Has anybody mounted a front hitch ( traction needed ) retreive a 9 thousand lb boat ?

[alan ber]

I have a 1997 Ford F 350 ,
2 wheel drive ( have ability too add duel wheels on this axle but run single )
5.8 Windsor gas engine
3/4 ton truck
long bed
mud tires
towing capacity on this truck 11200
Tows & retrieves my 21 footer zero issues
I am posting regarding a 30 footer I also own . Kept wet slip ,
Have a awesome 3 axle trailer that came with boat , disk brakes ,trailer towing rated 15200 lbs
Rarely trailer too destinations . I pull boat out for inspection , barnacle cleaning , service .
Boat is a 30 ft 9,5 beam boat , Empty weight is 8500 , with liquids lets say I am towing 9500 lbs
I am like a tractor trailer , 52ft down the road , I carry blanket yearly permit
Legally truck is within towing limits , Trailer is rated lot more then boat ,
Truck is old , has its limits , rear wheel drive , I am asking lot more then this truck is designed too
do but this is what I have too work with ,
Low incline ramps pulls out fine , Slow , but does the job
Issue I am having is my new marina
On property is 8 public boat ramps . Steepest ramps I have ever seen ,
Tried pulling boat out recently . NO GO , Rear wheels spinning .
I carry two rusted gas tanks ( 100 ) gallons , ( water ) additional rear end weight , over
axle , 800 lbs , Plus 3 people jumped into bed of truck , Got up further around 75 % , Spinning , smoking , NO GO . I was about too say hell with it , get boat back in water and drive too a low
incline boat ramp 5 miles away ,
I was talking with a guy at ramp , He had same truck , I carry 50 ft of thick looped chain ,
He said lets hook chain too my front axle, other end too his trailer ball ,
Funny too view , Pulling my truck with boat attached , He had the traction
Some body was saying A FRONT AXLE HITCH MOUNTED TOO MY TRUCKS FRAME ,
this way rear wheels of truck is not on slime , lot closer too top of ramp
MIGHT DO THE JOB ,
I see a number of trailer hitch companies sell for the 97 Ford Front # 3 hitches . Reverse of rear
Has any of you fellow boaters have knowledge of this set up ???

Thank You

 

[ahicks]

Front hitches are generally about extra maneuverability, not extra traction. Unless you had the issue you describe with a front wheel drive truck, I doubt seriously a front ball mount would give you any more traction or pulling power.

 

[dingbat]

Traction is pounds divide by surface area. To increase traction you increase weight or decrease the tire width.

Adding weight to the front axle takes weight off the rear axle thus decreasing the traction you have now.

If this is a once or twice a year thing, a set of tire chains should suffice.

 

[H20Rat]

If this is a once or twice a year thing, a set of tire chains should suffice.

Assuming the ramp is paved, chains will give LESS grip, not more. (not to mention will probably get him banned when he digs up the concrete)

OP, you just need weight, lots of it. How is your tongue weight on the big trailer? Load some sandbags into the bed of the truck, or whatever heavy stuff you can find. What kind of tires do you have? Big knobby off road tires are great on dirt but suck for paved. On pavement you need lots of contact area. (in other words, a very tight tread pattern, opposite of an all-terrain.)

 

[JASinIL2006]

Sounds like the ramp has some slime where the rear tires travel when launching? Is so, tire chains might help give you some extra bite.

I agree with the comments that a front mount hitch would give you less traction at the rear wheels.

 

[mike_i]

Get some old trash carpet. Cut two strips a couple feet wide and 5 or 6 feet long. Put each piece in front of the tires where they start to loose traction. Have someone stand to the side on the carpet and give it a try.

 

[NHGuy]

Front hitches are not for that.
If this is the ramp you will always use you may want to have a winch too, as long as there is something solid to pull from. Plus if for some reason you need to trailer it to another spot you still have the extra pulling power of the winch.

 

[dennis461]

An old post, but here goes...
A front hitch will reduce weight on rear tires.
In a two wheel drive pickup, this will hurt not help.

I think the biggest problem (besides the steepness of the ramp mentioned) is that rear tires are closer to the slime than the front. Which is why 4-wheel drive can be a truck saver. Heck, a front wheel drive van may work better than a two wheel drive pickup truck.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I have a 1997 Ford F 350 ,
2 wheel drive ( have ability too add duel wheels on this axle but run single )
5.8 Windsor gas engine
3/4 ton truck
long bed
mud tires
towing capacity on this truck 11200
Tows & retrieves my 21 footer zero issues
I am posting regarding a 30 footer I also own . Kept wet slip ,
Have a awesome 3 axle trailer that came with boat , disk brakes ,trailer towing rated 15200 lbs
Rarely trailer too destinations . I pull boat out for inspection , barnacle cleaning , service .
Boat is a 30 ft 9,5 beam boat , Empty weight is 8500 , with liquids lets say I am towing 9500 lbs
I am like a tractor trailer , 52ft down the road , I carry blanket yearly permit
Legally truck is within towing limits , Trailer is rated lot more then boat ,
Truck is old , has its limits , rear wheel drive , I am asking lot more then this truck is designed too
do but this is what I have too work with ,
Low incline ramps pulls out fine , Slow , but does the job
Issue I am having is my new marina
On property is 8 public boat ramps . Steepest ramps I have ever seen ,
Tried pulling boat out recently . NO GO , Rear wheels spinning .
I carry two rusted gas tanks ( 100 ) gallons , ( water ) additional rear end weight , over
axle , 800 lbs , Plus 3 people jumped into bed of truck , Got up further around 75 % , Spinning , smoking , NO GO . I was about too say hell with it , get boat back in water and drive too a low
incline boat ramp 5 miles away ,
I was talking with a guy at ramp , He had same truck , I carry 50 ft of thick looped chain ,
He said lets hook chain too my front axle, other end too his trailer ball ,
Funny too view , Pulling my truck with boat attached , He had the traction
Some body was saying A FRONT AXLE HITCH MOUNTED TOO MY TRUCKS FRAME ,
this way rear wheels of truck is not on slime , lot closer too top of ramp
MIGHT DO THE JOB ,
I see a number of trailer hitch companies sell for the 97 Ford Front # 3 hitches . Reverse of rear
Has any of you fellow boaters have knowledge of this set up ???

Thank You

with a slimy ramp, you need 4 wheel drive. Period

repeat. you need 4 wheel drive...... Period

I have pulled out F350 diesel duellies that had 4 fluffy guys in the back trying to retrieve a 10,500# Grady white. I never even unhooked. simply drove down the ramp, hooked the tow strap to the front hooks on my truck, gave them the other end, then simply backed up the ramp with my boat on back pulling out the Ford.

third time, you need 4 wheel drive, or you need to simply not back in as much. you have to keep your wheels above the slime, or you need 4 wheel drive

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I’m really curious of possible solutions for slipping on steep slick boat ramps especially withthe weight you have because I will see these from time to time at low tide while i have 4WD and quite a bit of length and weight to get my front wheels into ramp with less slime.

One thing you need to be very cautious of when your wheels are slipping with the kind of weight you have. If you find traction and your not in control of the wheel speed and toque you have built up you can do some serious damage to your truck. Ive seen the pinion flange ripped off the rear diff of a 3500 series truck several broken U joints and know that the shock is enough to shorten a aging trans.

Ive thought about carrying a few sand bags with me when I’m in this situation and if the added weight didn’t help I could try dumping them out in front of the wheels at $3 a bag it would not be a big loss if I had to do so.

I’m not very keen on letting my tongue jack be the support when dragging the boat up the ramp with a cable or tow strap. Can’t see anything but bad happening. Wheel breaks on the tongue jack bad news tow strap breaks boat goes back crooked hits things other boats what have you or it gets really sideways the outdrive ram into things ugly. My boat and trailer are close to yours in weight and length I’m not keen on that idea. A 16 foot 2000 pound boat maybe less of a concern. I have seen some slippery ramps when the water levels really low 3” of algae and on a part of the boat ramp thats not really designed to be useful. Some where the concrete ends and you have to get the trailer wheels over the lip meanwhile the trucks in slime. I know I have fallen getting out of the truck in that crap.