Rear Wheel Drive or 4 Wheel Drive

[Catigale]

Ive pulled my for 10 years with a 200HP FWD Eurovan and never had a ramp issue, even pulling it out with ballast.

If you want a 4x4, buy one, but don't get it for boating needs.

You don't need more power to get up a slippery ramp, you need to apply the power slowly and carefully. It is a lot like winter driving.

[DaveB]

Been hauling my MaX with alumium Tadem trailer past 5 years on my 1999 F150 standard trans with 6 cylinder rated 2000 max tow.
Had front brake stainless steel but got rid of it after one year on trailer.
My F150 still cranks the pull of hauling my 4500 lb rig. (94,000 miles)
Just take it nice and easy. Forget pulling your boat out of a steep ramp...burn you clutch up.
I like my truck and have replaced my clutch once, pulling a oak stump out during Hurricane Charley.
Down in Key Largo saw a Willy Jeep Towing a Mac X.
What's cranks your tractor.
Dave

Ya 4x4 doesn't fix stupid, nothing really seems to; And never forget the only math you need to know in life if 4x4=FUN

[seahouse]

Ive pulled my for 10 years with a 200HP FWD Eurovan and never had a ramp issue, even pulling it out with ballast.

If you want a 4x4, buy one, but don't get it for boating needs.

You don't need more power to get up a slippery ramp, you need to apply the power slowly and carefully. It is a lot like winter driving.

Ditto.

It's not unusual that WHO is driving is more important than WHAT is being driven.

Having said that- WHO is driving is less important in this situation when a 4WD is being used.

[Starscream]

From experience, if you ever might want to launch from a beach, you want a 4x4.

At a lake in Northern Quebec where we spend about a week per year there is only beach access. It's a struggle to haul out the Mac on the sand, even with a V-8 Durango 4x4 with offroad tires. When I finally get out I think there's about an inch of sand on the roof of the truck, and every so often the tires dig out a rock and launch it into the wheel wells. Note to forum users: if you ever see a white 2006 Dodge Durango for sale with a funny patch of lifted chrome on front grille, don't buy it!

One time, after I hauled out, I watched a guy try to pull out a 14 ft aluminum open fishing boat with a 2 wheel drive Chevy Equinox: no dice for him, there was no way he was making it out on the beach. He had to request a tow-boost, not because of lack of power, but lack of traction.

Of course it all depends where you are going and what your are doing. While I have never had an experience on slippery ramps, I can imagine situations where a rear-wheel drive vehicle wouldn't be the best option.

[topcat0399]

We pull our old beater 1973 Venture with an old beater 1971 2wd Ford F250.
The rustic little ramp we frequent is steep and consists of very little pavement
and lots of loose gravel. Not to mention the severe ruts (caused by maniac power loading
fishermen giving her up the ramp all the time with their light weight little boats - sheesh!).

Anyway - after our first trip there we now always bring a 2nd vehicle to the ramp now just to ensure
we can get the boat out.

Next tow vehicle will be (must be!) 4wd - if we can ever get our vehicles into this century...

[Norca]

I sometimes launch singelhanded, and the ramp is very slippery wood.
One time after backing down in the water, I pulled the hand-brake and took the foot off the brake pedal, the vehicle started to slide down
the ramps. No traction for the back wheels at all on the slippery wood.
I left the transmission in park when I launched and tied the boat to the dock.
I must say I was anxious to get that vehicle up on dry ground again
I the jeep was RWD, I would have to sit there with the foot on the brake-pedal until help arrived
I would not even consider a tow beast without 4wd.
Just my own 2 cents worth.

[seahouse]

When in doubt, I have carried along a length of 2X6 (for steep ramps you might want to go larger) to put under the back tires of the car to arrest rearward movement, and to relieve strain on the parking brake/ parking pawl while launching. I started doing this about 20 years ago after I saw some online videos of what can happen...

[Johnacuda]

I have always had some flavor of 4x4 towing my , and even my Edel 540. the only time I needed it was pulling out on an icy ramp in December. The Edel was a pain with a 2'6"shoal draft keel, on a modified power boat trailer. I needed 48" of water at the axle to launch that nightare. The was so easy, I could use my Liberty without any concerns.

[dlandersson]

Practicing for next year?

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/man-dr ... ar-BBg70fp

[NiceAft]

If you take it slow, and listen to some of the advice given, I don't think you will need four wheel drive at a ramp. That being said, since you really don't know where and when an urge is going to have you take your Mac too, what Youkon Bob said at the start of the reply's makes real sense; "You'll want the 4x4 only when you need it."

What wise old Ben Franklin said over two hundred years ago still holds true; "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

Ray

[raycarlson]

It's all relative to your locale. Some places I've visited nothing but a 4x4 JohnDeere tractor would even be considered. Four wheel drive trucks will just allow a person more options when venturing to unknown-unfamiliar locations, but are in no way necessary.

[Hamin' X]

Some would say that neither 2WD, nor 4WD are appropriate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYltdonj2iE

~Rich

[Norca]

Some would say that neither 2WD, nor 4WD are appropriate.

I agree, who need a towbeast anyway?
reminds me of this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7mYTOnOs3Y
check at 1:26 min

[Catigale]

Some would say that neither 2WD, nor 4WD are appropriate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYltdonj2iE

~Rich

Don't these guys know power loading isn't allowed?

[Boblee]

Without 4wd and winches we wouldn't have got our boats out last weekend but did put them all in with 2wd (before rain).