Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

[Huron Angler]

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/04/washtenaw_county_sheriffs_depu_4.html

Not sure how this is even possible. If the truck started rolling back when he took his foot off the brake why/how did he get out of the truck? I'd imagine one would know immed. that the truck is rolling and place one's foot back on the brake.

Also I'm curious why landing of a kayak is necessary. Don't people just carry to the water's edge. No need for a dock, truck, trailer or landing at all in my opinion.

What a waste of tax dollars is my take on this.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

The pic makes me think it rolled in nose first, kayak still attached securely in the bed. That could happen if he thought it was on flatter ground than it was, and forgot or neglected to put it in gear or park or any of that. Then by the time he realized it was rolling it had too much momentum to catch up and get back in.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

looks like a ford, they have really crappy parking brakes, if it was a stick shift, maybe be left it in neutral to keep the engine running, and put the park brake on, and it held for a moment, then let go into the water.

I have a ranger stick shift, and even in 1st gear and parking brake on, it still creaks a lot, like it wants to roll back.

 

[david_r]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

ROFLMAO!!!!

now thats funny i dont care who you are!!!!

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

Even if you're the driver/owner?

 

[david_r]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

Even if you're the driver/owner?

he may not be laughing now..........but in a few years hes gonna be tellin the story, and probably adding a lil extra dramatics, and having a good time laughing about it....what else can you do?!.......laugh or cry ..or both

he had a pretty nice truck so im sure hes probably insured ........or was

 

[Maclin]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

I just re-read the article, it says the river current took it 100 feet away from the launch, so my analysis is probably wrong, it could have been tail-gate in and on the ramp.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

looks like a ford, they have really crappy parking brakes, if it was a stick shift, maybe be left it in neutral to keep the engine running, and put the park brake on, and it held for a moment, then let go into the water.

I have a ranger stick shift, and even in 1st gear and parking brake on, it still creaks a lot, like it wants to roll back.

Here you go commenting on something you have never used (See your post about Smart Tow/Perfect Pass).. That is a Ford Super Duty, not a Ranger. I have launched a 5000lb boat and trailer on my parking brake enough times to know its plenty strong. But yes, I put it in "P" just for added security, but I back down, place it in Neutrual, set the parkign brake, and release foot brake. If no rolling I place in park and do my thing. If it is rollign or creakign some, I just push harder on the Parkign Brake pedal.

I think those brakes are required to be able to hold 2X the weight of the truck. Which in my trucks case would be near 15,000lbs. They use rear Disc with an inner drum brake. The manual drum brake is the Parkign Brake. Completely different than your Ranger.

Now, not sayign a cable can't snap or that he even set it. Lots of people lose their rides in the water due to no parking brake and just using park. If the parking prawl in the tranny goes... good bye truck.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

yea, and a manual 250 is really hard to find, even a manual ranger was hard to find, but it seems like the bigger trucks are almost always automatics. So he probally had an automatic.
I consider a parking brake weak when you can drive with it on.

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

Kyle F is right. The F250's parking brake would have no problem at all holding that truck. That?s a heavy duty truck and its set up to handle a load in motion or at a standstill. Parking brake was either not set or not functional or who knows what type of silliness was going on with the driver.

 

[IVAZ]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

yea, and a manual 250 is really hard to find, even a manual ranger was hard to find, but it seems like the bigger trucks are almost always automatics. So he probally had an automatic.
I consider a parking brake weak when you can drive with it on.

I think just about any vehicle could be driven with the parking brake set (if you did not mind causing damage).

 

[kyle f]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

yea, and a manual 250 is really hard to find, even a manual ranger was hard to find, but it seems like the bigger trucks are almost always automatics. So he probally had an automatic.
I consider a parking brake weak when you can drive with it on.

Depends on how you look at it. My Diesel has enough torque to move 20,000lb load down the road (not saying its safe, but could do it) so overpowering a parkign brake temporairly.... not such a big deal.

If you can drive freely with it on, somethign is wrong.

Production Numbers are heavy to the Automatic side, but Manuals are nto hard to find at all. INfact, I bought my truck used and they had multiple versions of F-250s/F-350s with both Auto and Manual.

Most Rangers I see are manuals. I had an automatic when I had one, but I have two friends who own rangers now and they are both manual. I would prefer a manual in my truck, but primary function is to tow the boat. I didn't think it would be fun doing the 3 pedal shuffle on a boat ramp with a 5000+lb load of boat behind me with my rear tires inches from the water.

 

[AluminumFalcon]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

SmRt!

 

[bowman316]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

it gets hard to find a manual when you get picky, if you want a 4wd truck, with a back seat, and a big engine to tow a boat, it limits your options.

I wanted the manual partly to down shift when braking.
Also because automatics are boring to drive.
with all the traffic around here thou, it will wear on your clutch.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

I guess they will carry it down in future after parking on more level ground !!!!

 

[cranksbait]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

I kind of feel his pain. Well not really. Although I have had my parking brake fail on me. 1992 Jeep wrangler. Parked on mostly flat ground. Left in Neutral (big mistake), just used parking brake. Get out talk to my buddies. SNAP (OH CENSORED). The brake released and my jeep rolled down a hill and took out a huge wooden sign. Luckily no one was injured. My jeep suffered $5000.00 in body damage. Lesson learned. Never trust just the parking brake to hold.

 

[dave11]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

I have a Super Duty F250 with a manual trans. My emergency brake doesn't work very well, and I have had the rear brakes completely redone. Some times when I launch or retrieve, it will creak like bowman said. I never had a problem, but it made me nervous. Now I use a chock block under the front wheel.

 

[mlukich]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

Anybody besides me think it's a case of upside-down on the vehicle loan and looking for a quick insurance payoff? If he's got full coverage and adequate GAP - it'd be an easy thing to pull-off...

 

[kyle f]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

I have a Super Duty F250 with a manual trans. My emergency brake doesn't work very well, and I have had the rear brakes completely redone. Some times when I launch or retrieve, it will creak like bowman said. I never had a problem, but it made me nervous. Now I use a chock block under the front wheel.

Then something was not done right. I can sit on a 20* incline with a 5000lb boat and trailer hooked on mine, set it while in "N" and let off the brakes and everythign stay still and never lay on the parking prawl.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Man loses truck while launching kayak?!?

on my parking break, you can really stomp hard on it, and get it down about another half inch, and that seems to really help hold better.
but my real trust goes into putting the stick in 1st gear. That will hold better. I always set both, unless i want to leave the engine running, then i have to leave in in N. But I only do that on level ground.