Truck Rolls Down Ramp, Sinks in Lake

[UNSTUCK]

No, this didn't happen to me.


But I did happen to run across several videos of this just now. For the life of me I can't figure out how this happens. So what's the deal with this issue? Are their trucks brakes failing? Are they forgetting to put it in park? How does this happen and what can be done to prevent this from happening?

I know this sounds like a no brainer conversation, but I'm at the point where I think I must be missing something. It just seems to simple to keep your truck dry. I'd hate to think I've just been getting lucky the last two years.

[hcooperrn]

I've seen a lot of those videos, and since I'm usually in the boat and someone else is driving my truck, it's top of mind for me.

Steep ramp, slick with algae, you start to slide. Boat is connected to trailer, boat starts to float as you get deeper, taking more weight and traction off the back. If you're in 2WD with bald tires, you won't have any way to stop the momentum, and in you go.

I think it's just like anything else PPPPPP -- know your ramp, don't back in deeper than you have to, and have well-maintained equipment. My regular ramp is a bit steep and gets slimy later in the summer, I only have a 1/2 ton truck with my Z3, so I have good meaty tires, tell the driver to use 4LO to avoid spinning the tires, and keep the back tires above the water line.

You aren't missing anything, I'm guessing you just boat smart. Accidents happen to the best of us, it's all about reducing risk when possible, right?

[UNSTUCK]

Looking at these videos I believe a lot of these guys have the right equipment, and probably good tires. I've always unhooked my boat completely while on dry ground, so the boat wont be taking the truck/trailer with it. So you think most of these incidents happen while putting the boat in the water, not pulling it out? My wife usually pulls the boat out of the water. I make sure to tell her not to let the tires spin.
What else is there?

[hcooperrn]

The close calls I've seen are pulling out -- after you've used your winch to pull the boat in you're connected to the trailer, and that's when the boat is probably the heaviest from any extra on-board water.

Can't underestimate the ignorage/stupdity factor either -- boat ramps in general make for some good people watching and head shaking, I'm surprised there aren't more accidents than do happen.

[ktm450exc]

On my new Ford F150 there is a switch that you can turn on that prevents your truck from going backwards.

[Bakes5]

My old dodge has this lever thingy and some pedal thingamobob that prevents it from going backwards.

[boonecragun]

First big weeekend of the year is always a good time for people watching on the ramp. One year we were just putting in when a guy and his small fishing boat were pulling out. He had an old 2WD Bronco II and spun coming out. He kept spinning as his rig slowly entered the water again. We watched in horror as the buoyancy took over. He was stuck inside and couldn't open his door. I nosed my boat over in an effort to push his SUV up to the ramp to no avail. We were able to get him out, but his boat, trailer and truck kept floating slowly out in the marina. I backed my trailer in as far as I could tied a strap to the end of the trailer and dove down and attached it to the end of his trailer which was the closest thing we could attach to and slowly pulled his rig out backwards. After watching the water drain out of his bronco he asked "is it okay to start it".

[BCRider]

I can only assume some people are in a rush so they jump out without putting the vehicle in park/ebrake first.

Ugh, boat launches. I have zero patients at boat launches and the people that have no clue what they are doing.

[UNSTUCK]

All seems pretty straight forward. I think next time I'm on the ramp I'm going to check my e-brake to make sure it holds truck, boat, and trailer while the truck is still in reverse. I think I'll just start putting it into four wheel drive as well. No reason not to.

[onetogofast]

Two wheel drive guys here have backed in too far to the moss and wet. Put it in park and step out and it just slides on in. My boat is tough to get off at our ramp but I keep the rear tires just dry of the water line so I don't loose the wife's car lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Germaine Marine]

I have put dozens of boats in and of the water. I havent put one in the drink yet but last year with my own personal boat I came damn close.

Wife was in the boat, really tough cove launch ramp with shallow spots, She got nervous taking it off the trailer, I could see her eyes in my rearview, she throttled the boat in reverse and I could see a snapped pylon coming, I slammed the truck into park or thought I did and jumped out brushing the ebrake on the way out. Truck stayed in reverse, ebrake on only 10% or so and when my first foot hit the mossy ramp I went *** over tea kettle , looked up and saw the door going over my head and the water line at my rear door of my crew cab. I sprang up and saved it from getting wet but it was awfully close. Needless to say no snapped guide pole, wife was fine and truck was dry. EGO wasnt doing to well though after...

[tw_xi]

I saw a Ford F 150 go in at the boat ramp at my work with just a jet ski behind it. A young lady was launching the ski just before her boyfriend got off from work, the ramp is quite steep. As she was backing down the one of the flexible front brake lines blew. It was a manual trans and she stalled the truck. It slow rolled down the ramp and started floating. We got a tow rope (Truck type not inflatable) and pulled her back out.
I came close to the same instant the first time I launched my boat, as I backed down the ramp my brake pedal went just about to the floor as the metal brake line to the back of the truck blew. I always keep a large following distance and down shift as opposed to hitting the brakes hard, so the boat ramp is where I found I had an issue. Luckly my home ramp isn't very steep, the front brakes were enough to keep me out of the drink.

[bsreid]

As we took the boat out last weekend a older tundra and wakesetter almost went for a swim. As it started backing down the wheels locked up and it probably skidded down for 10ft until the boat started floating. Just another reason for a higher towing capacity truck

[DaronF]

My old dodge has this lever thingy and some pedal thingamobob that prevents it from going backwards.

What year of Dodge is that? I'm looking at a 1996 Ram 2500 with only 134k miles on the clock. Initially, it only needs some suspension works so I'll get either skyjacker or rancho lift kit. There are good slopes on our place so the lock from going backwards will help.

[Langwell]

Lets not forget some of these people simply drink too much. I am all for a good time but some boaters are out of control.