How-To: Heavy Duty Winch/Bumper Installation

Warn 12,000-lb. winch in Road Armor HD bumper give Ram work trucks maximum pulling power and front-end protection

by Bruce W. Smith

Two primary safety and convenience accessories every heavy-duty pickup used in or around construction work should have is a heavy-duty winch and front bumper.

The winch will pay for itself the first time it’s needed to pull a pickup or piece of equipment out of a stuck situation, and the bumper will serve as a ready pulling point and protect the front sheet metal and grille from small run-ins.

Making the proper selection of a winch is the first step.

Our choice for this particular installation on a 2010 Ram 2500HD is the M12000 from the Warn Heavy Weight Series winches that are designed for use in demanding situations from fire/rescue to construction/contracting work.

Alvin Bordelon installing Warn M12000 in Road Armor bumper.

The M12000 has the pulling muscle for any 4×4 crew cab diesel.

For the bumper, well it’s tough to beat (or beat up!) the Road Armor Stealth bumper. Like the M12000, this bumper is stout and well-designed.

We left the installation in the hands of the professionals at Truck Supply & Outfitters in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, led by master Warn winch technician Alvin Bordelon.

The photo gallery below shows installation steps it takes to get a work truck set up to meet those unexpected off-pavement encounters that can cost time and money if you’re not prepared.

12,000-pound capacity Warn winch nestles nicely in Road Armor bumper on our 2010 Ram 2500 4x4.