It didn't roll into the water. It has air parking brake due to the Allison automatic. It was highway tires on a slick, wet, salty smooth ramp with a very heavy boat. From my understanding (and having been in that position before) once the tires started slipping, all forward movement stopped and even with the throttle down it still slid down the ramp. More gas caused it to slip sideways..


FL 2wd's are a biatch on wet ramps....Ive been there when things go south, and they go south FAST.

It's like a gun better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

Hardest thing to admit in that situation is that the best thing one can do is lock it down and get a tow. The Testosterone God says to nail it.

We've got a ramp at home that will pull a 450 into the water its so steep. I was standing next to it when it happened! lol.. 4 wd with highway tires and the concrete ramp turns to black top about 25' up and as soon as those wet tires hit the blacktop, you better be on the throttle on the boat pushing or you're not gonna make it out..

I have been to several ramps that needed 4wd and my boats only a 27 footer. I have backed trailer in and had to dead drag the trailer frame out in 4wd low because it hung up on ramp angle. I was pulling my boat out during low tide down in clearwater fla years ago and 4wd actuator on my 99 dodge failed, couldn't get it in 4wd and could NOT get boat out, ended up going to a ramp on intercoastal that wasn't so steep, real pia. Up here in Mi we got "2wd guys" that insist that 4wd isn't needed even in the winter, same old argument, except they crawl along at 7 mph with there sand bags in back and careen all over the road, one of these dumbazzes spun out and hit my ex wife head on a few years ago, that retard HAD 4wd but said he only liked to lock it in once he was stuck, I guess 3-4 inches of snow on curvy, crowned country roads wouldn't be a good enough reason to use 4wd, Smitty

"How often is 4wd needed on ramps?"....often!!

This was the original thread: http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...launching.html

I do not think he even got the boat on the trailer. I think it just slide down the ramp with only the trailer on it. He might not have been in the truck when it happened. This is one reason to always have someone in the truck that can keep a foot on the brakes so that the front brakes are locked and hopefully the front wheels are on a non slippery part of the ramp.

I never thought about installing a line-lock in my truck, but I guess it would be a good idea!

We have always had 4wd trucks, dually, tahoe, and now an avalanche.. Can't tell you i've ever used 4x4 to pull the boat out of the water, but its always important to have it, just in case its a busy weekend, and the ramp is very wet....

How about if the ramp is that bad dont use it?? I kind of scout of ramps before I try and shove a 30ft boat down into it. Guess some people dont understand the idea of RECONing the objective or ramp before they go head first. But I guess theres lakes where thats the only ramp, but then again if thats the only ramp on a lake then probably to small of a lake worth being on anyways.