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Ramsey Patriot Profile 12,000
By Jack Brinks

Winch Installation
Winch installation starts with installing the roller fairlead. Bolt it to the winch channel before the winch, with the chamfered corner to the lower driver’s side of the channel. Also, it will be a lot easier if you hook up the winch solenoid box ground wire to the winch before bolting it down to the channel.

Bolt down the winch using the supplied bolts and mount the solenoid box with the bracket supplied, or you can mount the box remotely. Carefully run the battery cables to the battery. Since the Dodge Diesel comes with 2 batteries, I chose the one on the right, since it was closer. (Also, though the winch installation kit comes with a short length of cable protector, I suggest buying at least 6 feet more for extra security against the cables shorting out on a sharp corner). Finally, run the winch cable through the roller fairlead, install the cable hook, and the hook strap.

 

Wireless Remote Installation

Have you ever looked under the hood of a new Dodge Diesel Pickup? The wireless remote installation instructions want you to mount the receiver box on a vertical metal surface near a ground stud. Good luck! After searching for quite some time for a suitable location, I finally decided to go to Plan B, which was to wire tie the box to a wiring loom behind the driver’s side battery. There just wasn’t any flat metal space available!

Make sure that the box is as vertical as possible, with the wires pointing down. Also, I had to lengthen the ground wire a few inches to be able to attach it to a nearby ground stud. (The installation instructions caution you to not do this, stating it could affect remote operation, but I had no choice. So far, it seems to not be a problem.

I mounted the magnetic antenna to a small spot of metal on the firewall and routed the receiver to solenoid box cable over the radiator and down through the core support to the solenoid box, using tie wraps to secure it well.

Pre-Testing

I enjoy installing new parts, but nothing beats going out to play with a new “toy”! Not that this big winch is any kind of toy.

We headed to Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area (BMRA) in east Texas to wring the Patriot 12,000 out a bit, but first things first. Always re-wrap the winch cable under a relatively light load before using the winch. If you don’t, you are almost guaranteed to pinch the cable and potentially weaken it considerably. All I did was find a relatively flat piece of ground, attach a tree-saver to a convenient tree, hook up the cable, set the clutch drum to free-wheel, and carefully backed the truck up until there was about one-half of a wrap left on the drum. Lock in the drum and use the new Ramsey Wireless Remote to winch the truck up to the tree. It helps to have an assistant turn the wheels slightly to allow the cable to wrap up neatly side-to-side.

 

Testing
Unfortunately, only a few of the trails at BMRA are friendly to full-size trucks unless you don’t care about body damage. Therefore, an opportunity to get the truck stuck didn’t avail itself on this trip. But, we did find a Jeep to test out the new Ramsey Patriot Profile 12,000 on. As you might expect, this pull was a no-brainer, given the heavyweight Dodge truck, the comparatively light weight Jeep, and the capability of this winch. The winch performed flawlessly, and the ability of this winch to allow spooling up the last few feet of cable with the clutch drum un-locked is a definite safety feature!

As I stated earlier, I really like the Ramsey Wireless Remote. The convenience of this accessory is awesome, allowing versatility you just can’t get out of a wired remote. You can stand just about anywhere, as long as you’re close enough to see what’s going on, of course! It’s much easier to direct a recovery without having to worry about where the wire is. Ramsey makes versions to fit Warn & Superwinch winches as well.

The Results
There’s no doubt that this winch will live up to its heritage. Ramsey has been making winches for over 60 years, and the Patriot Profile 12,000 is another fine example of their attention to quality. If you think this winch is for you, visit Ramsey on-line at www.ramsey.com or give ‘em a call at 800-777-2760. You won’t be disappointed!

For more information on Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area and Texas Motorized Trails Coalition, check them out at www.texasmotorizedtrails.com.