Ramp Drop Off - Ideas

[Bartableman7]

Due to people power loading and low water, one of the ramps I use has a severe concrete drop off and is very difficult to get back up with the ramp with the boat weight.  Anyone have any creative ideas they have used?  I'm going to keep sandbags in my truck to allow my trailer to "climb" back up to the concrete.  Other ideas?

[MN Fisher]

4WD, hook the trailer to a winch and keep the truck on dry pavement, or find a different ramp.

 

Lake I fish has close to a dozen ramps scattered across it for 14,000 acres.

[WRB]

Get out of your tow vehicle and check where the ramp ends.

Take a boat bumper and tie it to a dock cleat in front of the ramp end. No dock then use a marker bout to indicate the ramp end.

Back down to a few feet from the ramp end, put slip on rubber boots or warm water wade in and push you boat off the trailer. 

Same procedure to recover except pull the wench strap out several feet to wench the boat onto the trailer after diving onto the trailer bunks.

Tom 

[looking45]

24 minutes ago, WRB said:

HGet out of your tow vehicle and check where the ramp ends.

Take a boat bumper and tie it to a dock cleat in front of the ramp end. No dock then use a marker bout to indicate the ramp end.

Back down to a few feet from the ramp end, put slip on rubber boots or warm water wade in and push you boat off the trailer. 

Same procedure to recover except pull the wench strap out several feet to wench the boat onto the trailer after diving onto the trailer bunks.

Tom 

You might be able to do this with a 12’ aluminum boat. I’d sure like to see you do this with a fully loaded bass boat

[WRB]

Did for years with a bass boat as our lakes drop anywhere from 30’ to 150’ annually.

When you trailer axial drops onto the ramp your done.

Tom

[jbsoonerfan]

29 minutes ago, looking45 said:

You might be able to do this with a 12’ aluminum boat. I’d sure like to see you do this with a fully loaded bass boat

You probably quoted the wrong person. I bet Tom has done it numerous times. Depending on the steepness of the ramp. I can see it being done easily by pushing it off. 

[Hammer 4]

Also, Tom grew up around boat docks, boats, and fishing in general. Tom has a Vast knowledge of all of it. I suggest if Tom makes a comment on these subjects, have a good hard listen.

[GRiver]

Like WRB said… wetting the bunks helps the boat slide a little better. Some people are changing their bunks to the composite wood ones to slide better. 
A fella was in the parking lot, at the ramp, he was installing plastic gutters upside down over his bunks. Told us his buddy had done it and was happy with.
Did give us warning… don’t unhook your boat until your down the ramp.

[Deleted account]

7 hours ago, Bartableman7 said:

Anyone have any creative ideas they have used? 

Not too creative, but the answer is not letting the wheels get past the end of the concrete. Finding out exactly where the lip is is a good start. 

[Captain Phil]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

When you trailer axial drops onto the ramp your done.

 

The Eustis City boat ramp is a few blocks from my house.  It has three double ramps.  One of the ramps has a huge hole at the end from power loading.  I was there one day when I saw two guys standing at the end of the ramp looking into the water.  I looked where they were looking and about 2 feet of trailer tongue was stick vertically out of the water.  I couldn't imagine how that happened so I asked?  They said the trailer got hung on the drop off so they unhooked it from the tow vehicle and the trailer fell into the hole.   That hole was so deep it swallowed a bass boat trailer!!  I've seen some crazy stuff at boat ramps including boats dropping off onto the pavement.  It's a real circus on a holiday...   ?

[BigAngus752]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

When you trailer axial drops onto the ramp your done.

^^^this^^^

Tom's got the best solution for you even if it's not something you want to do.  You may get away with dropping a wheel off the ramp once, you may get away with it 20 times, but eventually you are going to have a really, really bad day.  

[gim]

3 hours ago, GRiver said:

wetting the bunks helps the boat slide a little better

 

The boat definitely slides back on better when you load if the bunks/carpet is wet too.  For years I would only back my trailer in so I could get the trailer on at the desired level...and half my carpet stayed dry.  Now I back in far enough so that the entire bunk gets wet.  Ironically, I haven't had any bunk carpet tear since I started doing that and before it was occasionally ripping.  Wet is better lol

[Deephaven]

3 hours ago, Deleted account said:

Not too creative, but the answer is not letting the wheels get past the end of the concrete. Finding out exactly where the lip is is a good start. 

I've also never seen a concrete boat ramp that was so short that you had to get past the concrete with your tires.  Most people new to launching back their trailer in too far to load and unload.

38 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

The boat definitely slides back on better when you load if the bunks/carpet is wet too.  For years I would only back my trailer in so I could get the trailer on at the desired level...and half my carpet stayed dry.  Now I back in far enough so that the entire bunk gets wet.  Ironically, I haven't had any bunk carpet tear since I started doing that and before it was occasionally ripping.  Wet is better lol

Everything is better when it is wet...ask my wife, but definitely back to get your bunks wet then pull back up to the spot you need to be at for loading.  On my trailer and nearly every ramp that means you can see the tips of the rear bunks.  Normally there is a good 8' of concrete after my tires then too.  Of course up North here we mostly fish natural lakes so the launch level is pretty consistent.

[MN Fisher]

2 hours ago, Deephaven said:

I've also never seen a concrete boat ramp that was so short that you had to get past the concrete with your tires.  Most people new to launching back their trailer in too far to load and unload.

Guess you never launched at Phelps...they got just a few lengths of concrete (12"wide, 12' long) laid down, If you want at least 1/2 the hull touching water, your trailer tires are going beyond them...and that's with my 14'.

[gim]

30 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Guess you never launched at Phelps...they got just a few lengths of concrete (12"wide, 12' long) laid down, If you want at least 1/2 the hull touching water, your trailer tires are going beyond them...and that's with my 14'.

 

Right now that could be also be a result of low water levels.  Apparently Tonka is about a foot down from normal and last month they completely shut off the dam at Gray's Bay going into Minnehaha Creek.

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

 

Right now that could be also be a result of low water levels.  Apparently Tonka is about a foot down from normal and last month they completely shut off the dam at Gray's Bay going into Minnehaha Creek.

Even back in the 90s when I had the runabout and water was at or even a little above normal level it was that way...it's a VERY short concrete ramp.

[Deephaven]

49 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Guess you never launched at Phelps...they got just a few lengths of concrete (12"wide, 12' long) laid down, If you want at least 1/2 the hull touching water, your trailer tires are going beyond them...and that's with my 14'.

Lord no.  45 min from my house or something to get there.  That launch is a neighborhood launch.  If there are only 3' of concrete I wouldn't really call that a concrete ramp...

17 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

Right now that could be also be a result of low water levels.  Apparently Tonka is about a foot down from normal and last month they completely shut off the dam at Gray's Bay going into Minnehaha Creek.

It is SUPER low.  

[gim]

3 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

It is SUPER low.  

Stage 2 (severe) drought I'm sure.

 

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?MN

[TOXIC]

In Michigan it’s illegal to power load and if you get caught you’ll get a ticket from the Minnow Marshall.  I’ve seen a lot of ruined axles and leaf spring hangers from dropping off the end of the ramp.  We fish a lot of rivers and storms can wash out the end of a ramp if it’s exposed.  With a dual axle, you can get away with dropping the rear set off but it’s a fine line and you better know what you are doing.  

[Deephaven]

2 hours ago, TOXIC said:

In Michigan it’s illegal to power load and if you get caught you’ll get a ticket from the Minnow Marshall.

It also isn't necessary.  I back my trailer in right and then tap into it with some momentum.  2 cranks on the handle and done.  Super easy.

[MN Fisher]

46 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

It also isn't necessary.  I back my trailer in right and then tap into it with some momentum.  2 cranks on the handle and done.  Super easy.

Yep, line up...get some momentum going, kill the motor, glide up...a few cranks and it's done.

[TOXIC]

Some hulls are designed to power load.  My 21 foot Ranger will float load but my old guide boat, a NITRO 929 absolutely, positively, guaranteed would not.  I’m no rookie at loading and that boat wold not float load.  If I wanted it to I have no doubt I would have to totally disassemble the trailer and rebuild and even at that I’m not sure it would help. 

[volzfan59]

On 8/25/2022 at 11:40 PM, Hammer 4 said:

Also, Tom grew up around boat docks, boats, and fishing in general. Tom has a Vast knowledge of all of it. I suggest if Tom makes a comment on these subjects, have a good hard listen.

Tom @WRB and a couple of others are like the old E.F. Hutton ad's, if they speak I listen!

To the topic, after busting a tire on a ramp years ago, I wouldn't even attempt it. Back to the edge, if you can launch and reload safely, have at it. If not, go somewhere else. That's my rule of thumb.

[Darth-Baiter]

As a kayaker.  I’ve stepped off that edge before.  Game over. You’re not pulling a trailer back up over the ledge. Gnarly. 

[WRB]

The bottom line is the launch ramp should be closed to launching if the trailer tires can falloff the end of the ramp.

Unfortunately negligent behavior seems too common today.

 Agree a dual axial trailer give you about 2’ more back up depth then a single axial trailer, if the ramp end is even. Holes are often irregular shaped and it’s up to you to figure this out.

 My advice is be careful or go to another ramp or lake.

I have helped several times getting trailers out of a hole, it requires getting wet and lifting the trailer up as a 4 wheel drive truck pulls the rig out. 

Tom