Ramp traction?

[GatorMike]

Being a Floridian I have been launching boats for 40 years now and over the years have had a few bouts with traction on a slippery boat ramp. Not many but a few. However the truck/boat combo I currently have does not do real good on a steep/slippery ramp. Of the 10 or 12 ramps I commonly use 2 of them seem to give me a problem. The other night I got into a situation I don't care to ever get into again.

I was out with a total greenhorn, we are talking a guy who had never even been in a boat before. We came in through a driving rain storm one that showed no sign of letting up. After 20 minutes of sitting in the truck I elected to go ahead and pull the boat out in the rain. I got the boat loaded on the trailer and started to pull out. The tide was low and the ramp slick as ice. I couldn't trust this guy to pull the old use the boat motor to help take the load off the tow vehicle trick. With the rain and no shovel throwing some sand on the ramp wasn't an option. I told my partner to stand on the bumper for added weight and he looked at me like I was crazy. I did manage to get er done after putting more stress on my tires and transmission than I like to.

This brings me to asking some advice of other boaters. First let me tell you what I am for sure going to do this week, my vehicle is a 2008 Silverado 2wd with the big cab. I don't have a locking rear end but do have a limited slip rear end. I do have a little over 20k miles on it and although for highway purposes could put a few thousand more miles on the tires I think a new set of all weather tires might help. I plan on putting on new rubber this week. Should that help? My second question is, would carrying some kind of traction mats like y'all northerners use for snow & ice help on a slippery ramp? I thought about ordering some to throw in the truck when I know I am going to one of the troublesome ramps. Would traction mats or sand do a better job? Another thing I was thinking about, and I don't know if it would help at all is to carry a second trailer hitch reciever, one of those ones that lowers the hitch height about 4 inches. My toung weight to trailer weight ratio is about right but I thought a lower hitch might put a little more weight on the hitch.

I have two other options and I don't like either one, I could quit going to the ramps that give me trouble or I could try towing with my wifes 4wd Grand Cherokee. I don't like that option because the Cherokee is a lot lighter than the Silverado and has about half the HP. I know the added traction on the ramp would be nice but the trade off on the road would not be worth it in my opinion.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Ramp traction?

The limited slip differential IS the locking rear, check your codes for G80.

How heavy is your tongue weight? if it's not at the extreme, I would maybe buy one of those hitch extensions that go between the receiver and truck, I had one that was 18" and it helped greatly for the retreval of a small boat we had when I was limited to a 2wd truck. The point of it is to keep the tow vehicles rear wheels further from the water. Take it off once up on flat land as I wouldnt want to tow long distance with it on.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Re: Ramp traction?

Put some weight in the back of the truck before you leave the house.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Ramp traction?

2-300 pounds in the back of the truck will do wonders...

 

[sschefer]

Re: Ramp traction?

Go down to the local feed center and get a couple of big burlap sacks. They work as well as any store bought traction device.

The only caveat is that you have to watch the tires and if they start to spin you want to stop and start again. Don't let it wrap up on the tire and axel.

Low gear with one foot lightly on the brake and a light but steady throttle and you'll be on your way.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Ramp traction?

Go to your local steel supply and get a couple of 10ga or so expanded steel strips about 12" x 48". Like the size you can stick your finger thru. Not the expanded and flattened, just expanded.
Regular steel will last a few years. Stainless would be ideal but hard to find.
Tie a rope to one corner and the other end to your rear bumper.
They will follow you to the parking area.
I use them alone for beach launching where there is no ramp.

 

[MRS]

Re: Ramp traction?

SS has the right idea I have limited slip on my truck when it starts to slip tap the brakes keep smooth throttle if starts to slip tap brakes again. It will let the limited slip work the way it should plus a little added weight in the bed will not hurt either.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: Ramp traction?

I've lived here in the frozen north all my life and never heard of or seen a "traction mat". Try kitty litter OR some bags of sand over your real axle if you need more weight.

Could you have hopped in the boat and help push up the ramp while your green horn sat behind the wheel of your TV?

My 4 door PU has 51K miles on the original rubber and I've had a bunch of trips out towing a travel trailer and my pontoon to various places, including 5 trips to Florida. Check your tire pressure and keep those bad boys aligned.

You might just have to avoid those two ramps too.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Ramp traction?

I know all about slippery here in Mn... yeah there are all sorts of traction aids you can buy but my all time fav is bird grit. You get from a farm supply store. MUCH sharper then sand or kitty litter, has much more bite. By a 50 # bag for $10 [last time I bought it, years ago] Its like little grey diamonds..
Lower tire pressure is much better then High. Off roaders air down to 5-10 lbs or less, then the tire can almost... whats the word... wrap... itself around imperfections in the pavement. Providing grip. Conform might be a better word Think of it like your shoes. if you were on slippery ground, the boat ramp 4 example, would you want hard street shoes, of nice soft tennis shoes? Make your tires soft if your stuck. Then its all about finesse with the gas pedal. Once you start spinning you tires, it gets... greasy. Put trans in its lowest gear and feather the gas. If that doesnt work, pay off some fat kids with cookies to get in the back of you truck and jump up and down

 

[NYBo]

Re: Ramp traction?

What kind of boat are we talking about? Is it within the towing limits of your wife's Jeep? If so, that's what I would use for those few ramps that are a problem if adding some weight to the bed of your pickup doesn't work.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Ramp traction?

A trick I was taught by my father to help on slippery ramps is quite simple and effective.

When faced with the prospect of having to pull up a slippery ramp, apply the parking brakes until they just grab. You want to apply equal friction to both wheels so they barely turn.

This keeps them from slipping and allows the vehicle to creep slowly up the ramp.

You don't want any tire spin as once they start spinning you cannot regain traction again without some outside help.

I know it seems unlikely but I used this method on a ramp in the Keys that was so slick you could hardly stand on it w/o sliding or falling. Just had to remove the seagrass as that acts like oil.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Ramp traction?

Good traction can be achieved with a simple change of tires. Highway tires are simply not made for semi-off road duty such as pulling boats through sandy or slippery ramps. A good set of traction tires would help although they tend to be a tad noisier than the stockers.

 

[GatorMike]

Re: Ramp traction?

Thanks to all for the ideas. Like I said before I do plan on putting a set of new all weather tires on the truck. I'm sure I can find a better tread than the factory tires and the factory tires do have enough wear on them for me to justify new ones. I'll probably pick up a couple of burlap sacks too and keep them under the seat. I have always rode the breaks a little when I expected slipping but never thought of tapping them. Guess I will try that next time. As for adding weight I'm too lazy to load and unload that much weight into the rear of the truck I'll skip that idea.

Thanks again.

 

[likalar]

Re: Ramp traction?

Consider putting a square hitch tube under the front bumper of that truck. The rear drive wheels will stay up way higher on the ramp while you are retrieving the boat. Once on high ground, switch the trailer to the rear hitch and be on your way.

Larry

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Ramp traction?

Weight in the back of the truck over the axle, kitty litter as suggested already, lose some tire pressure till you get up the ramp. Small 12 volt compressor has them back up again in a few minutes. I used the rubber floor mats once to get me out of a nasty snow scenario.
Just a few thoughts.

 

[Fl_Richard]

Re: Ramp traction?

No one else said it so I will ---- Deflate your tires to around 20 PSI - then with an electric pump re-inflate befor hitting the road. --- works wonders!

Or - if the ramp is wide enough pull the truck and trailer up diagonally. This lowers the effective angle of the ramp.

Both work well.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Ramp traction?

Consider putting a square hitch tube under the front bumper of that truck. The rear drive wheels will stay up way higher on the ramp while you are retrieving the boat. Once on high ground, switch the trailer to the rear hitch and be on your way.

Larry

i'd be a little worried about pulling out a boat with a 2wd truck in reverse, ESPECIALLY without weight over the back. Given a halfway steep ramp, that truck is going to do nothing but spin.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Ramp traction?

No one else said it so I will ---- Deflate your tires to around 20 PSI - then with an electric pump re-inflate befor hitting the road. --- works wonders!

Or - if the ramp is wide enough pull the truck and trailer up diagonally. This lowers the effective angle of the ramp.

Both work well.

Oh yes i did !

 

[RicMic]

Re: Ramp traction?

A trick I was taught by my father to help on slippery ramps is quite simple and effective.

When faced with the prospect of having to pull up a slippery ramp, apply the parking brakes until they just grab. You want to apply equal friction to both wheels so they barely turn.

This keeps them from slipping and allows the vehicle to creep slowly up the ramp.

You don't want any tire spin as once they start spinning you cannot regain traction again without some outside help.

I know it seems unlikely but I used this method on a ramp in the Keys that was so slick you could hardly stand on it w/o sliding or falling. Just had to remove the seagrass as that acts like oil.

This is what I was going to say, I have driven pickups in a lot of low traction situations and the problem is weight distribution, like said adding a couple hundreds pounds as far to the rear of the truck as possible works, but who wants that in there the rest of the time. I used to do it in Michigan, but then we had nine months of winter! Set the parking brakes lightly, that helps the limited slip to engage, lowest gear and easy on the throttle, once you break traction you are done. Of course you could carry a few empty five gallon buckets with you and fill them with water for traction weight when you need it. Tires can help, but don't expect miracles. And look on the bright side, you could have been here in N. GA last winter when the first person down the ramp covered the whole thing in ICE.

 

[109jb]

Re: Ramp traction?

I still don't know what boat he is trying to pull out of the water.

Depending on the boat, using the wife's Jeep might be the best choice IMO.