Trailering advice needed for navigating slick ramps

Been driving manual transmissions for years.
I prefer them to automatics. As long as you block
the front wheels on a rear wheel drive vehicle, or the
rear wheels on a front wheel drive vehicle there's no problem.
I back down the ramp till the trailer rims just touch the water,
engage the parking brake, kill the engine with the shift left in 1st.
Block my tire(s), launch the boat.
After docking the boat, start up the truck
slide into first till it just starts to move
pop the parking brake and ease up the ramp.
Remember that block under the front wheel(s) ?
It's attached to my wing mirror by a cord and
slides along the ground until I get to my parking spot.

Note the truck is a 2001 Tundra 2WD

 

When driving rear wheel drives in the snow and ice you use the brake to get the torque to the wheels in a controlled manner. Hold foot on the brake and give gas to get some rpm's and then slowly release the brake to get the vehicle moving. Got to get enough rpm's to have torque converter engaged but not trying to do a power brake.

 

Personally I've never understood why they even make a truck without four wheel drive. It has saved me so many headaches and worries that I cant even count. But, If it comes down to only having the 2wd then Bretts method is by far the most used that I have seen. Personally I like being able to put my boat in the water in any condition mud, sand, gravel or the good old ramp. Just my 2 cents.

 

Off topic but you should have seen us walleye fishing and the ramps froze . You would slide back until your rear wheels hit the water . Fun times. Getting out was always a challenge.

 

Cause you don't need it most of the time in Florida. I had a Ram for a few years down south and never put it in 4wd even when towing or pulling a boat out of the water. All it did for me was cost me 2 miles per gallon.

As far as a slick ramp and a 2wd truck, I have had some issues at Ft. D's ramp before durring low tide, but a sprinkling of clay kitty litter took quick care of that! Now I usually carry a 5lbs bag of litter that costs less then a gallon of gas.

 

I use my 4wd all the time in florida. You must not be pulling much of a load is the main reason for not using it. I'll just stick to my 4wd and you can stick with the cat litter. Whatever works for you buddy. :

 

Take it for what it's worth, but this is the best tip/setup ever. I put a setup together very similar to Brett's, with the mirror lanyard. I was able to pull my 14ft skiff out of an unimproved ramp with a manual RWD Volvo 99% of the time with this method. The 1% is the time I didn't use the wheel chock, and just couldn't side step onto the throttle smoothly enough and ended up burying both tires in some ruts that I made for myself.

Being able to start out smoothly, as if on level ground, is very helpful in the grand scheme of things. And it's pretty trick as your wheel chock comes bounding after you as you pull out of the ramp.

That being said, my next vehicle is going to be four wheel drive(Volvo is gone). But for an entirely other reason. However, the wheel chock technique will be used for the new rig as well, use it once, you'll wonder why you ever bothered without it.

Steve

 

Umm? you do realize you are on a site called "Microskiff" right?

Seriously though, I towed many of my friends boats, up to 24ft prolines, and all kinds of trailers, just never needed it for that. Now if it snowed, or I wanted to go 4-wheeling . I'll stick to wheel chocks and kitty litter and save myself the extra expense, do more with less...

 

Last time I checked my boat in the driveway said Gheenoe on the side of it. I understand this is a do more with less forum and everyone is entitled to have their own opinions. Sorry if you took my opinions the wrong way firecat. Your right about everything therefore you can quit arguing and quoting my every post. I just try to express my views like everyone else. Sorry for derailing the thread, no harm meant.
After Hours2 (Proud owner of a 4wd gas guzzler that has no need for cat litter). ;D

 

What makes you think I took it the wrong way? People on here get so worked up about other discussing things that counter there train of thought. That's what this place is for, after all it is a discussion forum is it not? The beauty and darkside of the internet is that anything can be quoted and virtually nothing can ever be truely erased. So to quote some one on this very forum, if you don't want it quoted then you shouldn't be writting it .

As far as towing light rigs with even lighter 2wd vehicles I think I have most people beat. Below is a picture of my old gheenoe and in the background you will see my little hyundai accent. Yes that blue bubble was my tow rig! 2200lbs and only a 1.5l 96hp engine, and she did the job well! Beach launching was no problem, only place I had issues was at Ft D when the ramp was so slimy you couldn't walk on it. Make fun of my kitty litter all you want, but it does the job better then most anything else. Maybe 2wd or 4wd isn't the problem

 

Kitty litter would work fine as an additive however, if it is the clay type and it gets wet and you are not able to immediately get out then you might have contributed more to being stuck. Clay and water make for a very slick mixture.