When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Before I spend a ton of money and have the truck hacked up...Lol, what are the legalities regarding installing a winch on your truck? I am considering having the Proud Rhino Stealth winch kit installed on my 2020 Defender (a Lucky 8 recommended installer will do it for me). In the process, the OEM crash bumper is removed and the Winch tray and brackets are installed in its place - effectively becoming the "front bumper/energy absorber" in a frontal impact (although it isn't designed to crumple or serve this purpose). Is this legal? Do you have to inform your insurance company? Do they care? Will airbags still work? Just curious...thanks!
The Land Rover OEM winch tray is designed to slide backwards in the event of a head-on collision through the use of slotted mounting bolt holes. I do not know if the Proud Rhino tray offers a similar capability.
The airbag accelerometers are not mounted in a location which is affected by the installation of the winch. So, I believe they will function with the winch in place.
Yep OEM mount also includes "crush cans" that are intended to behave the same way the crash bar does in terms of absorbing the energy of a frontal impact.
I went with the OEM Winch Mount (AU Spec BullBar) specifically because it was crash tested by Land Rover and it came with Defender specific wire harness, and other parts. The winch came with a specific wire harness to protect the electrical system from the high load a winch requires.
I went with the OEM Winch Mount (AU Spec BullBar) specifically because it was crash tested by Land Rover and it came with Defender specific wire harness, and other parts. The winch came with a specific wire harness to protect the electrical system from the high load a winch requires.
Yes, I watched Powerful UK’s videos on this and really liked that the design incorporated the crush cans and was OEM approved. I don’t necessarily like the complex wiring on the OEM version though. Did you have someone install the OEM one for you? Or did you tackle it yourself?
Yes, I watched Powerful UK’s videos on this and really liked that the design incorporated the crush cans and was OEM approved. I don’t necessarily like the complex wiring on the OEM version though. Did you have someone install the OEM one for you? Or did you tackle it yourself?
I did the install myself. I posed about it in this thread
It was straight forward but took a long time to complete, my local dealer quoted me 4 days of work.
Yes, I watched Powerful UK’s videos on this and really liked that the design incorporated the crush cans and was OEM approved. I don’t necessarily like the complex wiring on the OEM version though. Did you have someone install the OEM one for you? Or did you tackle it yourself?
I think a few of us that have tackled the OEM setup install have avoided the complex and risky wiring part and gone the power isolator route that @2oolander used (in my case the idea of splicing main harness wires was no-no from the get go). As for all the cutting, it’s a matter of patience and having the right tools for the job. Personally, I trust myself way more than a dealer in terms of doing a thorough and high quality job.
I think a few of us that have tackled the OEM setup install have avoided the complex and risky wiring part and gone the power isolator route that @2oolander used (in my case the idea of splicing main harness wires was no-no from the get go). As for all the cutting, it’s a matter of patience and having the right tools for the job. Personally, I trust myself way more than a dealer in terms of doing a thorough and high quality job.
love this. Thanks man, Are there any recommendations on a place to purchase the OEM winch setup for a descent price.
. Yeah, I was watching the videos and other than needing some time, it’s nuts and bolts and patience. I like the idea of simplifying the wiring rather than trying to splice into wiring harness. Thanks guys.
I got mine from Land Rover OEM parts (https://landrover.oempartsonline.com/). They are my go to place for parts and usually have the best price. I just checked and the whole setup (sans the OEM harness - which isn't needed if you go the isolator route - and the actual winch, which I got on sale from another place) meant ordering three different parts:
VPLEP0490 Mounting Bracket
VPLEP0431 Crush Cans
VPLEP0428 Protection Bar
I got mine from Land Rover OEM parts (https://landrover.oempartsonline.com/). They are my go to place for parts and usually have the best price. I just checked and the whole setup (sans the OEM harness - which isn't needed if you go the isolator route - and the actual winch, which I got on sale from another place) meant ordering three different parts:
VPLEP0490 Mounting Bracket
VPLEP0431 Crush Cans
VPLEP0428 Protection Bar
Do you have air or coil suspension?
I have air suspension.
is the Protection Bar also referred to as the A-Bar? (I put in the part number on Land Rover OEM parts , but there was no image so I couldn’t see what it looked like. But I know what the A-Bar is)
