Out of abundance of paranoia I keep my winch clutch disengaged on-road. I figure if it somehow turns on and tries to retract on its own it wont tear itself apart. Any opposing thoughts? Is there any reason to keep tension on a synthetic line when not in use?

(Yea, I'm overthinking it)

 

This is ridiculous.

 

just chuckled out loud.

 

A power interrupt would quell your fear instantly.

What if some hooligan jams a paper clip into your control box and it starts spooling? The "what if" game could go on forever. Put in a simple interrupt (or quick disconnect) and go on with life.

 

What if the aliens use a massive electromagnet causing all electrical devices to engage....

 

If your that concerned with the winch magically engaging you can wire a switch into the dash then you will have to flip the switch then plug in your controller to use the winch. Had mine wired hot to the Battery for 3 years no problems with the magic spool Elf

 

I've always had my winch connected straight to the battery with no issues
I also keep the clutch engaged because if you don't (with wire rope) you run the risk of your spool losing tension and bird nesting your wire.
Synthetic rope doesn't hold kinetic energy so it won't bird nest but still a good idea to keep the clutch engaged.

If you have electrical gremlins you need to call ghost busters.