Power Winch Screaming

[Meeks]

Hi Folks,
There is a second issue with my new Rockwood Premier 2516G. The power winch screams! The dealer tech thinks it is a bad motor (Carefree of Colorado). We each greased the gears to no avail. I read online to pack the casing with grease but I don't even see a casing to pack so I wonder if it is even the same winch.
Do you think a bad motor would cause this noise?
Hoping to leave Tuesday and wondering what my best course of action might be. I will call Carefree of Colorado in the morning to see about them shipping me a new motor that I could install but it seems they might not stock parts from what I've read online (the dealer has to go through Forest River which apparently will take 8-10 days).
Thoughts?
Thanks again!

[f5moab]

Only thing I know is if you remove the bypass plug on the cover (to hand crank the winch if the motor fails), it should be packed in that location with grease.

From Powerwinch owner's manual...
Lubricate the worm drive and gear at
the beginning of every camping season
or every three months if the camper is
used once per month. Use only
extreme-pressure lithium complex
grease with a thickness rating of NLGI
#2. The recommended grease for
lubricating the gears is MPC PL10
Power Lift Grease TM.
 Pack the gear cover full of grease
making sure there is grease on all
sides of the gear cover.
NOTE: Under heavy use, there may be some minor smoking from the gears.
Heavy gear smoke or loud winch vibration may be an indication of a serious
problem that should be examined by a trained service technician.


Make sure to carry a socket, short extension and a power drill, just in case the motor fails. You do not want to try and crank it up by hand, it is something like 3000 revs of the nut to 1 inch rise (not sure, but it is extreme). A power drill will do it in about three minutes.

[Trevor43]

Your new 2516g does not have that motor any more where you need to pack that with grease for the worm gear. I have the same camper. It's a bigger motor now with really nothing to service with grease.......I still sprayed mine with T-9 before putting the cover back on. Have you pumped the lifting system with grease on the bottom of the camper?

[Meeks]

Thank you both for your responses. Feels a lot less lonely when others help with a problem!

I called Carefree of Colorado and it is true that it apparently is a very new motor that is not packed with grease for the worm gear. Interesting. Trying to get a new one ASAP and hoping that fixes the "scream".

Thanks again for your help!

[f5moab]

Report back on this new motor. Might need one in the future.

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by f5moab

Report back on this new motor. Might need one in the future.

Will do. If for some reason I forget (since we are heading out for our trip on Tuesday) ping me to remind me!

[Meeks]

Maybe I'm hearing sensitive...in fact, I know I am!

I got the replacement motor and it was just as quiet as the original. The noise is when everything else is moving to raise the camper top! I still haven't figured out if that is just the way "it is" or if something is amiss. I used a sound deadening material inside the plastic housing and on much of the metal surrounding the motor to deaden the sound and that helped some.

Oh, well, there's the update!

[f5moab]

Could the sound be coming from the cables, underneath the trailer, where they go through the tracks?

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by f5moab

Could the sound be coming from the cables, underneath the trailer, where they go through the tracks?

That's a possibility. I'll check it out. Thanks!

[cousin_eddie]

We just got a 2514g, and our winch is really loud as well. Our dealer told us it was normal, but I didn't really buy it until I heard another one doing the same thing. Checked mine over and there wasn't really anything wrong with it.

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by cousin_eddie

We just got a 2514g, and our winch is really loud as well. Our dealer told us it was normal, but I didn't really buy it until I heard another one doing the same thing. Checked mine over and there wasn't really anything wrong with it.

Good to hear that I'm not the only one! Thanks for letting me know. Being new to the whole trailer scene (coming from tents) it sounds really loud to me!

I'm going to do a new post/thread asking folks about manual winches as it sure would be nice to not have the noise of the electric winch. I don't know how I could leave early in the morning from a campground and not feel badly about waking people up with that darn winch noise/racket!

[Trevor43]

My 2012 24516g had the worm drive.......My 2014 2516g has the newer lift motor and I can tell you it is a bit louder but it is also faster compared to the earlier model. It raises the top in under 30 secs. I can live with sound for that amount of time.

[Meeks]

Originally Posted by Trevor43

My 2012 24516g had the worm drive.......My 2014 2516g has the newer lift motor and I can tell you it is a bit louder but it is also faster compared to the earlier model. It raises the top in under 30 secs. I can live with sound for that amount of time.

It's true, 30 seconds is not very long! I just cringe when all I can hear, before operating the winch, are birds that early in the morning !

Thanks for letting me know about both of your winches.