Steep slip vs. front wheel drive car? - Page 2

Stoo · 27 May 2009, 13:36

I take a horse out in my boat. He's a great help on muddy ramps, but still gets a little upset when it's rough. Not to mention my cat...

jambo · 27 May 2009, 14:04

Stoo you definately have been watching to much Deadliest catch especially Time bandit to come up with this!!

Billy

Stoo · 27 May 2009, 14:11

LOL... Love that show! My wife bought me 2 seasons on DVD so I'm never without! It's great for napping in front of on a rainy afternoon!

rjbathgate · 24 August 2009, 07:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

One trick i used when recovering after finding the slip was busy was to put the car at the top of the slip where it is usually dryer and flatter, most seem to level off. Tie a rope from the tow bar to the trailer, put the jockey wheel down, then pull it out.

This might be an extremely stupid question, but how do the logistics of this work...

a) I reverse my trailer down the slip and wince the boat on
b) I unhook the trailer from car, and drive car up the slipery slip to a not quite as slipery spot (presuming the car can still get up, since it's not towing anything)
c) I attach a long strong rope between car and trailer
d) I drive car away, trailer and boat and all

I forsee, at point b), the trailer (and boat) simply carry on rolling down the slip and out to sea never to be seen again... as it no longer is attached to anything...

I can't attached a tight rope at this stage to hold it up, as I need to get the car up the slip before it starts towing the trailer...!

Perhaps:
a) I park trailer at top of slip
b) Attach rope to trailer and hold onto it as a I let it roll down slip towards boat
c) When trailer is at right place at bottom of slip, I tie off rope onto car
d) etc etc

But I don't really see 'hand guiding' a trailer down a slip being overlly sucessful...

I'm interested as this weekend, at very very low tide, I had much fun wheelspinning up my local boat ramp... Got up, but I won't have mire rubber left soon...

The bottom of the boat ramp at low tide was, understandably covered in sand, which I wheelspan through - it wasn't until the sand was spun away I got 'some' grib and made slow progress...

So I went out and purchased a small shovel to scrape away the sand before I drive onto it next time... but then, sand I probably more grippy than slime covered concrete...

Perhaps I should just stick to high tide?!!!

Poly · 24 August 2009, 08:51

Your second option (leave the car on sound surface at the top) is the better plan. In terms of getting trailer down to the water - you can get more control by "belaying" it round the tow hook and letting out rope (that way you don't need to stand on slime trying to stop a trailer). If the trailer is particularly big / heavy then you might consider using something like an italian hitch on a karibener to better control the descent.

Oh - I am guessing you don't have breaks on the trailer in which case chocks might be helpful.

Mollers · 24 August 2009, 09:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Your second option (leave the car on sound surface at the top) is the better plan. In terms of getting trailer down to the water - you can get more control by "belaying" it round the tow hook and letting out rope (that way you don't need to stand on slime trying to stop a trailer). If the trailer is particularly big / heavy then you might consider using something like an italian hitch on a karibener to better control the descent.

Is it a cliff or a slip negotiating here?

chewy · 24 August 2009, 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

I thought I could smell burning...

Thats the Audi clutch or whats left of it.

Poly · 24 August 2009, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Is it a cliff or a slip negotiating here?

Have you tried stopping 100+ kg of trailer on a steep slip covered in slime? What happens is your feet slide and if you are lucky stop after a foot or so. If you are unlucky you loose your balance and at the least hurt your dignity. Simpler and safer to stay on the good ground at the top and lower it on a rope. If the trailer is too heavy/slip too steep for him to be comfortable doing that without the risk that the rope runs free giving him burns and the trailer running out of control - I am proposing a controlled way of lowering it.

I'm talking about the sort of slime covered slip thats hard to walk over because its so slippy.

Of course he could do what everyone else here does and just go and buy a big 4x4...

Mollers · 24 August 2009, 09:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Have you tried stopping 100+ kg of trailer on a steep slip covered in slime? What happens is your feet slide and if you are lucky stop after a foot or so. If you are unlucky you loose your balance and at the least hurt your dignity. Simpler and safer to stay on the good ground at the top and lower it on a rope. If the trailer is too heavy/slip too steep for him to be comfortable doing that without the risk that the rope runs free giving him burns and the trailer running out of control - I am proposing a controlled way of lowering it.

I'm talking about the sort of slime covered slip thats hard to walk over because its so slippy.

Of course he could do what everyone else here does and just go and buy a big 4x4...

I totally agree, it can be a nightmare and dangerous.

rjbathgate · 24 August 2009, 09:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Of course he could do what everyone else here does and just go and buy a big 4x4...

Ha, I'm broke - I've just bought a boat!

AVONMON · 26 August 2009, 14:45

Hi,would it not be worth fitting a tow ball to the front of the car? That way you can see the boat and the waters edge,draw bar weight will be over the front axle with the engine,and most importantly reverse gear is lower than first gear and will negate the clutch problems.Fiiting a draw bar to the towing eye position behind most plastic front 'bumpers' should not prove too difficult especialy as it is designed to pull/recover the weight of the car.Just a thought !

rjbathgate · 27 August 2009, 23:35

Got another take on this...

Get yourself a hand winch (http://www.northerntool.com/images/p...s/12969_lg.jpg)

Mount it on a plate which hooks over your tow bar (e.g. the first item on http://www.autow.co.uk/winches/towba...rices_317.html)

And then you can use the winch to both let the trailer down slowly, and pull it up controlled...

Seems like it'd be alot safer then a rope between car and trailer... (no slipping ropes, fly away trailers, snapping ropes or trailers crashing into the back of the car...)

Relatively cheap too -- can get a hand winch for a few quid, and that towbar plate isn't too expensive either... possibly cheaper than an expensive strong rope...

What dya think?

I'm getting a hand winch for home anyway (to help park the boat), so might invest in one of those "connect handwinch to towbar plates" and just keep it in car incase I ever need it....

jyasaki · 28 August 2009, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjbathgate

Got another take on this...

Get yourself a hand winch (http://www.northerntool.com/images/p...s/12969_lg.jpg)

Mount it on a plate which hooks over your tow bar

Make sure you leave enough room between winch and car to be able to crank the winch. Made that mistake when mounting a spare tire on the trailer tongue. Stuck on the ramp without being able to loosen the strap.

jky

ozzzrrribbb · 02 October 2009, 07:42

Try using a drawbar extension.
This can give you an additional 3 or more meters. Set up and remove close to but not on the slipway.
Safer and easier than messing around with ropes and extra towbars on the front of your car.
Works well for rear wheel and four wheel drive as well. Enables you to get the trailer into the water without getting your car wet.

codprawn · 02 October 2009, 11:23

Just started a new post on extension drawbars.

rjbathgate · 02 October 2009, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Just started a new post on extension drawbars.

Yeah, sorted it the easy way, but finding a better slipway and aiming for not low tide