Boat ramp question
 

I see videos and pictures all the time of trucks being pulled in by the boat and trailer on a boat ramp. How does that happen I just can't see a boat pulling a diesel truck into the water since I would think the boat would float first

you ever put your car in park while its still moving? it just clicks and doesnt stop right away... my theory is that the parking pawl doesnt hold, and the truck just rolls back down the ramp. if you're powering the boat on the trailer, always set the parking brake, and if possible have someone in the truck on the brakes until the boat is on the trailer.

Driver error.

Slippery ramp

Didn't a member here pull his hauler down the ramp with a big cat?

I hate to admit it, but I was a truck dunker years back. 21 Checkmate behind an Explorer on a sand/gravel launch. Truck was in 2wd, parking brake was set, trailer and boat in the water. Started messing with the winch and heard a lady in a boat next to me yell as the truck pushed me into the water and went in up to the rear doors. Truck was running and I jumped in and drove it out. When I opened the back doors, it looked like a Starburst commercial, and when I drove to the dealership, the dash looked like a slot machine in jackpot mode. Lady that saw it happen said the back wheels skidded and front wheels rolled. That's my story, and I'm embarrassed and ashamed, but Gravity is a law, and must be obeyed.

Wow.you would've thought that was daytona went with the vehicle and party with emergency brake sat with only a 21 foot boat. I know sometimes I'm kinda leary backing down my 31 foot with a 250 powerstroke

I always use 4 low,set park brake.Truck will idle the boat up out the water.
Been stuck on ramps with my 2wd truck/small boats, had to get a tow rope lol.

Part of the issue these days might be the disc brakes on all 4. Most I KNOW OF have little drum brakes in the discs on the rear. Drum brakes never did work as well in reverse compaired to forward. I know on my dually with drum brakes would always be checking adjustment of the shoes and the emegency brake adjustment. There can be other reasons but I START WITH THIS ONE.

why do they have her make boat ramp so goddamn steep

Ever been on a ramp that's not steep enough? I have, it sucks. The opposite is true too. One that's too steep ranks high on the suck chart also. I have ramps I won't use due to not being steep enough or being too steep. Ramps are also affected by water level. My favorite ramp at our local lake sucks in the spring when water levels are high.

Buck

It's been a while since I've done a brake job on a late model vehicle but it used to be that the parking break was a secondary system which didn't use the primary drums or pads. Wonder how difficult it would be to rig a line-lock system for all four brakes.

Easiest solution is to have someone stay in the vehicle and on the brakes.

My last boat was a Monterey 218 LS, not a crazy heavy boat by any means. I was launching on Lake Travis with a friend's 2WD Expedition because my truck was in the shop and the ramp was slick. I was backing up and it pulled the truck all the way down the ramp. I am so glad I was dead on the right spot because there was another boat next to me. It did stop when the boat hit the water though. Very puckering experience. Never launching a boat with a 2WD again.

My 6 speed ram always made me nervous at the ramp.

If the ramps are not steep you would have to drive your truck into the water to float your boat. By me we have a 6' tide change and at low tide I still get a little wet trying to float onto the trailer. Not to mention what where the slippery stuff is on the ramp. Very easy to slide back. You can't just nail it you would just slide back into the drink

I won't speak for the member who had his rig slide in at Haulover in Miami, but I can tell you I slid myself in on that ramp. It is slippery as all heck at low tide.
I was winching the boat on to the trailer, stepped off the trailer in about 6-8" of water and it was like stepping on ice. In my flip flops, I literally just slid down the ramp like I was sliding down an ice covered hill. I tried to stop myself, turn around and ended up right on my butt. I could not for the life of me walk up the ramp and actually had to crawl my way along the trailer to get out. It would have been easier to swim to the pier ladder and get out!
Needless to say my crew and a few others got quite the laugh!