Rick's giving away an entire rig, and the winch bolted to the front of it is the same one Murphy's sells you. A skid steer. A 36-foot trailer. A dually pickup. Thirty thousand dollars cash. That's the giveaway. Now look at what's actually mounted on the truck: a Warrior Gladiator winch, the exact line Rick reaches for when he's the one building the rig, not just selling it.
- Mid-episode, Rick describes a giveaway package: an SVL 97 skid steer on a 36-foot gooseneck trailer, towed by a 5500 RAM dually on 37-inch tires, plus $30,000 cash.
- His exact words on the winch: "this bad Larry's got a Warrior Gladiator winch on it just for sticky situations."
- Later in the same episode, Murphy's own 10,000 lb Gladiator Warrior winch shows up again, this time on a 50x multiplier store promo.
- Warrior Winches is Murphy's winch sponsor, and the Gladiator V2 line Murphy's sells is the same product, confirmed against warriorwinches.com's own listing.
- Both the 10,000 lb and 12,500 lb Gladiator V2 electric winches share the same fairlead, remote, and warranty. Only the rated pull and price change.
- This was a giveaway rig, not Rick's daily driver, but the winch choice still stands.
1. A skid steer, a trailer, a dually, and $30,000 cash
Partway through a longer episode, Rick stops to pitch a giveaway. Not a t-shirt. Not a hat. A full working rig. "It's an SVL 97 on a 36-ft gooseneck trailer with a 5500 RAM on 37-in tires." That's a real skid steer, a real 36-foot trailer to haul it, and a heavy-duty dually riding on 37s. Then comes the detail you're here for: "And this bad Larry's got a Warrior Gladiator winch on it just for sticky situations."
"It's an SVL 97 on a 36-ft gooseneck trailer with a 5500 RAM on 37-in tires. And this bad Larry's got a Warrior Gladiator winch on it just for sticky situations."Wrecker Rick, "Drug Mules Abandoned This In The Desert… It's Mine Now"
Now, let's be straight about what this actually is. It isn't Rick's own truck. It isn't the desert find the episode's title is about either. It's a giveaway: real, working equipment, handed to a subscriber, topped off with "this Bad Larry comes with $30,000 cash." Wild giveaway, however you slice it. But the distinction matters more than it sounds like it should. Rick isn't reviewing anything here. He's showing you what's already bolted to a rig a real person is about to depend on.
2. Why the winch choice on a giveaway rig means something
Think about it for a second. A giveaway truck still has to work. A skid steer and a 36-foot gooseneck aren't props for a photo; that's a real setup somebody's going to run on real job sites. When Rick says the winch is on there "just for sticky situations," he's not being modest. He's telling you he expects this truck to actually get stuck, or to actually pull something out.
Plain and simple: Warrior Winches is Murphy's winch sponsor, and the Gladiator line is what the store sells. So no, this isn't an independent review, and we're not going to dress it up as one. What it is: the winch is on a truck built to be worked, being handed to someone who will depend on it. And the relationship shows up again later in the same episode, on the store side this time: "we're doing 50 times multipliers on Stay Classy America hats, some wrecker Rick shades, and the 10,000 lb Gladiator Warrior winch." Same winch line, now a named store item on promotion.
"...we're doing 50 times multipliers on Stay Classy America hats, some wrecker Rick shades, and the 10,000 lb Gladiator Warrior winch."Wrecker Rick, store promo segment, same episode
3. Warrior Gladiator is not a third-party namecheck
Warrior Winches is Murphy's only winch sponsor, and the Gladiator line Murphy's sells is actual Warrior product, not a similar-sounding competitor wearing the same name. Checked directly against warriorwinches.com: the same two Gladiator V2 F-Type electric winches Murphy's carries, at 10,000 lb and 12,500 lb, are listed there under the identical product names and handles. Murphy's own product page for each one names the vendor as Warrior Winches USA. So when Rick says "Warrior Gladiator winch," he's naming the exact line the store stocks. Not a different product that happens to share a name.
That's the Warrior Gladiator winch Rick runs on the rigs he builds, the same line Murphy's stocks. Say this part precisely, though: it isn't "Murphy's Warrior winch," because Murphy's doesn't manufacture it. Murphy's sells it. Warrior makes it. Keep those two apart.
4. What's actually in a Gladiator V2
Both capacities in the Gladiator V2 F-Type line share the same build. Per Murphy's own product listing, each one comes with Armortek's 7075 aviation-grade aluminum fairlead and a 16,000 lb rated hook. It's fitted with Armortek Extreme synthetic rope, carrying a full-length abrasion guard too. You control it with a two-in-one wired and wireless remote, usable up to 50 feet away. A thermal overload protection system stops the motor from cooking itself on a long, heavy pull. Pair that with an external brake design that keeps the drum cooler, which protects the rope riding on it too. The whole unit is IP68 waterproof rated, uses stainless hardware, and carries a 7-year warranty. That's a stout warranty for an electric winch.
None of that changes between the 10,000 lb and the 12,500 lb version. The only real difference is how much weight the winch is rated to pull in a straight line.
5. 10,000lb or 12,500lb: which one for your rig
| 10,000lb | 12,500lb | |
|---|---|---|
| Rated line pull | 10,000 lbs | 12,500 lbs |
| Price | $999.99 | $1,099.99 |
| Fairlead and hook | Identical: Armortek 7075 aluminum fairlead, 16,000 lb rated hook | |
| Remote range | Identical: 50 feet, wired or wireless | |
| Warranty | Identical: 7 years | |
| Best for | Half-ton trucks, most SUVs | Heavier 3/4-ton rigs, or a loaded-down truck |
One rule of thumb before you pick: take your vehicle's GVWR off the driver's door sticker and multiply by 1.5. That's your minimum pulling capacity, before mud, incline, or a winch bumper's own weight push the number higher. Run your truck through that math first.
12-volt electric, synthetic rope, 10,000 lb rated line pull. Armortek 7075 aluminum fairlead, 16,000 lb rated hook, IP68 waterproof, 7-year warranty.
Same Warrior Winches lineup, no permanent mount required. An all-in-one kit for UTVs, trailers, and smaller trucks.
The exact capacity Rick named as a store promo item in this episode. Fits most half-ton trucks and SUVs.
Same Armortek-equipped build, 12,500 lb rated line pull. Likely closer to what a 5500-class dually and gooseneck trailer combo would actually need.
6. Safety: mounting and running an electric winch
A winch rated at 10,000 or 12,500 lbs is holding real weight against a fixed point the moment it's under load. A few rules apply no matter which capacity you choose.
These come from occupational-safety sources, not house opinion.
- Wear gloves and never inspect a wire winch cable with bare hands. OSHA is direct on this: "Do not inspect a sling by passing bare hands over the wire rope body. Broken wires, if present, may puncture the hands."[1]
- Size the winch to your actual GVWR. A common rule of thumb is GVWR times 1.5 for a minimum pulling capacity, before mud, incline, or a winch bumper's added weight push the real number higher.
- Inspect the line before every pull. A qualified check for damage or defects before use is standard practice for any load-bearing line, not an extra step.[1]
- Mount to a rated point, never a tow ball or bare bumper. The fairlead and hook are only as strong as what they're bolted to.
- Keep the area clear while the line is under tension. A loaded cable or synthetic rope that lets go doesn't give a warning first.
Sources: [1] OSHA: Safe Sling Use, Wire Rope
7. The bottom line
Rick could've put anything on that giveaway rig. He put a Warrior Gladiator winch on it, the same line the store sells, and described it in his own words as the piece there "just for sticky situations." That's a truck built to actually get used, fitted with the winch the store stands behind.
Sizing one for your own rig? Start with the GVWR math and let it point you to the 10,000 lb or the 12,500 lb version. Both carry the same fairlead, the same remote range, the same 7-year warranty. The only real decision left is how much you need to pull.
Sources.
- OSHA, "Safe Sling Use: Wire Rope." "Do not inspect a sling by passing bare hands over the wire rope body. Broken wires, if present, may puncture the hands." Also: designate a qualified person to inspect slings and fastenings each day before use. osha.gov/safe-sling-use/wire
- Warrior Winches, product listings for the Gladiator V2 F-Type 10,000lb and 12,500lb electric winches, confirmed live against Murphy's own product pages: identical product names and handles, vendor listed as Warrior Winches USA. warriorwinches.com/products/gladiator-v2-f-type-10-000lb-12v-electric-winch-synthetic-rope
FAQ
In this episode, no. The winch was on a giveaway rig Rick built for a viewer: a skid steer on a 36-foot gooseneck trailer towed by a 5500 RAM dually, not his personal daily driver. He also separately named the 10,000 lb Gladiator Warrior winch as a store promo item in the same episode.
It's the same line. Warrior Winches is Murphy's winch sponsor and the manufacturer of the Gladiator V2 series Murphy's carries. Checked directly against warriorwinches.com: the 10,000lb and 12,500lb Gladiator V2 F-Type electric winches are listed under the identical product names and handles. Murphy's own product pages name the vendor as Warrior Winches USA.
No. Murphy's sells the winch; Warrior Winches manufactures it. The accurate way to describe it is the Warrior Gladiator winch Murphy's stocks, not a fused brand name that implies Murphy's makes it.
Rated line pull and price. That's it. Everything else on the spec sheet is identical: the Armortek 7075 aluminum fairlead, the 16,000 lb rated hook, the 50-foot wired and wireless remote, the thermal overload protection, IP68 waterproofing, and the 7-year warranty.
Take your vehicle's GVWR off the driver's door sticker and multiply by 1.5. That's a common rule of thumb for minimum pulling capacity, before mud, incline, or a winch bumper's own weight push that number higher.
Yes. The Trojan 4,000lb Portable Utility Winch is the same Warrior Winches lineup in an all-in-one kit with no permanent mount required, priced at $399.99.
It's Rick's own description of why the winch is on the giveaway rig at all: the truck and trailer are meant for real recovery-adjacent work, not just a photo. A winch is there because the rig is expected to actually need one.