My boss has a 2000 expedition. He says when he is backing his boat down the ramp and he applies the brakes the boat which suposedly weights 6,000lbs will drag his truck. His wheels are stopped and the truck is skiding down the ramp. he said the trailer has surge brakes but the only work going forwards.

would a load distibution hitch work to help balance the load and allow more weight on the front to help grab? or should he explore the option of getting a trailer with electric brakes?

 

A load distribution hitch would help for sure. If the expedition is a 4X4, lock it in when backing down the ramp and for pulling it out. You could use low range which would give it a little more control from the engine. I know, you are not suppose to engage the 4X4 on pavement, but for moving up and down a boat ramp, I don't see where that would hurt it. That being said, a distribution hitch would probably settle the problem, not to mention, it will probably tow better.

 

are use a bigger tow vehicle! that boat weighs more than the truck!

 

Not sure why that last point is the most important... my trailer empty weighs only 500lbs less than my truck.

Can you put electric brakes on a boat trailer, or are they ruined the first time you back into the water? Besides, aren't you supposed to unplug the trailer before launching?

 

Surge brakes only work when going forward, applying brakes in the tow machine pushes back on the trailer tongue and operates a linkage to slap on the brakes.

On a ramp going backwards - surge brakes do absolutely NOTHING for you, which is why I think they are the dumbest thing on earth to build into a trailer for launching boats on a steep ramp!

I haven't explored boat trailers, but well enough insulated electric brakes ought to work even on a boat trailer. You'd want to keep an eye on their condition though.

It seems to me I heard about some way to over-ride a surge brake though. A "Come Along" hooked from the hitch ball or rear bumper to the trailer frame might force the surge brakes on, but it would be a fixed amount of brake force.

Look around this forum for a topic on surge brakes, I'm sure I read something about it.

There IS a way to lock them OUT - but that wouldn't be too helpful.
SEE THIS

 

i'm goint to recommend the load distrobution setup to him. I also want to tow it with my expy once to see what going on. I pulled a uhaul with surge brakes and only had an issue backing up a deep gravel incline. I put it in 4lo and shoved the trailer up the hill.

I think his his epxy has front disc and rear drums. With a regular tow setup his nose would be light and drag. I have 4 wheel discs and can stop the 5,500 pound trailer repeatedly even without trailer brakes. I think the rear discs would be an advantage.

besides it would be nice to show the boss my truck is better.

 

Hello all;

I dabble with boats a little and have several pieces of info that may be applicable. first off think about the physics of a boat ramp. Steep hill. On normal vehicles the front brakes do 90% of the work to stop a vehicle. As we discused above, surge brakes are worthless backwards. With all of this in mind we have the axle designed to stop us with the least weight on it. A leveling hitch would help (notice I do not say solve) the problem, but physics are working against this. You do not want to play with the balance between the front and rear brakes to solve this problem because that would just lead to many many more problems stopping on flat ground.

If you have properly adjusted rear brakes, you can get enough power to stop you out of them. The problem will be you will lock the front before that happens. With a boat this size they would be launching only without a 4X4, you would struggle to get the boat out of the water. Using the 4 wheel drive is highly recomended for both launching and retreving a boat. This will also help with the stability and braking issue on the ramp because the transfercase will link the two ends of the vehicle.

Electric brakes in general are not recomended for boat trailers due to obvious problems. After saying that there are a few that have been designed to work on boat trailer, but I believe that they are few and far between, expensive and still problem prone.

The best solutions I can offer are to use the 4 wheel drive whenever they are on the ramp, buy a weight distribution hitch (with the boat weight they should have one already), and expect some locking on the way down. Learning to minimize and manage the problem is key.

Sorry about the essay.

 

I believe that in almost all cases a weight distributing hitch is not reccommended on a trailer with surge brakes since the mechanics of a weight distributing hitch will oppose the action of the surge brake possibly making the surge brake inoperative.

 

I would use 4*4 to launch and retrieve but if the ground is dry make sure to get back into 2wd before and sharp turns!

 

its a boat ramp, the problem is not the truck or the brakes or the trailer, its the fact that boat ramps are slick do to moss, algae, lake scum and mud. I launch from several spots in the potomac and the one ramp is the worst ive ever been on.

 

I'm pretty sure a LDH cannot work on this setup. I have never seen one on a boat trailer for that matter. I launch my boat without any issues with my 4X2 F-150 reg cab, the boat weighs about 4K lbs. Granted, his boat is bigger, but his tow vehicles weighs more. I'm willing to bet that he has drastically underestimated how much that boat weighs. Have you got any idea what kind of boat, and how big?

 

nope he just old me 6,000lbs. not sure what all that includes. After i put thought into it a load distrobution hitch most likely wont work. 4wd would help engine brake the load. I have only walked past his truck not really paying attention if it's 4wd. more information i'll have to get.

thanks

jason