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ProMark Offroad Blog

ATV Riding with the Family

ATV rides bring the whole family together and provide a natural way to teach safety and responsibility to your kids.

Sportsman ATV and ProMark Offroad WinchA lot of ATV fans out there like to ride with the whole family. Riding ATVs gets everybody outdoors and having fun together. But how do you know if your kids are ready to handle an ATV, and how can you make sure they’re safe when that time comes?

Kids mature at different rates, so it’s up to you as a parent or guardian to decide when your child is ready to ride. Even when your kids become experienced riders, they still require supervision. Even youth who demonstrate good judgment most of the time can let responsibility slide and take risks that compromise their safety.

Riding in a group is a basic safety rule for any ATV rider, no matter what age. Riders who stick together can help each other get out of trouble, or go for help if needed.

Check for youth safety training programs offered in your area. Your kids will get to meet other riders their age and learn important safety rules and environmental responsibilities. Most ATV safety courses include how to inspect your off-road vehicle before each ride, how to ride in a variety of conditions, and how to negotiate different terrain. They’ll also get the scoop on local regulations on ATV use, basic safety gear, and the best trails to ride in the area.

Choose an ATV that fits your child. An ATV that’s too big or powerful can be dangerous if the child is not big enough or strong enough to handle it. Make sure the child can reach the controls easily. Always make sure your child wears a helmet when riding. The helmet should have a snug fit and be fastened securely. A good pair of boots, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt also help to protect riders from tree branches, rocks, or other hazards on the trail.

ATVs are a great way for families to ride and play together and for kids to learn safety and responsibility while spending time enjoying the outdoors.

ProMark 3000 lb Winch Installation by ATV Fan

We recently picked up a 3000 lb Gorilla [now ProMark] winch to replace an aging Warn 2500 on our grizzly. The price simply can’t be beat, so we were curious to see if it would hold up under serious use/abuse. Subsequent articles will focus on performance during our ongoing field tests, but this first piece of the three-part series will cover installation.

Installation

Winch Parts

Winch Parts

Looking in the box, we were immediately surprised at the amount of hardware. One of the first things we noticed while unpacking was the inclusion of a contactor. After a cursory look at the directions, we were quickly able to get to work on the install.

Winch Mounted on ATV

Winch Mounted on ATV

The first thing you will need to do is mount the winch. If this is your first winch, you’ll need to get a mounting plate. Since we had our trusty Warn already installed, we just reused that plate. This is the easiest part of the install. We removed our front skid plate to access the mounting holes and bolted it on.

Winch Contactor

Winch Contactor

The next step is to mount the contactor. ProMark really gives you some flexibility when installing these other components. I am sure a large part of this is to allow it to fit on many ATV models. Deciding where to mount the contactor is the first step. They recommend close to the battery in a clean and dry location. A typical location would be under the seat or your rear storage box. Not wanting to lose any space in our storage box, we decided to mount it upside down from the top near the back of our storage box. The only disadvantage to this placement is the visibility of the bolts. To our dismay, the shiny new bolts really seem to stick out. Despite that, the mounting is very simple. Drill four holes and bolt it on.

Thumb Switch

Thumb Switch

Next you will need to install the switch to the left side of your handle bars. Here again you have some flexibility where and how to mount it. Just be careful not to mount it over any wires or hoses. The switch does come pre-assembled, but it’s not exactly in an ideal configuration for every situation. You will likely want to use some of the other washers to get a tight fit. We opted to mount the switch just above our other switches.

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Wiring is the most difficult part of the installation, but even this is not terribly difficult. Wires run from the battery to the contactor, and to the winch. Make sure you route these so they are out of your way. We tried to run them in parallel with other wires already on the ATV. You also need to run the wires from the switch to the contactor. The last thing to do is to splice final switch wire into the key controlled ignition wire. We opted to overlook this last step. Instead we extended this wire to the positive terminal on the battery. This allows us to run the winch even if the ATV is off. It also made for a cleaner installation since we did not splice into our factory wiring. We can’t really recommend splicing into the OEM wires, especially with the non-sealed “trailer” splices they suggest, as there is some risk of corrosion by splicing the wiring in this way. They do make waterproof wire splices which are encased in gel. These, along with something heat shrink-wrapped could provide an adequate solution if someone wanted to wire the switch to the ignition.

Final thoughts

Winch Wiring

Winch Wiring

The main improvement we would like to see is a better, more detailed instruction pamphlet. The instructions were often unclear, and the print quality left a lot to be desired. One possible solution is to visit their website and look at the more detailed PDF. We also got quite a bit of “extra” hardware that we didn’t use. As long as everything works, we’re not likely to complain.

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Overall, installing this new ProMark winch was fairly easy. A semi-technical person with a little experience and the right tools can expect to finish it in just a couple of hours.

Winch Review Credits

This winch review was originally published as “Installing a Gorilla Winch (part 1)” on ATVFan.com. Article written by Dustin Tenney and Jacob Stock.

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Can the ProMark Winch Survive a Summer of Punishment?

3000 lb Winch Review by ATV Fan

We have had our 3,000 lb Gorilla [now ProMark] winch on our Grizzly all summer long, and it has endured some serious punishment. Our goal was to see if this bargain-price winch could really compare to the more expensive and well-known competition. During our tests, we’ve been buried in both snow and mud, which leads us to the obvious questions. Could this winch save the day, and was it really waterproof?

First impressions

We first installed the ProMark winch in early Spring, just after experiencing a classic late-season Minnesota snowstorm. Piles of wet, heavy snow gave us ample opportunity to test our new rig, and we were quickly mired in a monstrous snowbank. It was finally time to see the bargain winch in action. While it ultimately proved itself powerful enough, the short story is that we were unable to get out of the thick snow using the winch alone. We hooked it to my 5,000 lb S10, but the poor Grizzly didn’t budge. The winch did, however, manage the equally impressive feat of dragging the truck. Needless to say, in most situations, the ProMark winch is a highly capable machine.

More challenges

We have had our grizzly stuck in the mud, hung up on logs, and buried to the seat. In every case the mighty ProMark pulled us out with no problems. Even when the winch was under water or mud it pulled us out. The synthetic rope made all these situations much easier. It is simply more manageable than the steel cable, and contrary to prior belief, it held up well despite the conditions and repeated abuse. Our only real concern after numerous uses is where the rope connects to the hook. Even so, with the low price of replacement, I think it is a nice upgrade over the steel cable.

Final thoughts

Popular wisdom states that “you get what you pay for,” but that may not apply in this particular case. We replaced a Warn 2500 that served us well, but after a long, tough summer, the cheaper ProMark has proven that it is ready to challenge the industry leaders. The big advantage for ProMark of course is the price. If you want to save money and get great performance and above-average reliability, the ProMark delivers. We are continuing a longer term test of this winch, heaping on the punishment. Will it continue to survive? Stay tuned to find out.

Winch Review Credits

This article was originally published as “Can the Gorilla Survive a Summer of Punishment?” by ATV Fan. Article written by Dustin Tenney.

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Winch Controls for ATV and Recovery Winches

Find the best winch control for your ATV or recovery winch.

The ideal winch control setup includes a combination of two controls: 1) interior and corded or 2) interior and wireless. Here’s an overview of the three types of winch controls for off road use.

• Interior Winch Rocker Switch

thumb_switch_smallA handlebar rocker switch or in-cab switch lets you control the winch and give the stuck vehicle some gas at the same time. This is especially helpful if you are trying to winch out by yourself. One of the added benefits of an interior winch control if you have a closed cab is that you can stay warm and dry as you operate your winch.

Interior winch controls are convenient, but they have their downside as well. From behind the wheel, you can’t watch the cable as it stacks on the drum. You won’t be able to see if the cable is piling up on one side or if it’s rubbing on something.

Another downside is safety. Sitting in line with the cable as you winch leaves you vulnerable. A snapped steel cable can cause serious injury and even smash through your windshield. Don’t assume your vehicle will protect you if your cable breaks.

Low-impact pulls place less strain on your cable, making it safer to control the winch from inside your vehicle. However, no matter which control you use to operate your winch, keep your eye on the cable the entire time so that if it snaps, you can get out of the way as quickly as possible.

• Corded Winch Remote Control

corded_remote_smallA corded winch remote gives you greater flexibility in where you stand as you operate your winch. Most corded winch controls are 12 feet in length, so you can winch from a distance but still keep an eye on the entire winching process, including your cable as it stacks on the drum.

If you see the cable start to stack up on one side, you can stop the winching process and respool the cable correctly to prevent damage. The downside of a corded winch remote? You’re restricted by the length of the cord.

• Wireless Winch Remote Control

wireless_remote_smallA wireless winch remote allows you to stand even further away from the cable for safety but still keep an eye on the cable stacking and the winching process. Wireless also means you don’t have to deal with a cord getting in your way.

Most wireless winch controls are compact and fit on your keychain, so you don’t have to worry about losing it. Wireless winch remotes depend on batteries, so bring extra batteries along when you’re out on the trail.

Winch Contactors

contactorWhat is a winch contactor?
The contactor is an electromagnetic switch that controls the power to the motor. Different winch manufacturers use different terms for a contactor. Solenoid, control box, breaker, and relay all refer to the contactor.

What’s it do?
The winch contactor is similar to a fuse box or circuit breaker in that it acts as a safety mechanism to prevent damage to the motor. It’s designed to break the circuit if the motor gets too hot.

How’s it work?
The contactor is designed to mimic the heating properties of the motor by heating up to the same degree and at the same rate as the motor. If the motor reaches its critical temperature, the overload circuit will trip, cutting off power to the motor. The contactor also cools at the same rate as the motor, so after the motor has a chance to cool off, the contactor will allow power to reach the motor again. To prevent the contactor from kicking into overload protection, give the motor a rest if you are winching over long distances or under a heavier load than usual.

Hauling Your ATV Luggage

ATV bagIf you use your ATV for hunting or fishing or if you go on overnight trips, you’re going to need space to store your gear on your quad. Backpacks may be fine for shorter trips with light gear, but they can get uncomfortable after just a few hours. They may also shift around while you’re riding and throw off your center of balance. Plus it won’t give you near enough room to store all your cargo for a hunting, fishing, or camping trip.

An ATV rack or bag is a great way to stash your luggage and secure it on your quad without it getting in your way. An ATV bag keeps your equipment dry in the rain and protects it from the water and mud kicked up by your vehicle and other vehicles around you. The padded interior insulates your gear over rough terrain, and the flexible material allows you to strap the cargo bag tight to your quad or rack, keeping your stuff from shifting and banging around.

drop_basket_smallAn ATV rear rack comes in handy on long trips, giving you a place to store a cooler, gas can, and hunting, fishing, or camping gear. A quad rack gives you the flexibility to strap in bulky equipment that won’t fit neatly into a bag.

Make sure that your luggage is evenly balanced and strapped down securely on your ATV rack. Check the maximum rear weight capacity for your quad in your manual, and don’t exceed this capacity.

Get a Grip with ATV Tire Chains

Ride through the winter with ATV snow chains.

ATV tire chainsIf you plow snow with your quad or go ice fishing with your off road vehicle, no doubt you’ve done your share of slipping and sliding. That is, unless you’ve got a set of heavy duty 4×4 chains on your quad tires.

ATV tire chains, or snow chains, give you better traction and control so you can get in and out of snow or ice-packed terrain. ATV chains bite into snow and ice so your tires can grip the surface without slipping or spinning.

V-bar chains get superior performance out of your 4×4 tires in snow, ice, and slush. They also provide extra traction for mud and hills, although they’re not recommended for use with mud tires or tires with deep lugs.

To get the best fit, check your tire size before buying tire chains for your ATV. You’ll want a secure fit to keep your chains from shifting or from slipping off your tires.

Some ATV chains are designed to fit a specific range of tire sizes. This means that if your tires are in the low end of that range, you may need to modify the chain size to get a better fit.

You can cut the chains with bolt cutters or zip tie the extra chain links to custom fit the chains to your quad tires. Even tire-specific ATV chains can get a better fit if you zip tie any slack in the chains or use a bungee cord to secure the chains in place.

Choosing an ATV or Recovery Winch

It’s important to consider these basic factors when choosing a winch for your off-road vehicle.

What size winch do you need?

To find the minimum rated line pull needed for your vehicle, multiply the vehicle weight by 1.5. Note that this number is only the minimum weight capacity you will need. Depending on the type of terrain you intend to cover and how you plan to use your ATV or recovery winch, you may need a higher rating capacity. Choose a winch that can handle the demands it will be up against.

Also note that the winch rating applies to a pull with only one layer of cable left on the drum. So the less line you spool out, the less power you will get. Make sure your battery and alternator are powerful enough to deal with the extra strain of winching, or you may need to think about upgrading these as well. The bigger the winch, the more power it will require and the more weight it will add to your vehicle.

What’s your budget?

Decide which features you need in a winch. Do you ride in or near water? Invest in a waterproof winch. Study the pros and cons of synthetic and steel cable, and decide which will work best for you. If you plan to operate the winch away from the recovery vehicle, another option to consider is a remote control, either corded or wireless.

Don’t forget to compare the included accessories for different winches. You can cut down on hidden costs by adding up how much the winch will cost together with all additional accessories, a model-specific winch mount, and shipping charges.

What about warranties and replacement parts?

A winch is an expensive investment. Get the best warranty possible. Make sure you’re covered in case something goes wrong. Also make sure that replacement parts are available for the winch you buy so you’re not stuck buying a new winch because you can’t find the right parts.

3000lb XT Series

3000lb XT Series