Boat Launch Fails

[Peter & Judy]

Here is a link to a Youtube video that shows how not to launch or retrieve a boat. Hopefully this is informative and also a little bit entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyk0MLrR12s

[journey on]

I used to feel a little dumb on how carefully we launched Journey On, with both of us involved, sitting on the brakes wntil the boat was off, being careful with the (3/4 ton) truck pulling it out.

Happy we did it the right way, carefully all these years, with nobody taking pictures

And I never knew that you could pull a cabin cruiser with a front wheel drive van. Especially when everybody here recommends a 4-wheeler diesel.

Boris

[localboy]

Stupid people should not own boats. Or breed. Or vote.

[ssobol]

[South of Heaven]

I towed my 19 with my Volvo S60 turbo, front wheel drive. It was fine.

[journey on]

OK, ssbol and south of heaven, I'm glad that a fwd van and/or smaller sedan works for you. I think a light vehicle can tow a C-Dory 22 or smaller, though I've never tried that.

So next time someone asks what tow vehicle to use on a 22 (or smaller) I would hope that you would speak up and present the case for your van or small sedan. Mostly I've seen recommendations for 4X4 diesel trucks and my insistence that one can do it with smaller vehicles seems lost.

BTW, personally I still believe in a V-8 and auto for a 25.

Boris

[ssobol]

I tow mine with a 2nd gen Sienna. I live on the east coast so there is not much in the way of hills compared to the west. There was a poster on this forum that lived out west and towed his 22 all over the place with a 1st gen Sienna.

[South of Heaven]

Boris, you're right. I wouldn't recommend towing a 19/22 with a sedan. But it worked perfect for me. I wasn't towing for long distances and no hills either (like Ssobol).

Obviously a 4WD truck is the way to go. Hands down.

But if we throw the CD 16 into the equation, then it's a whole 'nother ball game. I would 100% recommend a front wheel drive sedan or small vehicle to tow one of them.

[dave]

There is a difference between what you can do, what you should do, and what is legal. As a holder of a CDL, I would expect the Law would take a dim view of me pulling a 22 with a FWD vehicle. I have seen the tail wagging the dog too many times to tow with a vehicle that isn't rated for the load.

[jack keifer]

A good illustration of why not to make plans to retrieve your boat late on a Sunday afternoon.
Jack

[Red Knot]

Its easy to sit back and chuckle in a humorous way while looking at the wide variety of boat ramp fiascos after a few years of towing boats and trailers with a wide variety of vehicles and trailers. But if all of us are willing to admit it, many of us used what we had and never gave it a thought when wanting to hit the water with our fist or second boat.

We never worried or gave it a thought about tongue weight when selecting a trailer, especially a trailer for custom built boats, where trailer dealers continue to be not only clueless but really do not care past selling a trailer, in most cases anyway.

On a similar note I knew an engine dealer that sold nothing but outboards that would famously state that he would put an outboard on a sheet of plywood if you paid him for it.

[Pacificcoast101]

[ssobol]

[dave]

Yes, you are right that towing a trailer in excess of the towing limit of your vehicle may get you into legal trouble. However, AFAIK, there is no towing requirement that prevents a FWD tow vehicle simply because it is FWD.[/quote]


Of course, there is no reason not to tow with a FWD vehicle. Some ramps are slimy, and a FWD vehicle could provide better traction.

[hardee]

FWD
F = Four or Front
W = Wheel
D = Drive

FWD or 4WD

So which id what

Maybe I am missing something

Harvey
SleepyC