Corroded RS12000 winch wiring and terminals with rust, burnt cab…

Weatherproof Automotive Enclosures

They just AREN'T.

This is what you get with those pretty colored rubber boots over the ends of the wires, hiding the stack of nuts on the motor terminals; and the spiffy black plastic box with the high-tech seals around each wire passing through; and the neato multi-pin sealed connector for the remote; and the wireless receiver tucked inside...

Every single drop of rain that ever leaked inside (and it DOES get inside) stayed there forever. It never drained out; it never dried out; it just soaked into everything and corroded the hell out of it until it was right on the verge of catching fire when it was really needed.

It would have been MUCH more-durable if all of this had been left exposed so that the rain could run off & dry up without doing all this damage. A little PAINT or electrical grease (not conductive grease, or dielectric grease, or thermal grease) would have kept the connections in good condition MUCH longer.

This is why factory underhood fuse & relay boxes are vented, and have many drains. It's also why cheap winches (& other tools) are so much more expensive than GOOD ones.

Owner caption September 2016 · Photo 0 of 5000