Launch A Boat With 2wd?

mdauwald · March 28, 2011

Is this safely done? I have never had a boat and never really wanted one that bad but every spring my wife is really beating me up for one. The last couple of times I told her you can't launch a boat with 2wd and I would have to take too much of a hit on trade to get a 4wd. Now she has friends telling her I'm full of BS on launching with 2wd. SO I am curious how many here launch 4k lbs or more worth of boat and trailer on a regular basis with 2wd? I would probably consider a 20ft or smaller bowrider if I didn't have to get a new truck too.

Superperv23 · March 28, 2011

It all comes down to what the ramp condition is, how steep it is, how good your tires are and how you drive. In other words if you are on a steep slimey ramp with bald tires and put it to the floor you are probably going to end up in the water with your boat. But on a good ramp with decent tires and taking it slow you will have no problem at all.

txab · March 28, 2011

+1 on ramp condition. People have been launching and recovering boats with 2WDs for years and years.

SparkySparks · March 28, 2011

I remember when I was a little kid and my dad had a boat, he used his little 2wd Toyota truck to launch a boat. The boat wasn't huge but I would say maybe a 20 footer, had U-shaped seating area up front, two seats in the middle and a bench across the back. Make sure you have good tires and the ramp isn't slimy and you should be ok.

Stevens03 · March 28, 2011

Without a doubt,... Condition of ramp is everything. Also water level. If you need to back down into the water further than normal due to water level, that could pose an issue if it's covered in algae.

sic lsx · March 28, 2011

like they said it call comes down to the ramp and how far u have to back the boat in the water! If your tires touch the water at all theirs a good chance your screwed! It gets slippery where the water hits the ramp.

HawkScot · March 28, 2011

I recommend flowers and a nice dinner out. Remember, happy wife, happy life!

Ironmask555 · March 28, 2011

Hi,

I have a fiberglass 07 Glastron GXL185 (18ft). The boat and trailer weigh approximately 3200-3300lbs. I've towed it with a S10 pickup (2WD) and S10 Blazer (4x4), and both had V6 4.3L engine. The Blazer had a transmission oil cooler.

In my view, it's pretty straight forward and common sense applies. It's the weight of your truck versus the weight of your boat. Assuming that you have a full size truck, you will definitely not have any problem on a nice clean dry ramp. However, most likely there will be days where the ramp will be wet with some sand from users who have used it before you. Also, the steepness of the slope will obviously play a factor. The S10 pickup used to spin a bit even if the slope was not that steep (a tad wet and sandy). Whereas, my S10 Blazer on 4X4Low used to pull it out of the same ramp almost on idle. If your 2WD spins a bit, you may want to try to put some weight in your box to provide more traction to the rear end.

Also, in my view, if you plan to launch from gravel or sanded ramps, I believe you will definitely need a 4X4.

Keep in mind that everyone has their own needs and preferences. What kind of boat are you looking to buy? If you're looking at an aluminium boat, to my understanding they are lighter than fiberglass and should be easier to pull out of the water.

Common Sense Applies!

My nickle's worth!

tyhuck · March 29, 2011

We used to launch my grandpas 22' pontoon boat with my 96 2wd Chevy 2500, my grandmothers Explorer 2wd, and with my grandpas F150 Supercrew 2wd. Never had a problem in an condition. Im not sure how far they backed their trucks into the water, but I had mine with the tires under water. The dual tailpipes were almost blowing bubbles. I had a set of 265 All Terrains on the back and they never slipped.

Just put the trans in 1st, hold the brake with your right foot, and feather the throttle until you feel the truck pull slightly against the brakes. Then hold the throttle steady and without accelerating any more, slowly release the brakes until you begin to move. Dont get stupid with the throttle, and you will be OK.

As long as you arent launching in the river, off of a mud bank, you should have no problem with a 2wd.

cghbuilder86 · March 29, 2011

I would think just get some new tires. Some really good quality with aggressive tread. You should be fine. (Worse case scenario, just start screaming for help and somebody with a 4wd will be more than happy to come save the day with their truck) haha

old-chevy-dude · March 29, 2011

used to launch my 27' SeaRay with my 1996 2WD Silverado all the time..

like everyone said, comes down to the ramp condition. However for me the local ramp dumps into the ocean, (well into a marine filled with ocean salt water) and I never wanted to dunk my truck in salt water.

so I used one of these:

http://www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/

you pull up to the ramp, chock the tires on the boat trailer, unhook the trailer, install that device, unchock the trailer, then back down with the extension, this way you don't dunk the truck, or have to worry about slime because you are usually at the top of the ramp on the dry cemet while the boat is in the water.

use it to pull the boat out as well, but DO NOT tow the boat with it.. only used on the launch ramp.

Diesail · March 29, 2011

7k worth of boat on a regular basis and all I have is 2wd.

DwayneJ · March 29, 2011

It wasn't all that long ago that the family "tow rig" was a station wagon and trucks were for farmers and construction workers. 4wd can be nice for launching and recovering a boat in some conditions but not often a necessity.

Hell I launch my boat with my street/strip car, near 500hp Caprice ,lumpy idle sounds pretty unique under water. Not sure if I get weirder looks at the dragstrip for having a Caprice there with slicks and trailer hitch or at the boatlaunch for having a tow rig with dragstrip numbers, rubber plaster quarters and slicks in the trunk.

mdauwald · March 29, 2011

Thanks for the inputs. I figured it would be ramp dependent so I'll look to inquire with with some fellow North Texans but nothing here convinced me that a beginner should be launching with 2WD. That x-tend-a-hitch did look interesting though and could probably keep you out of the water. Thanks again

Michael

nickvrebel · March 29, 2011

I've launched and recovered a 20 ft bass boat (loaded with fuel and equipment well in excess of 4,500 lbs.) many times with my '03 2wd. I've only had an issue one time on a particular landing that was extremely steep, I had to have the boat push me a little to get started on, but this is the steepest ramp I've ever been on by a long shot. I've also had to recover the same boat from a "normal" landing once when it was disabled - this required me to back my truck until my bumper was in the water (tailpipe well under water) to float the boat up to where I could winch it completely on the trailer, I had no problems extracting it.