Worst ramp experience ever.

[chambers1517]

I had a terrible experience today. I have used this ramp 100's of times. Today I was taking my wife out on the boat to teach her how to drive it. I always drive the boat and she tubes with the kids. I always fuss about not being able to get in the water myself. My sister and brother in law often go and I get out then but it would be nice to tube with the kids when it's just us. Anyway our technique is for me to back down the ramp, get out and get in the boat then she backs me in and I lean over the front and unhook. She pulls the trailer out and parks and her and everyone get on the boat from the dock.Today when I got out I shut the door and she got out on her side and walked around to find the doors locked with the engine running. This is the second time I have pulled with this vehicle. It is an excursion and has electric locks. I must have hit the lock button when I got out. It was 90 degrees and there were a lot of people who could not load there boats. It took 45min for someone to come get my wife,take her home to get extra set of keys and get back. I set there for 45 min with many evil stares coming my way. We got in the vehicle and left. Terrible terrible day.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

Ever arrive to the ramp and leave the boat keys at home?

Ever return to the ramp to find your keys went overboard with the windbreaker you took off around 10:00?

Someone once told me to keep a spare set of boat keys in the truck and a spare set of truck keys in the boat.

I always have since then and it was a life saver 3 times now.

 

[Sikiguya]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I thought all the Fords had those external keypad that allows you to enter a code to unlock?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

So I know you are having a key cut and you are going to hide it under the SUV and attach it with a zip tie.....

 

[Sparkinator]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I've locked my keys in the truck at the boat ramp before also. The only difference was I was going duck hunting at 4 o'clock in the morning in the middle of nowhere. Truck was still running, and there wasn't anyone around for MILES.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

There is NOTHING worse than locking your keys in your car.

Here is what I do EVERY time.

The second I approach ANY boat ramp, and I know I'm going to be in and out of the car, my window goes down.

Thankfully now I have a soft top on my bronco, so I don't ever lock the doors because I can just unzip a window.....


I have left the boat keys at home, but thankfully my mother is kind enough to zip over with them, it helps that we live 2.1 miles from the boat ramp

 

[chambers1517]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I do have a keypad. I also have remote start and always use that. Never use the keypad so I couldn't remember the code. I also have a card with the code on it which was in my wallet which was in the truck.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

Someone once told me to keep a spare set of boat keys in the truck and a spare set of truck keys in the boat.

The second I approach ANY boat ramp, and I know I'm going to be in and out of the car, my window goes down.

So I know you are having a key cut and you are going to hide it under the SUV and attach it with a zip tie.....

I'm not generally paranoid, but I do all three of those! I have YET to actually ever need any of the backups thankfully!

Always have duplicate for both vehicle and boat, as well as windows down. (I do that for other reasons also, the driver needs to be able to hear what is going on) And a key hidden on the vehicle, yep, standard practice for every vehicle I own.


And by the way, almost cried reading the OP's post. 90 degrees. I woke up to snow on the ground, currently 37, low of 26 tonight!

 

[seaboo]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I keep spare keys to the boat in the truck, and spare keys to the truck in the boat. I have NEVER needed them, however I have been out with friends that had lost the vehicle keys in the water, and also (different occasion) after an hour towing the boat to the ramp, discover the keys for the boat were left at their home. I vowed this would NEVER happen to me and took measures to make sure it doesn't.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I always roll drivers window down- cold /hot to hear if someone yells "Hey-your backing over my ......." or to listen for some scrapping sounds!!!

 

[chambers1517]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

27, man that is rough. I am just south of Knoxville, Tn. We are in the middle of spring and the weather is unsettled. Had mid 80's all week 90 today but only mid 70's tomorrow. Then back to the 80's next week.

 

[diesel5599]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

That does sound pretty rough. I have left the boat keys home before, fortunately at the time I only lived 5 miles from the ramp. Now I live almost 2hrs from some of the ramps I use, couldn't imagine having to drive back home. My solution is to never take the keys anywhere except the boat or the truck, they never come in the house.

Ever lost your only drain plug when you thought you still had 3 left? Got to the dock ready to put the boat in, no drain plug. Spare drain plug nowhere to be found, its a holiday weekend and not one boating supply store open for miles. And since its a holiday weekend everyone is getting pissed the longer I look for the missing drain plug. Ended up towing the boat 30 miles to a marine store to get a drain plug.

Ever forgotten your tackle box, but not until you have been on the water heading offshore for an hour, oh and have the first hard bite break your line and take your whole tackle with it?

Just two trips ago 3 people at the ramp had their trailer crank handles stolen, mine included. Try winching on a 7000lb boat with an ill fitting rachet set. I think it took almost 30 min to get it on the trailer. The other two people had it even worse, all they had was a pair of pliers. Needless to say we held up 3 of the 4 ramps for quite some time.

Somehow its still all worth it, or so I keep telling myself.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

That is horrible, I really think ya done the right thing just leaving I mean some ahole might have messed with your truck after you left.

I was just thinking today how I might like to have me an Excursion someday, heck I might even go for the powersmoke diesel model.
Love the keypads I programmed my wife's to the first 5 digits of her phone number, when I had my Lincoln I used my zip code, loved not having to carry keys or be locked out.
I accidentally locked my keys in my Jeep 2 times in as many months the first time the engine was running while at a filling station. I found my aerial was loose and I pulled the door frame back and jammed my wallet in between the doors window frame and the roof. I worked the window frame further and further away from the roof moving the wallet to keep the gap wide and used the aerial to lower the power window. WHEW !
Yesterday in my driveway I did the same door frame trick and since it was not running I had to pull the lock switch upwards and it actually went pretty easy, in the first instance I was in in 4 minutes and figured I better keep my aerial finger tight and in the second instance I was into the Jeep in 2 minutes.
The last 3 inches of my aerial now has a custom 45 degree bend now, miss that Ford keypad.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

key zip tied to the frame is the best answer. But with the modenr so-called improved vehicles as spare keyy can run you $200!
If it ain't broke fix it till it is

My first car, a 68 Mustang, I kept a coat hanger under the hood so I could pop the lock if needed. you could open the hood from the outside back then.

 

[Sader762]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I do have a keypad. I also have remote start and always use that. Never use the keypad so I couldn't remember the code. I also have a card with the code on it which was in my wallet which was in the truck.

Set the code tonight to something easy to remember....I LOVE my Ford keypad and I use it all the time. From locking my keys in it to being out in the yard and needing to get into the truck and not feeling like going inside to get the keys. Keypad is a great thing!!!

 

[maxum2400sc]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I have a F350 I removed the auto lock pretty easily. the sequence is in your manual. i hate the auto lock. Also it is very easy to get in the fords if you lock yourself out. you need a 3/4 - 1" branch or a door stop and a 3' wire. just stand on your step bars pull the top trim of your door open until you can fit your stop in and slide your wire down to push the unlock button. It seriously takes 1 min if you have the items handy.

 

[RoyR]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I open the windows...my wifes Toyota 4-Runner has a tendency to lock itself

 

[5150abf]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

Done it too, we were at a podunk lake in Michigan in the dead center of nowhere, got the boat launched adn shut up the truck, with the keys in it.

Found a lantern handle in the boat and picked the locks but it took forever.

Get a hide a key thing and you will never have this happen again.

 

[capt sam]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

I put in at least twice a week year round and do all that stuff, roll the window down, have spare keys everywhere, because I'm so paranoid.

 

[skargo]

Re: Worst ramp experience ever.

ALWAYS put at least your drivers window down, you never know when someone is going to yell.
BTW, I could have been inside that Excursion in 2 minutes with my knife and an antenna.