Boat Ramp Question
 

Ok, just want to get some best practices.

The ramp at my lake is long and can get slick. I have a 4WD Excursion. My fear is while backing down, loss of traction, and not a pretty ending.....I've been putting it in 4WD anywhere near the ramp (backing down and pulling out).

So, question is: How to best handle a situation if tires break loose and you are sliding backwards with boat behind??? Does anyone keep it in drive while rolling back slowly toward the water in case traction break so you can accelerate out? I'm not a newbie, have been up and down many ramps, just thinking this through for when I have a bigger boat behind my truck.....

Thanks in advance...

I have never had the boat drag me down a ramp even in 2 wheel drive. Actually I have never had to put my truck in 4 wheel to move around a ramp. We have a ramp by us it's not real long but steep and always slick from water and slime. Even then I have no trouble. I put truck in drive and very little gas and it walks right out.

The people that are going crazy hammering on the gas spinning tires like crazy. SMH Don't know where they learned to pull a boat. Had a guy one time with a 20 something fishing boat. Spinning the tires like mad. Could not get the boat up the ramp. I pull up with my Avalanch hook up to my boat and walk right out. He asks if I can pull him out with my truck. I said just let me drive your truck and pulled his boat right out.

Do you have Electric over Hydraulic brakes on your trailer? If not, install them. This gives you braking in reverse; whereas surge brakes do not.

Second, keep someone in the boat that knows how to drive the boat. You can push a boat/trailer/truck out of the water with the drives in forward and some RPMs; done it many times. It takes timing to get it right and not blow your impellers by running dry, but not that big of a concern. I'd much rather replace a couple impellers than buy a new tow rig.

Thanks for the replies, I dont think I explained my concern very well. I have no problem pulling my boat out with my 4wd, diesel Excursion. The concern is when I am backing down slowly with brakes applied lightly and the tires lock up. Suddenly, you are being pulled down to the water by the boat, feeling out of control. Let off the brakes and you are going faster. Cant hit the gas because vehicle is in reverse.

Want to be better prepared for this as our lake is down further, and already slick ramp is longer......

Pretend like you are some of us from the North. Bring some sand with you, but in your case sprinkle down the ramp. Sand is great traction on slick surfaces. We use it for ice.

Lower air psi in tires also helps very well.

Other than that, i agree with the trailer brakes.

I tend to put the truck in neutral once the weight of the boat is on the ramp anytime I use a steep ramp around here. That way you will only have to fight gravity if the ramp is slick. Take it slow and figure the worst case, truck with boat on trailer will stop once the boat hits the water... You can leave it in drive and let the truck get pulled backwards but I would think that would put undue stress on the drivetrain.

If you cant break because you loose traction, having it in forward wont help. You still dont have traction.

AND since most of your braking is done with the front axle now being lightened by tounge weight the front may slide. At the top of the ramp apply just enough parking brake to keep the weight from pulling you down the ramp. Put the truck in reverse and use just enough power to overcome the drag of the parking brake and if need be you can shift into neutral and apply normal braking.

If this will not work you need to find another ramp.

All very good comments, advice. It hasnt been a huge problem, but with a larger boat could be. I do always anticipate worse, so line up in lane best as I can if I have to manage slip. Thanks all!

I had that same problem with a very steep ramp once. As your backing down with your foot on the brake the front tires lock up and start to slide. It is scary. After that happened a couple of times, I just kept the truck in drive and let the weight of the rig pull me down to the water. Just give it a little gas to go down nice and slow. Probably not the best for the transmission, but better than an uncontrollable slide.

We have a ramp in our area that is steep and gets slick very easily. I have an Excursion 4x4 diesel also. I back down very slowly and very straight, if the ramp is really slick I use a slight amount of emergency brake as Gettinbye has suggested. I have had the front wheels break loose and using the emergency brake stopped the whole scenario. Going slow really made that emergency stop easy and controllable.

My wife does this often, despite me telling her to go slow. She lets it roll back and then applies the brake to slow down as the 5ton boat trailer begins to drag front wheels.

Go slow and ride brake down and you will not have any issues. If she would listen, controlling speed going down as not just let it go and it's fine.

When I had my shop, I had a customer with a 34'motor cruiser that weighed 15K without the trailer that I built. I was the only one crazy enough to launch his boat. There was gravel to the ramp then cement that was slick if wet. I figured out to back the boat & truck straight to the ramp so it would go down the middle. Once the boat started down the ramp I was committed & it became a controlled slide. After the boat hit the water it stopped every time. I even got to where I could launch the boat or retrieve it by my self. As others have said electric over hydraulic brakes help but this trailer was built out of a mobile home chassis. Never had a problem coming out either, just keep a light throttle & keep the momentum moving & it worked every time. Randy

Yep, gettinbye described it. Front wheels lock and you start to slide back. Pumping brakes might help, but praying for the fronts to catch. Thanks.

I always set my emergency brake enough to equalize the the front brake.... I've also left it in drive to help also. If these don't work you need to do the electric trailer brake route...

U could always get a "wench" LOL on the front of ur truck and connect it to a tree or another truck. Sorry, couldn't resist.

I've been on some REALLY steep setups with anywhere from 7000-14000 lbs. behind me. Anytime the front wheels have started to slide; its never been more than 18 inches, if that. The E-brake approach for matching braking bias does work. The worst thing that could happen is a jackknife, which has happened to (with pictures) a couple large rigs (1 OSO member comes to mind); BUT they have all been 2WD. (See a pattern?)

IF the front wheels are dragging, with the most braking bias, chances are that they will enforce a "straight slide" since they are at the highest portion of the ramp; also with the most drag. If your rear wheels on the truck lock up and/or slide; that's a real bad thing.

I use a pretty steep ramp. Basically as soon as the trailer tires start down the hill, I go extremely slow and don't allow the rig to gain any speed. I'm going to try putting it in N next time. The other thing that I do every time, is use a large chock behind the tires. A little off topic but I rarely see anyone use a chock on a boat ramp. I don't want my truck to ever go for a swim!

I second the comment about EOH. If your towing a 30' boat you need them end of story. They make backing down steep ramps a piece of cake.

Dave

A few years ago we where picking up friends at the ramp, Lake Shelbyville, lake was flooded so only access to high water ramps. As we where waiting we witnessed a Chevy Astro Van launching a 26-28 ft Mariah Cuddy ( dont recall exact size), As soon as the boat crested the ramp break it was all over. Down comes truck boat and all, Jackknifed off the ramp, jumped the curb, thru the rip rap, and into the timber. First day with the new boat, just purchased it that morning, No injuries, minor damage to the boat and trailer. I was like :eekdrop: did that just happen.

I know exactly what you are talking about. When I had my 21' Monterey and was borrowing a 2wd Expedition, I was backing down a steep ramp with a boat next to me. I am so glad I was dead on when I started backing up because I could have easily slid in to the boat next to me or off the ramp entirely. The boat started dragging me and I couldn't do anything about it. Steering didn't even work. A 21 Monterey isn't even that heavy, but of course a full tank and a Memorial Day size supply of beer doesn't help.

When I backed my 32 Sunsation with my F-150 down a similar ramp I was even more scared...but this time I had a vehicle with 4WD and it worked great. No worries.

But as mentioned...I am planning on getting an EoH conversion. Why worry when there's a simple fix that makes your rig safer? Having four or five axles with brakes is far better than two!

I tow my 30' baja with a 2WD chevy dually. Boat and trailer come in around 10,000 lbs. trailer is a eagle tri-axle and has eoh brakes. But is dumped in every weekend to various lakes in my area. No issue pulling it out with only 2wd and have my share of steep launches with weeds and crap. Never had a issue backing in either and sometimes I turn off my eoh backing in. Moving forward after reading these posts....usually my eoh brakes in reverse!