the boat is in the fully loaded position on the
trailer.
If necessary, extend the bow stop to obtain the clear-
ance.
When using a double line pull (using a pulley block),
install an appropriate eye bolt on the winch stand as
close as possible to the base of the winch. If a Quick
Mount Kit is used, make sure the winch is in the for-
ward position before installing the eye bolt.
PERMANENT WIRING
To permanently wire the winch, refer to Figure 1 follow
the outlined procedures.

– 4 –
P7040104AV MODEL 915
Installation (continued)
3. Run the wire under the vehicle to the battery, attach-
ing at suitable intervals to the vehicle frame. Use
nylon wire ties (not supplied) to secure the wire to
the vehicle frame about every 18 inches. If no wire
ties are available use electrician’s tape. Avoid sharp
edges, hot or moving engine parts (manifold, radia-
tor, hoses etc.) or places where the wire might rub.
3. Attach the ground wire (black) to the vehicle frame
using a 5/16” bolt and lock nut. Before attaching
the wire, clean the metal with a wire brush, steel
wool, or sandpaper.
TEMPORARY WIRING
To temporary wire the winch, follow the outlined proce-
dures. A complete wiring harness is available from the
dealer (Part Number P7866000AJ).
1. Attach two large “alligator” type clips, one to the cir-
cuit breaker and one to the end of the black wire.
2. Run the red wire (with the circuit breaker) to the bat-
tery and clip the wire to the hot (positive) side of
the battery.
3. Clip the black wire to the vehicle frame or negative
side of the battery.
Operation
UNLOADING
To unload the boat, refer to Figure 2 and follow the
outlined procedures.
WINCH
CABLE
HOOK
Figure 2 Operation Components
1. Attach the winch cable hook to the bow eye on the
boat (See Figure 2).
Operation (continued)
CLEAR THE AREA AROUND AND BEHIND THE
BOAT OF PEOPLE, ANIMALS, AND OBSTRUCTING
OBJECTS BEFORE LOADING OR UNLOADING.
POSSIBLE INJURY COULD OCCUR.
2. Remove the boat tie downs.
ALWAYS STAND CLEAR OF THE AREA BETWEEN
THE LOAD OR ANCHOR POINT AND THE WINCH.
SERIOUS INJURY COULD OCCUR, IF THE CABLE
BREAKS.
3. Step clear of the winch and winch cable area. Use
the remote control switch and power-out the cable
until the boat is completely unloaded.
4. Remove the winch cable hook from the bow eye and
power-in the cable.
LOADING
To load the boat, follow the outlined procedures.
1. Align the boat and trailer.
2. Power-out the winch cable and attach the winch
cable hook to the bow eye on the boat.
ALWAY STAND
CLEAR OF THE AREA
BETWEEN THE LOAD

– 5 –
P7040104AV MODEL 915
CABLE
FASTENER
COUNTERBORE
CABLE DRUM
INSERT
NEW
CABLE
2"
OR ANCHOR POINT AND THE WINCH. SERIOUS
INJURY COULD OCCUR, IF THE CABLE BREAKS.
3. Step clear of the winch and winch cable area. Use
the remote control switch and power-in the cable
until the boat hits the bow stop.
4. When the boat is fully loaded, secure the boat to the
trailer with tie-downs. It is not recommeded to use
the winch to hold the load because damage could
occur to the winch.
5. Remove the winch cable hook from the bow eye and
power-in the cable.
Maintenance
LUBRICATION
Once a year, the cable should be lubricated with
Whitmore’s Wire Rope Spray, WD40 or a similar prod-
uct. Spray the drum and the cable as the cable is being
wound. Remove the cover and lubricate the gears once
a year with a lithium base grease. Be careful not to get
grease on the clutch lining.
CABLE REPLACEMENT
To replace the cable, follow the outlined procedures.
Use an exact replacement Powerwinch cable. The
winch rating and cable strength are carefully matched.
Never replace the cable with rope.
ALWAYS UNPLUG THE WIRING HARNESS TO PRE-
VENT ACCIDENTAL STARTING BEFORE ATTEMPT-
ING TO INSTALL, SERVICE, RELOCATE OR PER-
FORM ANY MAINTENANCE.
1. Power-out the cable using the remote control device
and unplug the wiring harness.
2. Remove the two cover rods and the four cover
screws
3. Cut the old cable approximately 2” from the drum
and push the remaining cable and fastener through
the drum to remove (See Figure 3).
Figure 3 Cable Replacement
Operation (continued) Maintenance (continued)

– 6 –
P7040104AV MODEL 915
INNER
JAM NUT
OUTER
JAM NUT
1. Make sure a load is not attached to the winch.Locate
the jam nuts on the rear shaft on the left side of the
winch while facing the cable opening.
2. Loosen the outer jam nut and tighten the inner nut.
Turn the inner nut clockwise to increase the load
capacity or turn counterclockwise to decrease the
load capacity.The inner nut should be tight enough
to keep the load from slipping or creeping.
Do not overtighten the
inner nut. Overtighten-
ing the inner nut short-
ens the motor life.
3. Tighten the outer nut against the inner nut to secure
STORAGE
The winch cable must be lubricated before storing.
Lubricate the cable with Whitmore’s Wire Rope Spray,
WD40 or a similar product. Spray the drum and the
cable as the cable is being wound.
Technical Service and Replacement Parts
Information
For information regarding the opera tion or repair of
this product, please call AU: 1800-059-899 or NZ: 0800-876-526
and have the following information available:
• Model number
• Serial number
• Part number and description
Address correspondence to:
Maintenance (continued)
Figure 4 Brake Adjustment
4. Insert the new cable into the drum shaft hole at
the end opposite the counterbored end. Draw the
cable through the hole and out the counterbored
side of the shaft.
5. Push the cable through the fastener until the cable is
ush with the end of the fastener.
6. Crimp the fastener onto the cable and pull the cable
through the drum shaft until the fastener seats
inside the counterbore.
7. Install the cover, two cover rods and the four cover
screws and connect the wiring harness.
8. Power-in the cable with a light load to help wind the
cable straight into the drum.
LEVELWIND PLATE
When powering-in the cable, the motor will continue to
run for a few seconds after releasing the toggle switch
on the remote control device, especially without a load.
Be sure to allow for this. Do not let the cable hook go
into the winch and bend the level wind plate. When
winding the cable onto the drum with no load, keep the
cable taut (tight) going into the drum.
BRAKE ADJUSTMENT
The winch is equipped with a friction brake which holds
the load when the power is o. If the load creeps while
the power is o or if the brake slips while powering the
load in or out, the brake needs adjustment.
To adjust the brake, follow the outlined procedures and
refer to Figure 4.
Do not adjust the brake
with a load attached
to the winch. The load
could release and cause load damage or personal
injury.
Trail Com AU Limited
P O Box 7061
Dandenong, Melbourne
Victoria 3175
Trail Com Limited
P O Box 98-961
SAMC, Auckland
New Zealand
or

– 7 –
P7040104AV MODEL 915
1. Start checking the wiring at the battery. Bypass the
circuit breakers and test the winch. If the winch
operates, replace the circuit breakers.
2. Check the wiring insulation for worn or bare spots
that may be causing a short.
3. Check all connections for tightness.
1. Check the male connection at the end of the wir-
ing kit by using probe light across the two prongs
inside the plug. If the light illuminates, the wiring
is correct.
2. Remove the two cover connecting screws and rods
(See Figure 3) from the cover containing the female
socket. Plug the male socket into the female socket.
Use a probe light across the two connections on the
underside of the female socket. Replace the appro-
priate socket if the light does not illuminate. If the
light illuminates, check the switch and/or motor.
1. Test the switch by using a jumper wire to bypass the
switch. Keep fingers away from the winch mecha-
nism. If power gets to the motor, replace the switch.
If no power gets to the motor, replace the motor.
1. Adjust the brake (See brake adjustment section in
this manual).
2. Replace gears or clutch lining.
1. Disconnected or bad wiring or
bad circuit breakers.
2. Bad plug.
3. Bad switch or motor.
1. Jam nuts too loose.
2. Worn gears or clutch lining
SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSE (S) CORRECTIVE ACTION
Winch will not
operate.
Clutch does not
hold.
General Troubleshooting Guide

P7040104AV MODEL 915
Limited Warranty
A. This Limited Warranty is given by the Powerwinch Division of the
Scott Fetzer Company (the “Company”) to the original purchaser
(the “Purchaser”) of a Pow erwinch Prod uct (the “Product”) spec-
ied in this man ual. This Limited Warranty is not trans ferable to
any other party.
B. Responsibilities of the Company under this Limited Warranty:
1. Re pair or replace (at the discretion of the Company)
any part or parts of the Product found by the Compa-
ny to be defective within a two (2) year period from the
date of pur chase.
2. The Company will pay the transportation charge
for ship ment back to the Purchaser of any Product
received for legitimate War ranty repair.
C. Responsibilities of the Purchaser under this Limited War ranty:
1. Complete (fully and accurately) and return to the
Com pany, the Warranty card included in the box. Oth-
erwise, Purchaser will have to show dated proof of
purchase to qualify for service under the provisions of
the Limited Warranty.
2. Promptly notify the Seller or the Com pany of any claim
hereunder.
3. At the Option of the Company, return the Product to
the Company for inspection. Authoriza tion must be
given prior to any Prod uct re turn. Call the Company at
AU: 1800-059-899 / NZ: 0800 876-526 or write the
Company, for authorization and complete instructions
on how to return the Product directly to the Company.
4. Use reasonable care in maintenance, operation, use
and storage of the Product in accordance with the
All rights reserved. This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Powerwinch reserves the
right to alter specications on any product without notice.
instructions con tained in the Owner’s Manual.
5. Have Warranty work performed by a deal er or rep re-
sentative ap proved by the Company.
6. Except as noted in B.2., transportation charges are
the re sponsibility of the Purchas er.
D. This Limited Warranty covers:
1. Defects in workmanship or materials.
2. Any part or parts of the Product sold or manufactured
by the Company.
E. This Limited Warranty does not cover:
1. Any failure that results from improper installation of
the Product.
2. Any failure that results from accident, Purchas er’s
abuse, neglect, modication, improper maintenance,
or failure to operate and use the Product in accor-
dance with the instruc tions provided in the Owner’s
Manual sup plied with the Prod uct.
F. THERE IS NO OTHER EXPRESS WARRANTY. IMPLIED WAR-
RAN TIES, INCLUDING THOSE OF MER CHANT ABILITY AND
FIT NESS FOR A PAR TIC ULAR PUR POSE, ARE LIMITED TO
TWO (2) YEARS FROM DATE OF PUR CHASE. THIS IS THE
EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY AND
ALL IN CI DENTAL OR CONSE QUENTIAL DAMAGES OR
EXPENSES WHAT SO EVER IS EXCLUDED.
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied war-
ranty lasts, or do not allow exclusion or limitation of incidental or
conse quential dam ages, the above limitations may not apply to
you. This Limited Warranty gives you specic legal rights, and
you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
Trail Com AU Limited
Unit 5, 25-27 South Link
Dandenong, Melbourne
Victoria 3175
Trail Com Limited
15 Oak Road,
Manukau, Auckland
New Zealand
or