Before You Install Your New Winch

Please make sure your battery is in good condition and no smaller than 760CCA. Using a battery smaller than this could cause damage to your winch motor or solenoid and void your warranty.

If you have purchased an EWB9500-Q EVO or any of our bigger winches 15000lb and up, you will require a main battery with a minimum of 1000CCA.

For gearbox rotation guides for you specific winch, please go to www.runvawinch.com.au and look in the support tab for rotation guides.

Your winch motor has clearly marked colour coded insulators on all the terminals for easy wiring. Simply attach the corresponding colour leads to the corresponding terminals. The two longer 1.8M leads supplied are your main power leads. The long red power lead that runs from the control box connects to one of the terminals on the isolator switch. The long black lead is your earth from the motor to your main battery.

Make sure you connect the earth lead from the winch motor directly to the negative terminal on your vehicle battery. (Connecting it to the chassis instead of to the battery could cause damage to your winch motor or solenoid and void your warranty). IF you have a smart alternator or vehicle which does not allow the winch being connected directly to the negative terminal on the battery, the winch earth lead will need to be bolted to the battery earth on the chassis instead of directly to the battery itself. The thin black cable from the control box attaches to the earth terminal on the winch.

The winch package you received is supplied with a power isolating switch and easy to use mounting bracket. With the main red power cable now attached to one of the terminals on the isolator (as described on point 4), the shorter 30cm power lead connects to the other terminal on the isolator and then to the battery positive terminal. With the key in and turned to the ON position, the power to the winch is live. When the key is turned to the off position all power is cut off.

When installing your isolator, make sure it is in the off position and (if applicable) remove the isolator key until you are ready to use your winch.

If you have an EXPEDITION series winch, the isolator and key are a single unit with a non-removeable dial. Always make sure the isolator is in the OFF position unless using the winch.

All other models have a removeable isolator key. When not using the winch, always remove the key and store in your vehicle.

Failure to leave your isolator in the OFF position unless using the winch may result in the winch operating without intention. This may result in damage to your winch and/or vehicle and this will not be covered under warranty.

Once you’ve installed your Runva, unspool the rope completely from the drum and ensure there is tension on the grub screw where the rope goes into the drum.

Once this is all secure, put light tension on the rope and run the winch in, spooling evenly across the drum until you have 1 full layer of rope on.

After spooling a layer onto the drum, place full tension on the winch rope and winch in, making sure to evenly layer and guide the rope on until your rope is all back on the winch.

Once your winch is fitted and wired, it is ready for use. You can power your winch either by the plug in handheld remote or the wireless remote. Every recovery is different and all recoveries have the potential to be extremely dangerous. There is no manual on "how to do a recovery" for this exact reason as no two recoveries would be the same. You will need to understand basic recovery techniques in order to safely use your winch. If you are new to the 4X4 world joining a club would be useful to learn all the skills. There are also many videos you can watch which go the over using of a winch and recovery techniques in different scenarios. There are also plenty of training courses you can attend to further your 4wd and recovery knowledge.

You can find a maintenance guide on our website under the SUPPORT tab which goes through what maintenance should be done and at what intervals they should be

done at. In order to maintain your warranty validity, you must maintain your winch as per our guide.

You can replace your power leads with longer ones if required for your setup. Make sure to also increase the diameter of the lead to avoid damaging your winch due to potential voltage drop.

If you choose to hide your control box, a remote extension plug is available on our website so you can still use your handheld remote

Your standard winches are supplied with 1 bracket to mount your control box to your bullbar or inside the engine bay of your vehicle.

Your premium winches are supplied with 2 control box mounting bracket systems. 1 for mounting the control box on top of the winch in 2 different positions, and the other is a winch bar angled mounting bracket.

Your expedition range are supplied with 3 separate brackets for mounting over the drum, over the motor, and the V-bracket for mounting the control box remotely.

Your winch rope is secured into the drum with an aluminium crimp. This crimp is held in place with a grub screw. If you are walking the rope out make sure not to pull it all the way out with too much force as this could cause the rope to separate from the crimp. (They are well secured but with enough force it will come out) If you are taking the rope off for any reason, don’t forget to undo the grub screw first before trying to pull the crimp out of the drum. (This applies to synthetic rope and also steel cable). When using the winch, a minimum of 1 full layer of cable/rope must remain on the drum at all times.

Where is my wireless remote controller?

This is tied to the control box inside the wrapping.

Can I rotate my gearbox?

Yes you can. Go to www.runvawinch.com.au and you’ll find the gearbox rotation guide for your winch there.

Can I rotate my motor?

Yes you can. Remove bolts that hold the motor onto the main bracket. Rotate and re-fit.

Can I rotate my winch 180 degrees as this will suit my fitment better?

Yes you can. You MUST unspool all of the rope and feed it onto the drum in the opposite direction as before. The rope will now feed over the top of the drum rather than from the bottom. (The standard fitment position is having the motor on the left and gearbox on the right when looking at the winch front on). Follow the arrow direction on your winch. Failure to change the rope direction will likely damage your winch and void your warranty.

How do I install the winch on my winch bar?

Please refer back to your barwork manufacturer for instructions on fitting this winch into your bar if you are unsure. If you do not have the manual, the winch bar manufacturer should be able to assist you. We also have a basic generic install video you can find on the Runva YouTube page as well: https://www.youtube.com/@runvawinches
For more Frequently Asked Questions