Steep Boat Ramp
With a Lance 865 in the bed of a 2012 short wheel base f250 4x4 crew I am wondering how steep of a boat launch ramp is too steep to turn around on. Some of our lakes draw way down and due to the lines...
Forum Discussion
TN has some ramps that are so long on the draw down, I've seen 6+ trucks with trailers parked along the side of the ramp. They do the same thingof drive down and turn around.
It's relative easy to figure out. Estimate where the vertical COG of the rig is. If you have no idea, figure half way up the camper is on the safe side because the truck out weighs the camper and most of it's weight is below the bed. Next, put a mark at the horizontal center of the camper at the vertical COG. Now all you need to do is figure out the angle off vertical it is on a line from the COG mark to the inside of the tire. (Inside as another safety margin and to allow for some wheel roll).
If you can't figure out the calculation, hang a string from your COG mark with a small weight on the end so it just clears the ground. Now drive down the ramp and slowly start to turn with someone watching the string. If it gets close to the inside wheel, you know it's too steep and you should stop, back up the ramp.
You will probably be very surprised that with a right weight camper it can be close to 30* which is a lot steeper than most boat ramps.
My camper is 2,400# non-basement which is light compared to my 7,000# truck. In bear jams at Cades Cove, TN, I've pulled off the road where cars were afraid to go. One time I heard a guy tell his friends "Watch him fall over." I then proceeded to almost double the angle to about 20* before stopping.
It's relative easy to figure out. Estimate where the vertical COG of the rig is. If you have no idea, figure half way up the camper is on the safe side because the truck out weighs the camper and most of it's weight is below the bed. Next, put a mark at the horizontal center of the camper at the vertical COG. Now all you need to do is figure out the angle off vertical it is on a line from the COG mark to the inside of the tire. (Inside as another safety margin and to allow for some wheel roll).
If you can't figure out the calculation, hang a string from your COG mark with a small weight on the end so it just clears the ground. Now drive down the ramp and slowly start to turn with someone watching the string. If it gets close to the inside wheel, you know it's too steep and you should stop, back up the ramp.
You will probably be very surprised that with a right weight camper it can be close to 30* which is a lot steeper than most boat ramps.
My camper is 2,400# non-basement which is light compared to my 7,000# truck. In bear jams at Cades Cove, TN, I've pulled off the road where cars were afraid to go. One time I heard a guy tell his friends "Watch him fall over." I then proceeded to almost double the angle to about 20* before stopping.
