RWD Tow Vehicle Launch Issues?

[csukraw]

I have a 2002 Chaparral 196 SSI. Combined net weight with trailer is around 4,200 pounds. With people and gear I figure I'll be around 5,000 pounds. My tow vehicle is a 2016 Tacoma TRD Sport 2WD with a max tow weight of 6,800 pounds. Truck tows the boat just fine on the highway, but I'm concerned about launch ramps. I used to have a larger and heavier ocean boat and never had issues pulling the boat out, but the launch ramp in the harbor was ribbed and never had any moss on it.

My worry is slippery lake ramps without ribs and a 2WD truck. My truck has limited slip in the rear, but I'm still concerned I'm gonna have issues. Anyone here have a similar setup?

 

[jimmbo]

Welcome to iboats

A bit of weight over the Rear Axle, put the Mother in Law in the truck box
For Decades RWD was all people towed with, only the past 20 yrs have people felt they need 4WD to tow a 14 ft boat

 

[briangcc]

Foot on the brake, other foot on the gas, and don't try to be your favorite Nascar driver pulling out of the pits. Use some common sense and you should be fine.

Only place I would be concerned would be an overly slippery ramp (you're inspecting it before you launch right?) OR a sand ramp where you may be in need of 4x4.

 

[dingbat]

30+ years of boating in Ocean, Lakes, Rivers and Bays pulling #3,500, #4,200 and #7,000 boat and trailer combos

Towed with a Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Tahoe and for the past 3 years a F150. Have yet to put a tow vehicle in 4WD on a ramp.

Concrete/black top covered with sand (ocean) are the worst.......

 

[csukraw]

Yeah that's my concern really... I drive all the way to a lake, get out and see that the ramp is smooth and slippery and then I'm faced with driving back or giving it a go. Definitely know how to finesse the gas and brake, but I've been on some ramps in the past with friend's boats where I couldn't even walk on it without slipping. They of course had 4WD so was a non issue.

We've all seen boat fail videos with trucks sinking, and I'm certain most of the time it's because they had no idea what they were doing or gassed it way too hard. Just don't want to end up on qualified captain.

 

[airshot]

It also depends on your tires, if you have good tires that are rated for wet surfaces, they can make a big difference !!! Son in law had a Ram pickup with run of the mill tires and we see alot of algea on our concrete ramps. His tires were like being on ice. Replaced them with wet surface designed tires ( michelan) and never spun the tires again on the ramp...

 

[JimS123]

For Decades RWD was all people towed with, only the past 20 yrs have people felt they need 4WD to tow a 14 ft boat

That's the answer. We have all become wusses, because Detroit has convinced us to buy their most expensive tow vehicles.

My first towcar was a 1961 Mercury Comet with 3 on the tree and an 85 HP 144 CID 6 cylinder engine. Towed a 16 footer with a 60 on the back just fine.

 

[alldodge]

Y'all do understand that the first Liar doesn't stand a chance, don't ya?

 

[RaftRat]

So I think you’ll be fine, just feather the gas and brake and of course inspect before you commit. So, I used to have a little 2wd ranger with the 3.0- I think max towing was something like 4100 and I used to tow my dad’s mastercraft all over into different lakes. Combined weight of boat and trailer was like ~3500 lbs and it did fine. Only got into trouble one time trying to launch on a beach Then I found out there was a public ramp 1/2 mile away.

 

[jimmbo]

Been using this as a tow car for over 20 yrs


And this is it's replacement. Has a 7000lb tow option from the factory. and currently has about 13,000 miles on it.

 

[briangcc]

Y'all do understand that the first Liar doesn't stand a chance, don't ya?

Only time my parents ever got stuck was one particular year retrieving the MFG while we were on vacation at Baptiste Lake, Bancroft ON. The launch at the campsite was sand and led directly into the lake. While retrieving the boat, our 1981 Chevy Malibu wagon, mid-sized v6, had the rear tires sink into the sand. Trailer also sunk the tires wasn't getting it out.

We ended up separating the trailer from the car, pulled the car out, then a camper had 1" rope which we used to tie the trailer and car together. Pulled the trailer out that way. Only time that got really stuck and that was back in the mid 80's.

Ever since, I've towed with 4x4....95' Pathfinder, 01' GMC Sierra 1500 SLE, '04 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71, '07 Toyota Tundra, 13' Toyota Tundra, 16' Toyota Tundra, 17' Toyota 4Runner, 19' Ram 1500 Classic v6, 21' Ram 1500 hemi, 22' Dodge Durango v6 AWD.

 

[jhande]

Tires, tires, tires & common sense.

 

[JimS123]

See I wasn't lying. The Comet had a lot of guts for a little compact, and the Bonne was the Stingray's dedicated towcar for 35 years.

Still have the Ponch - going on 43 years now...

 

[Lou C]

How we used to go on slippery surfaces with RWD...before everyone had an SUV, the only people who had Jeeps were sportsmen and gas station owners with a CJ with a plow or push bumper on it...We had GM full sizes early to mid 70s and no limited slip, so we used to put some 40 lb sand bags in the trunk & studded snows for winter use.

For the OP I'd just put some weight in the bed make sure you have good wet traction tires on it...Make sure you have enough tongue weight, that helps not only with trailer balance but also with traction. My trailer & boat weighs about 5000 lbs and has 420 lbs of tongue weight.

Here we all have 4x4 for winter...so no issues on the ramp....which gets all sandy and slimy...my '07 Jeep is in 4x4 all the time...I never actually tried pulling the boat out with '98 Jeep with Selectrac in 2wd. Never had a problem in 4x4 high though. While not ideal, 4x4 low could be used to pull out a very heavy boat as long as you had traction.
This is my favorite JEEP transfer case, NV 242, 2WD, 4x4 high part time, 4x4 high full time (open center diff) and 4x4 part time low....no ecm's or electronic actuators to go bad, just a driver who knows, how to use 4x4 is all that's needed....

 

[Don't Panic!]

Here with tidal waters and a slimy river, it's not uncommon at low tide to see people struggle with traction. A few guys on the bumper is all it takes. I'm sure it depends on the ramp, but most of those utube vids are loading or driving error. I launch with a 2wd van, never have a problem even on our slimy little ramp. I've usually got a fair amount of weight in the back, and have good tires.

my old timey story is I remember my dad used to throw a couple of bags of cement into our 2wd pickup before going boating for extra traction. Don't remember ever having issues, but I was just a kid. I do know he now drives a 4wd lol.

 

[jimmbo]

Years ago, I was at a small lake that had an hard packed Gravel-Sand ramp. I often launched there, and one day I was watched a guy with a 4X4, loading a boat, smaller than mine. He was was spinning all 4 wheels, going nowhere, just chewing up the Ramp. I backed my one wheel drive RWD car down beside him(didn't even get the tires wet), and loaded. He was then telling me, that I was going to block the Ramp, as there was no way I was going to get up the impossible Incline. He told him that he was the One blocking the Ramp. I put the car in gear, feathered the gas, and pulled out, no tire spinning. He spent another 20 minutes chewing up the ramp, before he got out. Some people shouldn't be driving, let alone, towing

 

[harringtondav]

This maneuver requires a copilot who knows what they're doing:
Copilot drives the boat on the trailer and leaves the motor/engine running. Once the winch is tight the copilot gets back to the helm, trims down as far as safe and waits for the tow driver to start moving. Copilot gives meaningful FWD thrust while simultaneously trimming up. The extra boost helps the RWD vehicle get some speed and hopefully above the slime. This works. I've been both copilot and trailer driver. ...but it takes experienced wheel men on both ends.

 

[RaftRat]

This maneuver requires a copilot who knows what they're doing:
Copilot drives the boat on the trailer and leaves the motor/engine running. Once the winch is tight the copilot gets back to the helm, trims down as far as safe and waits for the tow driver to start moving. Copilot gives meaningful FWD thrust while simultaneously trimming up. The extra boost helps the RWD vehicle get some speed and hopefully above the slime. This works. I've been both copilot and trailer driver. ...but it takes experienced wheel men on both ends.

That’s sounds like an acme rocket strapped on the coyote if the copilot is lacking adequate experience

 

[airshot]

Also have to remember that bavk in the 60-70's most ramps were not finnished concrete or grated steel like they are now. When ramps were gravel I also had a 61 Comet 6 cylinder that hauled my 15' lyman up and down a ramp with no issues...then in late 70 and 80's they started using concrete and that awfull grated steel. Add some algea and moss to that and you have an ice rink. I never saw a paved boat ramp until well into the 70's, so traction was never a big issue with the old gravel ramps. Was at the local state ramp just a few weeks back and actually slid down the ramp in my high traction boots, trying to winch my boat. The moss on that smooth concrete made for a very slick ramp, damn glad I had my 4 wd Jeep !!!

 

[Cbr1000dude]

My wife of 40 years is my copilot, and we launch and retrieve like a well oiled machine. Her suggestion, use the floor mats on the ramp if all else fails her dad taught her that. Never tried it myself, but it sounds like it would work