131unlimited

Thanks very much for finding this !!! I have the 5.0 - so I'll be getting this.

ronemca

It's worth noting what the little birdie said. He coughed or sneezed or something at the moment he began to speak - it was odd how the noise he made sounded alot like the word: SWARFWORKS, but it could have just been a trick of the wind (we were outside at the time) :shrug: Anyway - he said:

"a modified-for-2018/2019 hidden tray is being proofed right now, and should be available soon."

So...for those who listen to little birdies, take that as you may.

Opus-n-Bill

So looks like there are 3 options for 15+ trucks (for v8 or eco with relocated intercooler):

Rough Country: $250
SDHQ: $430
Swarfworks: $549

RC claims to support up to 2019 (though I wonder if they don't know that '18-'19 are different, or if their design isn't affected by the difference...), Swarfworks apparently will have one real soon now (but only claims to support Raptors), have not heard anything for SDHQ past '17.

The RC mount seems to be the most economical and universal, but is it missing something extra that has to be bought? When I chatted with RC, they said this was all that was needed. I'm curious why the RC is half the price or better of the others.

I can't figure out from the picture how the winch mounts on the Rough Country - it almost looks like the winch would have to be mounted with the front facing up bolted with the bottom of the winch pointing toward the front of the truck. Can a winch be mounted that way? Looking at this pic of a Smittybuilt from Amazon, looks like the bottom is open, so maybe it can, but seems like there wouldn't be anything to shield it from stuff kicked up from the road:




Looking at the RC install instructions PDF, it's missing most of the pictures, to see how it's installed, but here's the winch mount itself:

ronemca

According to the Swarfworks video, winches operate with equal happiness if they are mounted feet-rearward...feet down...or feet-forward. My winch guru agrees with that. And - based upon that pic from RC - a winch will be mounted feet-forward on their tray.

As long as there’s space for the part(s) that would normally be on top...I don’t see why it wouldn’t be just fine.

RLXXI

Don't know about the newer trucks but 09-14 have a rubber shield that attaches to the bottom of the radiator support forward to the bumper creating a block, even if it didn't have that I seriously doubt anything would damage the winch any more than it would the radiator.

Hard to see in this pic but the shield drops down and goes under the plate and every winch I've ever operated the spool was wide open all the way around, the only care that needs to be taken when mounting is where the load will be coming from, that's where you place the fairlead.

EDIT: Care should be taken to note where the spool clutch lever is located so it can be easily accessed to allow the cable to be pulled out by hand as fast as you like to get to the load or anchor point. Pulling it out in reverse power is ok but painfully slow if you have a distance to cover to get to that load/anchor point.



I have 0 (zero) complaints with my RC mount. It simply works and iirc I paid the same price for it as this newer model one.
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specv510

iTrader: (1)

Don't flame me--I'm an off-roading novice and winch newbie! I'm in the same boat as Florida_F150, I don't want the added weight and bulk of a permanently mounted winch, but would like something portable. And I'd prefer it had the option to be mounted in the front as well as the hitch. Are there any options out there to do this? Would it be possible to mount a winch to steel plate and use shackles to attach that plate to the front tow hooks?

Opus-n-Bill

I believe some people have mounted a hitch receiver on the front of their truck and have the winch on a plate that goes into that. I guess one benefit is that you can then put it on the front or rear of the truck, as needed, but I always thought a hitch receiver facing forward was kind of odd looking. Guess it depends on how well you can hide it.

For those that permanently installed it up front, how much does that weight effect the level and handling of the truck, if at all? I'm guessing it's like having a small adult (around 150 lbs) permanently riding on your bumper.

RLXXI

My 12k winch is less than 84lbs. Not sure how much the mount weighs but it's considerably less, maybe 5lbs? Not a concern in any event. No noticeable drop in front end on stock springs.

Can't say what one winch brand from another might weigh.
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hybridtuner

iTrader: (5)

It’s awesome how many people are starting to look at this thread as it a topic that I tried to find information on last summer when I put a winch on my 16 3.5EB. After tons of research and not being able to get answers from a lot of manufacturers I took a leap of faith and ordered parts. The first attempt did not work because you have to have a certain intercooler piping from full race. You need the piping kit with the 45 degree bends where the pipe comes out of the intercooler. I know this to be a fact. Call Colin @ full race and ask him. He took great care of me when I had to send the original piping kit back. And get the one with the 45 degree bends. Both pipes will work on the truck but only one will clear an intercooler. After looking at all the winch mount options here are a few things I have discovered.

There are 3 options....maybe. None of them state on their website in print that they will work on ecoboost trucks. That’s the first disclaimer. They are all different prices and I can tell you they are all different quality.

Regardless of price here is how they all are

SDHQ made from 1/4” steel. Mounts the winch from a plate on the bottom of the frame rails and the fairlead from a separate plate on the front. Based on the mount from the bottom it positions the winch up very high so I really don’t see it working with an EB truck. Because it is 1/4” steel and the way it is made it is probably not super heavy. The feet of the winch mount down

Rough Country. Have no idea how thick it is but from the pictures it looks to be 1/4” steel. You can’t tell how the winch mounts up because the instructions don’t work. They say it will fit 15-19 V8 trucks only in print. I am not sure if it will clear a 18-19 bumper because of how high it looks like the winch mounts.

Swarfworks. Made from 3/8 steel. Everything is has gussets and is fully welded. It is not in multiple pieces. All of the hardware for it is better than the factory bolts. It weighs every bit of 70 pounds and the powder coat is solid. It mounts to the bottom of the frame rails where the tow hooks bolt and to the frame horns sandwiched between them and the bumper. It positions the winch feet first, upside down and tilted down at an angle that matches the factory skid plate and just has enough room to clear the intercooler piping. This using a Warn Zeon 12 S platinum winch. It says it is made for the Raptor only but will in fact fit a 15-17 and I will be mounting it soon on my 18.

Based on the lines of the 18-19 bumper and how they closely match the dip like the Raptor bumper I believe it will work (I might be completely wrong) or I will go back to the drawing board.

If you do do a hidden winch mount I would highly recommend getting a winch with a wireless clutch. Once the winch is in there it will be difficult to get to and I don’t think the clutch will even clear the intercooler piping on a EB truck. V8 guys you might be able to use it. With a skid plate up front (I highly recommend if you go hidden winch mount) I don’t see how you would be able to reach the clutch.

I hope all this info info helps everyone make the decision that works for them. I went with the Swarfworks mount because of the build quality, thickness of the material and the quality hardware used. Also not only does he print color instructions in very good detail and quality he made a YouTube video himself detailing how to mount it. Granted this is all for a Raptor and the instructions differ slightly on a non Raptor model but the basics are the same. In addition to all the above Swarfworks was the ONLY winch mount (based on my months of research) that works on an EB truck. Yes the Swarfworks is the most expensive one but I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. Also the winch will be used in recovery situations to pull myself or someone else out. The full size F150 is heavy and I wanted to be sure that what I was mounting my winch to would be able to stand the test of time. I am not in anyway sponsored by Swarfworks nor did I receive any discount on my mount. I simply am providing my facts and opinions to try and help everyone make an educated decision themselves.

I fully plan to post pictures as soon as i Mount it up on my new truck. I have the mount on my 16 fully documented if anyone wants pictures. Most of the pics you can see on my IG page linked in my signature. I will also be making a video at some point an time of both installs. Pleas let me know if you have any other questions. I am happy to answer any that I can.

overlandvehicleclub

Hello everyone, I'm Gonzalo from Overland Vehicle Club and I want to let you guys know I was able to fit the Rough Country hidden winch mount in my 2018 f150 with a 3.3 V6 (natural aspirated) engine after some modifications. Before I explain how this was done I want to point out I have tried contacting Rough country to explain that the claim it will fit a 2018 - 2019 F150 is wrong, as after the facelift the bumper dimensions have changed. They claim it will only fit V8 model however after looking at component locator I saw my V6 (natural aspirated) model had the same dimension as the V8 model, so after some research I saw no reason for this not to fit my F150 if it indeed fits the V8. They also claim it "will accommodate most winches on the market" for this particular setup, due to this claim I decided to do no wrong and bought their 12000lb winch with synthetic rope, well unfortunately things didn't work out as expected. When it came down to fitment, following installation instructions, first you have to mount the winch to the hidden winch mounting plate which was no problem and then you install it in the vehicle but unfortunately when trying to position hidden winch mount plate in position the trucks frame on the left side would collide with the casing motor for the winch itself not allowing for installation, I had to cut 1 inch and a half from the frames front bumper mounting surface on the left side to be able to properly bolt the plate assembly down. After installing the hidden winch mounting plate, I position the bumper into place and what a fitment, it was starting to look as it should but unfortunately when I tried to put the cover into position it was completely off and would not fit due to the cover being taller than the whole in the bumper, after cutting the steel cover several times I was able to fit the cover in place, I can't tell you exactly how much I cut off the cover plate but I can tell you to make sure to cut from the bottom and not from the top of the plate as you will damage the whole made for the winch cable extension connector mounting surface if you do. Also if you're doing this for you 2018 F150 and up do not follow the cutting instructions for the front bumper as you will leave a big gap from the bumper to the cover plate if you do, this hidden winch mounting plate will fit but you will need to cut some steel for that to happen.

I'm putting this out there not to criticize the design by Rough Country but to simply help people that want to install a hidden winch mount in their F150s. In fact I can't do more than to thank Rough Country for the dedication and effort they had to invest so we could have this item available for our F150s. Thank you all for taking the time to read this, Overland Vehicle Club wishes you all a great rest of the year.