18ft Boat Launch with RWD Suburban

[jimmbo]

Come for the Food, stay for the Show...

 

[racerone]

Agreed,----I used to go to a launch ramp over 50 years ago.----Good entertainment and occasionally helped folks with proper starting procedures.

 

[Lpgc]

I use a Nissan Elgrand minivan / people carrier to tow my boat, it's a JDM Jap import so not a very commonly seen vehicle, 3.5 V6, it's a bit marginal in terms of power but does the job OK. Most people would assume it's 2wd and most of them are but this one has switchable 4wd, just nothing to say it has 4wd on the outside. I've never needed to use 4wd on a slip but do need to use it on our driveway which is a fairly steep hill going out up to the road and some gravel near the top just before the road. People see me launch with it at some places and seem to expect it to spin the wheels, it doesn't, plenty traction even without using 4wd.

Most slips I use are fine with a decent gradient but the slip I use at a place in Wales starts with decent gradient near the top then shallows off towards the bottom, so if you want to get out as soon as possible on an incoming tide you need to launch at the bottom of the ramp where the slope is too shallow. Dad used to launch at the same ramp years ago but he used ropes/chains so the trailer could be deep enough without dipping the back end of his vehicles in the salt water. Later he and his friend bought an old farm tractor for a £couple hundred to keep at the launch site and didn't worry about getting that in the salt water. Problem was it was only a small 2wd tractor, back tyres might've been 4ft diameter but they had less grip on the concrete than an average car despite having a pedal for difflock on demand, you could just spin boat wheels. Dare say that if the tractor had road spec tyres it would have done better but not with the usual spec mud tyres it came with, not sure if they make road tyres for farm tractors. When I last launched in Wales I did back the rear end of one of my vans right into the salt water up to near bottom of the tailgate level, I need a better plan for next time I launch there but at least when I got home I got the car up on a ramp and thoroughly jetwashed it underneath, have since undersealed it again underneath. I don't like shallow gradient ramps though.

A ramp might start dry but if someone has used it before you it will be wet anyway from the water that comes off the trailer and its tyres when they pull it out. If concerned about traction it might be a good idea to try to be the first to launch lol.

 

[ratdude747]

I currently run an RWD 1984 F-150 for towing my 16':



Never have had an issue with the truck itself. I am in Indiana (no salt water!) That said, to help my chances, I did make a few mods last spring after a season with the boat:

-Swapped from road tires to AT tires
-Upgraded the rear end to a helical LSD

I was having snow and mud issues which was the main reason for the upgrade. The only boat towing issue I was having wasn't related to the ramp; my brakes weren't up to snuff when towing from point A to point B. To address that issue, I upgraded my front pads to semi-metallic "heavy duty" and added electric drum brakes to the trailer (I already had a nice controller for use with another trailer). But at the ramp, I turn the electric brakes off, so they aren't a factor there.

All ramps that I use have grooved concrete for plenty of traction.

To the OP: If the truck can haul it on the highway, I'd say go for it.

 

[redneck joe]

add brakes to the trailer

 

[roscoe]

But at the ramp, I turn the electric brakes off, so they aren't a factor there.

no need to do that
can't imagine why u would

 

[ratdude747]

no need to do that
can't imagine why u would

Simple. The brakes tend to bind up the trailer when the boat's off said trailer (caused issues, especially when backing in to retrieve the boat) and from experience, they're not needed at ramp lot speeds, so it's easier to turn them off beforehand and turn them back on once I'm leaving the lot. For what it's worth, I'm running a Primus IQ controller (progressive controls, not a timer). The trailer is just way too light when empty...

Not to mention I'm never the driver pulling the truck out after launching; my wife doesn't have the skills/knowhow (despite attempts at teaching) to remember to turn them off after the boat is off the trailer (in this case, I'm the driver getting the trailer to the ramp both to launch and retreive). My best friend has the skill but not much experience on my truck outside of a handful of outings a year (he does both to and from the ramp, he's better at backing in than I am).

If I ever get around to adding a toggle switch to kill the brake signal to the controller (as opposed to having to turn down the adjuster wheel as is current), then maybe the procedure can be amended since it's a simple switch throw. But for now, at least on this truck and trailer combo, that's the procedure I use.

Note: I probably will add the switch at some point. This truck's primitive brake/hazard controls being a combined circuit causes issues with brakes pulsing when hazards are on (and all lights staying on if brakes applied!); said switch would also be used to kill the controller if I'm using hazards. Otherwise I get to add a relay to the stock brake light circuit, a circuit I'd rather not modify for legal/liability reasons.