Winch with integrated lighting, and associated systems and methods

A winch with integrated lighting, comprising:

• a frame;
• a cable drum rotatably supported by the frame;
• a drive motor operatively connected to the cable drum;
• and
• an electrical module, including:
• a housing;
• first and second end caps coupled to the housing;
• an elongate light guide mounted to the housing between the housing and the cable drum;
• and
• one or more drum light sources connected to the elongate light guide wherein the one or more drum light sources illuminate at least a portion of the cable drum thereby allowing a user to see in a low light condition, interaction between a cable or a rope and the cable drum without requiring another light source to illuminate the at least one portion of the cable drum.

A winch with integrated lighting, comprising:

• a frame;
• a cable drum rotatably supported by the frame;
• a drive motor operatively connected to the cable drum;
• and
• an electrical module, including:
• an elongate light guide having one or more sockets extending from the light guide;
• one or more drum light sources each positioned in a corresponding socket;
• a housing including a groove corresponding to the elongate light guide and one or more apertures positioned in the groove to receive a corresponding socket to retain the light guide in the groove;
• an auxiliary power port carried by the electrical module;
• and
• a power port light source carried by the electrical module to illuminate at least a portion of the power port.

A method of illuminating a winch, the method comprising:

• a) providing the winch comprising:
• a frame;
• a cable drum rotatably supported by the frame;
• a drive motor operatively connected to the cable drum;
• an electrical module carried by the frame;
• and one or more light sources carried by the electrical module to illuminate at least a portion of the cable drum;
• b) positioning the one or more light sources on the winch;
• directing light emitted by the one or more light sources to illuminate at least a portion of a cable drum carried by the winch thereby allowing a user to see in a low light condition, interaction between a cable or a rope and the cable drum without requiring another light source to illuminate the at least a portion of the cable drum.