Launching and retrieving

[AzDon]

I have a dillemma that I've been fighting for years when I retrieve my boat. I prefer a certain launch facility here because it's free and its got the best parking and there aren't "launch directors" ordering me into a certain lane (I hafta launch from the far left if I'm gonna back off and turn around)

On the downside, the ramp has a very steep incline from a foot above the water line and kinda flat above that where your vehicle is trying to pull from.
When I pull out, my front trailer axle is bottoming while my engine and rear trailer axle are hanging and once the boat is no longer floating, the zero tongue weight is helping to stall the forward motion and my dually just starts spinning two wheels on the wet pavement.
I end up having to recruit about six bystanders to sit either on the front of the boat or sit in the truck bed. Once the front axle gets past the hump, I have all the traction I need.
As I see it, the problems could be solved by:
1) a lighter boat
2) loading the truck with about 1000#
3) putting a third axle on the trailer on long arms with bags that can lift (drop down) at least a couple of feet to load the tongue
4) building a reciever hitch that can lift the hitchball with an electric screwjack or airbag high enough so that the trailer weight is on BOTH trailer axles and it would be lowered after the front axle cleared the top of the ramp
5) use a different ramp
6) get positraction added to my truck

There is one other possibility I'm considereing, but I'm not sure it would work... My hitch is 2 1/2 inch reciever tube and slides into the front of the trailer. The tube it slides into is ten feet long and the setup was originally extendable. I'm wondering if a setup that is extendable by ten feet would give me enough leverage over the hanging weight behind the front trailer axle. I'm visualizing that the rear axle would actually be hanging farther off the ground, but I'm thinking that a lever that is ten feet longer may give me enough leverage to negate the negative tongue weight. It would certainly allow that I wouldn't hafta get the truck tires into the lake, but the ramp is already wet from other users... Whaddaya all think?

I took some measurements:
When the trailer is level the front leaf is 5/8" from bottoming at the rocker while the rear is 1 1/4" from bottoming at the rocker
rockers are centered at 188" from hitchball /81" from trailer rear
I can raise the hitchball to 23 inches and ground the rudder gaurd and not ground the rear axle rocker

[ABBOTTCRAFT]

Don..At CFW some people there use a tounge extension, 10' or so to keep their truck tires out of the wet areas/mud holes caused by others..They jest slide into the trailer & pin to tow...:)

[AzDon]

Yeah- I know the extendable tongue thing is intended for either keeping the tow vehicle out of the water OR backing the trailer WAY farther out on very shallow, low incline ramps. My problem is a VERY steep ramp where I'm pulling the trailer over a hump. The low tech solution is to just put six or seven hundred# bags of motar mix in the rear of the truck and fuggidaboutit!

[SF49ERMICHAEL]

. The low tech solution is to just put six or seven hundred# bags of motar mix in the rear of the truck and fuggidaboutit!

OR A COUPLE OF FAT SACKS THAT THE USE FOR SKI BOATS..TO LOWER THE BOAT IN THE WATER...JUST MY 2 CENTS

[ABBOTTCRAFT]

Yup...........;)

[AzDon]

Or a waterbed?
A friend of mine suggested that I install a high-flow bilge pump on the back of the trailer with a hose to the pickup bed and half-fill a waterbed while launching and finish while retrieving.... then take the water home and hook to my irrigation system!

[boatpoor]

Those belong in vans.

[AzDon]

Careful about the van remarks.... I was part of that culture in socal till 1991...I had vans continuously from 1974 to 1994 and have had either 1 or 2 Astro vans continuously since 1996....... Heck, I lived in a van for three years in the 70's! Here is a picture... also residing in the van: a 396 engine out of a 66 chevelle

[boatpoor]

Right on. Peace man. We don`t have to hate here.

[boatpoor]

Careful about the van remarks.... I was part of that culture in socal till 1991...I had vans continuously from 1974 to 1994 and have had either 1 or 2 Astro vans continuously since 1996....... Heck, I lived in a van for three years in the 70's! Here is a picture... also residing in the van: a 396 engine out of a 66 chevelleBoy to have that baby back today. How much do you think the wheels alone are worth today. With a big block too. Thats probably pretty rare too huh.

[boatpoor]

Ok back to the truck problem, how about we trade. I don`t think you`d have that problem with a small lift, ah. And you could still take water home. I`ll even fix you up with the right drop cause we`re buddies.

[ls6vdrive]

I just use my silverado and avoid the boat ramp altogether:D
...besides my dog (Sam) always refuses to help me out:/


http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/9715/silveradojz8.jpg

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7505/samgt9.jpg

[RiverRacer]

I just use my silverado and avoid the boat ramp altogether:D
...besides my dog (Sam) always refuses to help me out:/

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7505/samgt9.jpg

But launch ramps are fun, LOL..:D

BTW, cute dog!.:cool:

[SnoC653]

Why not mount a reciever hitch under the front bumper of the truck? If you put the front end at the crest, the back end should be plenty far back to maintain traction. And even if it lifts the front end that only adds to your traction on the back end. They also make a great place to mount a workstand so you can work on the engine and not be leaning over fenders all day.

[gfinishline]

That SAM is a good looking kid! I wanted spaniels (Cocker/Springer) I got catz. I still love my catz.

[AzDon]

Water was down about 4 ft today.... went to my usual launch spot, looked it over and decided to instead pay the f'n $15 to launch my boat at the marina where the grade is consistent and at a very manageable angle. No issues pulling out there at all (other than the $15 and parking in dirt!)
What it looks like I need to do is:
1) put lowering blocks under the front trailer axle to drop the springs and give the front axle more upward travel... this will also give the rear axle less upward travel and help to keep the prop gaurd from being able to bottom on driveways as easily. The fenders will need remounting to accomodate this extra travel
2) I need to load the pickup with about 800 extra pounds
3)I think an extendable tongue WILL give me more leverage and keep my truck farther up on the (hopefully) drier pavement.

[gfinishline]

"That marina, they just want your money!" HA HA!

[Dryheat]

Don if You moved the tandems back on the trailer it might put enough weight on the toung to not lift the truck, or move the boat forward if possible. I know You don't want to cut up and repaint the trailer and it may make the toung weight to heavy. BTW I have the same problem with mine but all 4 wheels spin w/posi.

[cjbuilder1]

So not having spent much time a Havasu--where are the good places to launch?

[gfinishline]

How about a "hinged sliding tongue"? Make the tongue slide in and out, then put a hinge-like piviot (elbow-bends one way) near it's rear 2'. Then mount a "roller" to the underside of the trailer where the 'slide goes in". When the truck and trailer reach the bad spot on the ramp, the slider "bends down" to the truck and the boat trailer 'rides' on the roller. As it all goes forward, it then goes back to it's normal straight line. Up in the parking lot, block the trailer wheels and back up "slide in" the tongue, to it's SOLID AREA. Pin it and drive away.

[AzDon]

If you're a cheapskate (like me) there's only 1 ramp that's free and us locals try to keep it secret!!
Then there's the marina that'll charge you $15 to launch from whatever lane they order you to, and then make you park in the dirt. You can feel REAL safe there though, because I counted more security guys than customers.They even have a gun tower!
Windsor beach is where most folks launch.... again it's gonna cost you (i'm not sure how much) The last time I was there (probably ten years ago) the ramp had a ranger directing traffic and the parking spaces were short and narrow and the rows were close together making hit n run fender benders quite likely. Crazy Horse, Nautical, Islander, and Beachcomber all have private ramps. Down the lake, there's Cattail and Sand Point, Havasu Springs, Takeoff Point, And Black Meadows.

[SnoC653]

You could always try a pintle hook type hitch. Slip it into the recievers (hook and latch for the truck/pintle for the boat) for launching at that ramp. I wouldn't want to tow a boat across country with one, but for a short haul or just at the ramp they work great and would remove any bind caused by a normal ball type hitch. We use them all the time when 4 wheeling as they allow tremendous articulation.

[mike c]

How about a "hinged sliding tongue"? Make the tongue slide in and out, then put a hinge-like piviot (elbow-bends one way) near it's rear 2'. Then mount a "roller" to the underside of the trailer where the 'slide goes in". When the truck and trailer reach the bad spot on the ramp, the slider "bends down" to the truck and the boat trailer 'rides' on the roller. As it all goes forward, it then goes back to it's normal straight line. Up in the parking lot, block the trailer wheels and back up "slide in" the tongue, to it's SOLID AREA. Pin it and drive away.

That would be pretty badass!:D

[RiverRacer]

That would be pretty badass!:D

A common thing and real easy to do!..

[Smiley92362004]

I could send a couple of my ex-wives to solve your weight issues, they were not good for much else. LOL

[Terrible toy]

I have a different problem but my solution might work for yours. I have a steep drop from my driveway to the street and the prop guard drags. Not a problem going out but when backing the boat the prop guard hits the sidewalk transition and stops the trailer. I built some rollers out of 3 inch steel wheels and 2X4 quarter wall steel tubing. I welded them on either side of the prop guard. Works great.

My thought is that you could build a permanent or detachable dolly type setup mounted at the prop guard that would act like wheelie bars and keep the front of the trailer loaded.

Like vans too, towed with them for a long time. How did you get a 396 in a van engine bay. I had trouble just getting headers on a small block in one.:(