Ramp traction?

[haulnazz15]

Re: Ramp traction?

The one thing no one mentioned which amazes me is putting it in 2nd gear if available. On most vehicles I have driven (auto tranny) putting the gear selector in "2" will lock out 1st gear and eliminate the majority of the wheel spin allowing the truck to pull the boat out. I have stopped probably a dozen guys on a boat ramp smoking their tires trying to pull a boat out, had them shift it into 2nd gear, and they eased the boat out with minimal smoke show. Between locking out 1st gear and adding weight to the bed, there's not much else you can do without a 4x4 vehicle.

 

[98Shabah]

Re: Ramp traction?

I'm with the others that recommended more weight over the rear axle.. The boat I have I bought from my father, he's towed it with 2wd f150 with limited slip, he regularly had some tire spin when pulling it out. At the same ramps he used my crown vic has (with open diff) no tire spin at all pulling it out.. The only thing I can come up with is that my car has more weight over the rear axle than his truck did.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Ramp traction?

As was already mentioned, correct tounge weight will do as much for traction as sand bags over the axel. You can usually just slide the bow stop forward a few inches and get what you need. I just did it to mine because I moved my trolling batteries further back. I like 250-300lbs at the tounge with my boat but that varies with boat/trailer combinations. That weight drops my Tahoe about 2 inches when it's hooked up.

 

[speterson1011]

Re: Ramp traction?

Gator Mike try going with a wider set of tires. Wider the tire the more surface for the tire to grab and have more traction. It will help enough with extra weight in the back for sure

 

[sschefer]

Re: Ramp traction?

Gator Mike try going with a wider set of tires. Wider the tire the more surface for the tire to grab and have more traction. It will help enough with extra weight in the back for sure

Not so on a slippery, wet ramp. The wider the tire the greater the potential to hydroplane and spin. If you either live or drive in snow country you'll know that fat tires don't cut it.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Ramp traction?

Gator Mike try going with a wider set of tires. Wider the tire the more surface for the tire to grab and have more traction. It will help enough with extra weight in the back for sure

you forgot the converse of that... The wider the tire, the lower the PSI it has on the ground. You are spreading your weight over a wider footprint, so the tires bite less.

and yep, as the previous poster mentioned, wide tires SUCK on ice. As narrow as possible for the best traction on a slippery hard surface, doesn't matter if its ice or slime on a ramp. Look at some of the rally cars set up for ice racing. They look like they have bicycle tires that are studded with studs a couple inches long.

 

[Fed]

Re: Ramp traction?

Don't know if this has been said earlier but after loading the boat onto the trailer I've found it helped to reverse down the ramp to float the boat then get a run at it.
Like driving on sand, don't wheelspin & don't stop.
This was with a car pulling a +2000Kg rig.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Ramp traction?

That's some pretty strange advice given here (some of it). Since the OP is from FL, there's a good chance he never learned to drive in ice or snow.

There's more to it than what can be repeated on a web forum and some is just "seat of the pants" sense. I'll suggest a web search on driving in winter conditions. A slippery boat ramp is about the same as driving on ice.

Of course, better tires will help, that's not strange advice.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Ramp traction?

A while back I was at a ramp in Texas and and guy was spinning the tires trying to pull his boat out on the slick ramp. I offered to hook up to him from dryer ground. He appreciated the offer, but he had one more thing to try.

He went into the bed on the truck and pulled out a few roofing shingles. A couple of them shot out the back of the spinning tires, but they gave him enough traction to gain momentum and get to a dryer section of ramp.

I carry bags of sand and kitty litter for weight and/or traction in the winter. I guess it could be useful for a slick ramp, too.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Ramp traction?

As was already mentioned, correct tounge weight will do as much for traction as sand bags over the axel. You can usually just slide the bow stop forward a few inches and get what you need. I just did it to mine because I moved my trolling batteries further back. I like 250-300lbs at the tounge with my boat but that varies with boat/trailer combinations. That weight drops my Tahoe about 2 inches when it's hooked up.

The trailer tongue weight should be set for proper and safe towing, not to correct for launching problems at a ramp. Boat trailer manufacturers recommend 8%-10% for a single axle trailer and 5%-7% for a multi axle trailer. One should not exceed these ratings to compensate for difficulties at a ramp.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Ramp traction?

The trailer tongue weight should be set for proper and safe towing, not to correct for launching problems at a ramp. Boat trailer manufacturers recommend 8%-10% for a single axle trailer and 5%-7% for a multi axle trailer. One should not exceed these ratings to compensate for difficulties at a ramp.

The percentages mentioned are starting points.
Depending on what your towing, the percentages could and might have to range widely plus or minus from the above numbers.

If more tongue weight is the route you want to go on those occasions where you think you will need it once in a while, you could install a box or platform just behind the coupler.
Then put your sand bags or whatever in/on their when you want.
That way you do not have to mess with moving the boat forward on the trailer.

 

[GatorMike]

Re: Ramp traction?

I have never had to put my Avalanche into 4 wheel to retrieve my 6200 lb boat/trailer. I have never had to drop air pressures, and regardless how steep the ramp (Lake Powell Bullfrog users jump in here) there's no subsitution for proper tongue weight and good tires. True I always retrieve from a concrete ramp. But I think we're dealing with a basic tongue weight issue here and maybe the need for a couple of tube sand bags in the back of the bed near the tailgate at worst. If your boat/trailer is heavier than 4000 lbs and the end of your ramp is in the sand, it's going to go badly. If your ramp isn't concrete all the way to your launch point, your wife's Jeep is probably the ticket out.

I think we are talking a little difference between a lake ramp and a saltwater ramp where tides rise and fall. Walking across some ramps at low tide is like walking on ice.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Ramp traction?

The percentages mentioned are starting points.
Depending on what your towing, the percentages could and might have to range widely plus or minus from the above numbers.

If more tongue weight is the route you want to go on those occasions where you think you will need it once in a while, you could install a box or platform just behind the coupler.
Then put your sand bags or whatever in/on their when you want.
That way you do not have to mess with moving the boat forward on the trailer.

Or put the weight in the truck bed or car trunk where it belongs. I don't think it's a good idea to have 100 lb of sand bags sitting on a platform when travelling 70 MP.

Don't mess with the safe trailer tongue weigh to try to solve a traction problem. The problem is with the tow vehicle or the driver. Fix the tow vehicle or educate the driver.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Ramp traction?

you forgot the converse of that... The wider the tire, the lower the PSI it has on the ground. You are spreading your weight over a wider footprint, so the tires bite less.

and yep, as the previous poster mentioned, wide tires SUCK on ice. As narrow as possible for the best traction on a slippery hard surface, doesn't matter if its ice or slime on a ramp. Look at some of the rally cars set up for ice racing. They look like they have bicycle tires that are studded with studs a couple inches long.

smokingcrator is looking at this from an engineering mind. Years ago I was into four wheeling with a Toyota Landcruiser equipped with wide tires. I was proud of the places that I had conquered into...until an old man told me,"sonny you haven't done anything that I have already done in a A-model Ford and the trick was the tall skinny tires". Well, I switched to tall skinny snow tires and was surprised at how much less that I had to shift into 4 wheel drive. Of course there is a limit and a compromise on how skinny the tires can be.

 

[Dennis G]

Re: Ramp traction?

Would putting on a set of snow chains ( real chain type) at the ramp do any good?

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Ramp traction?

Don't you just hate it when you come up with a great idea Two Years too late? (2010 Thread!)

 

[NYBo]

Re: Ramp traction?

Don't you just hate it when you come up with a great idea Two Years too late? (2010 Thread!)

Actually, it's a terrible idea almost two years too late.