Watch those ramp drop offs it will cost you time and money

[TxJole]

With Texas lakes being so low, a lot of ramps have wash pits at the end. I found one and and went ahead and pulled the trailer loaded out of one, well it bent my front torsion axle on my Ram-lin tandem trailer. $800+ and a 3 week lead time on the axle I learned my lesson. If the trailer drops off the end not matter if you are hooked to an 18 wheeler, unload!

[fyrhog]

Good FYI TY

[ffmedic74]

How come they aren't extending the ramps as a public works project to support the local economy? When they dropped Lake Cumberland, they extended all the ramps or built new ones.

[swankster]

Thanks for the heads up. Sorry about your trailer.

[TxJole]

How come they aren't extending the ramps as a public works project to support the local economy? When they dropped Lake Cumberland, they extended all the ramps or built new ones.

yah yah lakes in Texas are literally giant mud holes with only a few nicer ones thrown in. I've been on a lake in many many states and Texas by far has the worst (well maybe Oklahoma) parks system. TN and GA count your blessings

[81nautique]

We deal with washed out ramps all the time on the river due to the current. I've seen so many people try to power out once they fall off and it almost never works. Even with the boat removed it can still be a challenge.

The trick we use when this happens is to float the boat just about off the trailer, unwind the winch strap and run it under the rear roller or a piece of frame member if it's an inboard trailer. Then bring the strap up and attach the strap hook to the bow eye, start cranking the winch and the bouyancy of the boat will lift the trailer up over the drop off as you crank the winch in. Works every time and is quite effortless, the hardest part is convincing the usually half drunk idiots that finesse over brute force is better.

[TxJole]

I'm putting tank tracks on my trailer, problem solved.

[TX-Foilhead]

Leave the boat where it is on the trailer, put the rear tie downs on and crank the trailer to the boat. Trailer doesn't weight that much in the water because the tires and wood float. Once you pull it up against the end of the ramp you most likely have messed something up so watch and if you see it drop don't go forward until you know what you're dealing with.

[TxJole]

Boy am I in a pickle now. Trailer shop is telling me 6 weeks on a Ramlin axle, it was 2 to 3. I have a large group outing on the 18th. Hotels booked for me and guests about 10 boats going. Last year I had to miss and eat mine and guest hotel room because son was in ICU. Called Ramlin and everyone I know trying to get this thing in time. Stressed to the max here, anyone with any ideas?

[SilentSeven]

Complete shot in the dark but maybe try other trailer vendors? I see the word 'torsion axel' and it sure sounds special to your application but maybe not.

Here's a couple
Cal trailer works - http://caltrailerworks.com/online/home.php
Ryan Trailers - http://www.ryantrailers.com/

California Trailer has been fantastic in getting me parts to clean up my 1997 trailer they made.

[SilentSeven]

Surfed the cal trailer works axle page and see references to torsion axles. Kevin is great at Cal. Good luck.

[nyryan2001]

Appreciate the heads up. I prolly would have gently tried to pull it up and over to some extent.... But would now secure the boat to the bow stop and attempt to ratchet the trailer up to the boat using the rear tie downs.

i guess you could just go back there and dive down to get to the tie down ratchets....now, If they are long enough to reach up to the rear of a floating boat, 2-3ft higher than normal on the trailer.

[jhersey29]

Borrow a trailer from someone with their boat docked in the water all year?
Sent from my RM-877_nam_att_205 using Tapatalk

[TxJole]

Nope no one has one it's that dang v axle, everyone can make it in 3 to 4 weeks. Ramlin, dexter, rockwell. But none in stock.

[jhiestand]

That totally sucks. We had a similar scenario about 5 years ago where water was WAAAY down at our ramps. It was so low, in fact, that immediately after backing off the trailer I got tangled up in a long section (~15') of REBAR that bent my prop and whacked up the gel coat on right under my transom. I also found my rear trailer tires started to slowly lose pressure due to a handful of nails they managed to pick up. Apparently a bunch of construction debris was at the bottom of the main ramps, and of course I hit some of it.