Yesterday my wife and I took the bass boat to the lake. After both launching and loading the boat, I could barely make it up the ramp - tires spinning wildly. The surface was slick due to all the activity and a little rain shower.

The OE Hankook tires do not cut it. I am looking for recommendations on a tire that will help with this situation but still be good for most highway driving.

I have an '08 regular cab with short box, V-6 and manual transmission. I know it is light in the back end but with the boat on the trailer the tongue weight is significant.

Thanks for your help.

 

How heavy is the boat?

Hate to say it, but I really doubt that new tires will help your situation. Lots of things contribute to lousy traction on boat ramps. First of all, there is VERY LITTLE tongue weight on your truck when your boat is in the water on the ramp. The reason behind this is mostly due to the heavy engine on the back of the boat, combined with the angle it's sitting at. Tilting back like that, more weight is on your unpowered trailer axle than there is on the tongue, compared to if the boat were sitting level out of the water.

A few hundred pounds of ballast such as sand would help your situation a bit, by increasing the proportion of weight on your drive axle compared to the rest of your tow rig, which would help you muscle up that ramp.

New tires aren't likely to grip any better on that slick, algae covered ramp. Unfortunately, 2WD pickups don't do very well on boat ramps for these reasons...

Try the sand...I think you'll be disappointed if you buy new tires.

 

x2...No tire's going to grab algae. I slid all the way into the water up here...Not my truck, but ME.

 

You may be correct that no tires will help. When I pulled the boat out there was lots of weight on the tongue of the trailer because I winched the boat clear out of the water because I was afraid of backing the trailer off of the ramp in the low water.

I will try additional weight. This is the only ramp I have had trouble with. We like it because it is close to home.

 

The point I was making about tongue weight didn't have much to do with the boat not being all the way on the trailer, or whether or not it was in the water. Has everything to do with the angle you were sitting at.

The higher the angle of the ramp, the less weight will be on your tongue, as gravity will be pulling at a downward angle towards the rear of the boat, as opposed to straight down, keeping the weight on the tongue.

I'd try 4-500 lbs of sand in your bed, should give you an advantage...good luck!

 

Agree with the guys above

I really like the Goodyear Silent Armour. Just put a set of them on my Durango with Hemi, a 265/70/17. I used to be able to do AWD Burnouts on the OEM Wrangler SR/A rubber.

Since getting the news ones, it just grips and goes. Plus, the work amazing on the dirt and in the mud. I am really satisfied with them...and @ $800 installed, not a bad price

 

never had a problem on the steepest, slipperiest of algae covered boat ramps with my PIRELLI SCORPIONS....just changed to my second set. Can't beat em!

 

can't say I like them myself. My Expy has the 275/55/20 stocker Scorpions.

they are loud and spongy. The sponginess is because of the "P" rating though. Traction seems to be decent though

If I had a spare $1,200 to throw around, I'd replace them with that new Goodyear Duratec tire or the Silent Armour...but I'm a cheapscate, so they'll get worn out first

 

They are a bit loud, but they grab well. Give them an extra 5lbs, up to 40lbs each and they won't get the flat spots that they tend to get after sitting overnight.

 

often times many ramps get slick and some with algae others are just **** poor design which mostly is a direct result from worn concrete which when worn or not finished properly will be so damn slick you literally slide back. try this and instead of taking the center line move off to the sides of the ramp where most leople cant put a trailer its very similar to winter driving where you get out of the ruts and get better grip on the edges

 

I have the same configuration, but with an automatic.

Since cost is a factor (we're XL drivers, and you have a boat to support), I'd suggest the following:

1. More weight over the axle. Concrete block or pavers might be better than sandbags, and at least you can find a use for it later if it doesn't help. Cut a 2x6 to fit across the bed to limit movement.

2. Would tire traction mats help? These are flat pieces of rubber or plastic which you lay down in front of the drive wheels. Should be under forty bucks. These are mainly intended for winter snow conditions, but might work at your favorite ramp.

3. Have you considered a front hitch receiver? More expensive at $150 to $350, but they have a number of other uses. Curt, Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, and Reese all have these. You would drive the truck to the boat hitch with the trailer mounted on the front bumper. The rear wheels would (hopefully, I haven't seen your ramp) be out of the slick algae area. And you can use the front receiver to mount a winch, bike carrier, and other receiver-mounted stuff.

4. Convert to a limited slip differential, might or might not be any help if you can't find a clear spot for one wheel. Multiple hundreds of dollars.

5. Buy a four-wheel-drive King Ranch. You won't be able to afford the boat any more, though.

Good luck,

 

Michelin LTX M/S.....GREAT tires....

 

You could also try letting air out of your back tires. Down to 10 - 15 PSI or so. You might want to take a portable air compressor with you or make certain you are close to a gas station with a WORKING air hose before doing this though.

 

Uncle Buck nailed it.

 

You could maybe try lowerin the back end to level the truck, and it will transfer some weight to the rear.