I've been towing a 6400 lb. boat with a Chevy 2500 6.0L 4x4 and using 4WD when pulling it up the ramp without a problem. I have found a good deal on a 2004.5 D/A 2WD and am thinking about purchasing it. Do you think it can pulll this boat up ramp without the wheels slipping or should I look for another 4X4? I have read that having a limit slip differential or locking one should be as good as having 4WD for this task. If so, how can I find out if the truck has it? Any experience towing boats with 2WD?

lol the funny thing is just this weekend i tried to pull out in 2wd. I felt my limited slip lock up but i didnt move.

4Hi is a very nice option, you never know when you might need it.

Easy on the peddle and you may have to air down but you should be OK.
Have you tried 2wd in your 6.0L?

How big is your boat? How steep is the ramp? Is the ramp concrete, gravel, clay or sand? Is here a slimy green moss on the ramp? All of these things should factor in your decision. In the last 30 years of launching different bass boats, I've needed 4WD 3 times IIRC.

I used my 4X4 quite a bit on the ramp. Several times at the end of the day, the ramp is all wet and at the bottom you have the moss/algae. I spun them (both rears) a few times with very little acceleration. Its always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

This is my first 4X4 truck. I have been pulling my 16K boat out in two wheel drive for the last 10 years without a problem. Of course I have always had a dually so there are 4 tires pulling together back there. If you have two people you could always push a little with the boat to get it started while your coming out. The biggest secret is not to spin the tires. If it starts to slip then let off the gas a bit till it grabs again and ease back on the pedel.

I use my 4wd every time I pull my boat out of the water, just so I don't spin. Not that I'd be stuck without 4wd, but since I have it, and it is just a push button away, I use it. No spinning, smoking, and squealing for me!
I also use my 4wd every time I drive up my driveway which is gravel and has a sloped area where the rear wheels like to slip a little, just enough to mess up the stones and make them like a wash board. I'd make it up without, but it is better, easier, and probably good to engage the 4wd anyway.
If you buy it, you will use it and you will like it...

Depends on the boat ramp. I've seen 2wds get pulled in the water because they start to spin and the truck just slides on back into the water. Very disasterous.

Better to be safe than sorry. When I had my '98 2wd, I would spin when pulling my buddys 18' Wellcraft out of Lake Travis here in TX. Now that is a very steep incline and normally wet and mossy, but then I got my '99 4wd, same ramp and boat, 4lo just crawl on up. :ro) Have used it ever since if I need it or not.

Quick funny story;
Two months ago, I was pulling my buddy's 2 jetskis out of the water, (down here all of the lakes are low, very low) and the trailer tires came off the end of the ramp and into mud and my rear tires were in slime. I darn near got stuck with 2 jetskis:badidea: One push of a button and presto:ro) a photo opertunity avoided.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/mooner34/LakeAustin.jpg (http://photobucket.com/)

):h :exactly: enough said.

Dude, you can see the guy pukeing there on the ramp-:t :D

What lake was that, Waco?

Lake Austin, a friend of mine took the picture and sent it to me.

Had to be an Aggie truck!!! :)

Looks like it's pulling down the front of the boat. Probably still connected to the winch, and with all that tension, can't unhook.
Wouldn't that be the ultimate insult, to rip the bow hook out of the boat and ruin that, too.

I only have 2WD and haven't had any problems pulling mine (+/- 5500#). A little tire spin here and there but just be easy on the pedal. Of course, the ramp conditions as mentioned earlier will have a lot to do with how well your 2WD will pull it out.

Better to be safe than sorry. When I had my '98 2wd, I would spin when pulling my buddys 18' Wellcraft out of Lake Travis here in TX. Now that is a very steep incline and normally wet and mossy, but then I got my '99 4wd, same ramp and boat, 4lo just crawl on up. :ro) Have used it ever since if I need it or not.

Quick funny story;
Two months ago, I was pulling my buddy's 2 jetskis out of the water, (down here all of the lakes are low, very low) and the trailer tires came off the end of the ramp and into mud and my rear tires were in slime. I darn near got stuck with 2 jetskis:badidea: One push of a button and presto:ro) a photo opertunity avoided.

Your Lucky, I had the same thing happen but my trailer (for a 23' deck boat) went off the end of the ramp in a prop wash out bowl, or on a chunk of concrete or large rock. Either way I heard it hit and get hung up, put it into 4lo, 1st gear, and let off the break, and nothing. I gave it a little gas, and started spinning tires very slowly. I stopped and tried pointing in different angles, nothing... I finally "got on it" and started spinning all of them and sliding back and forth across the ramp (did I mention this was a steep ramp). Finally I backed up more into the water (not a good feeling) pointed it 45deg. to the left and hammered it. It finally bounced over what ever it was hung on and I got it up the ramp. luckilly there was very little damage, Just need to straigten out the fender tin and the spring shackle was kinda ground down.

To give you an idea of how stuck I was, when I got home and put the boat away I was pulling out the trailer hitch from the receiver and noticed the flange that the ball mounts to was bent at 45 degrees and the ball was pointing backwards rather than straight up.... nearly lost the trailer that day.... then I would have been the one -:t -:t

My 2 cents........I've never owned a 4X4 until I bought this truck. I use 4hi everytime I launch or pull out my boat. It is one thing if you know the ramp it's a whole different story when you don't. They are all different and some of them are steep, narrow and slimey. It also launch with my 11'6" 4000 lb camper on. I'd hate for that to end up in the lake. On another note I pulled my buddies motorhome out of the sand with my rig. First time I ever used 4lo because I had to:cool2: I also use 4hi to pull up on my leveling blocks to level the camper. Very handy........

Lucky that guy had the windows open in his truck):h ....what a nightmare:eek:

I solved this problem several years ago by putting hitch on the front bumper. Once in the parking lot, unhooked the boat, did a 180* with the truck, rehooked, and was gone.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/mooner34/LakeAustin.jpg (http://photobucket.com/)

I was just about to post that same pic....:D

I was just about to post that same pic....:D

The sticker on the back window tells it all.

How many dumbasses does it take to bury a nice *** boat and truck in the middle of the lake? None but it only takes one dumbassed AGGIE.):h :lol:

you never know when your gana need for 4x4. I picked up a 2wd truck and now I regret it.

Thanks for all of your responses and great pictures. I am still trying to figure out how the truck and trailer got so far in the water and away from the ramp. I decided on a 2004 D/A CC SB 4X4 and purchased it today. I was looking at extended cabs because that's what I have now in the 6.0L gasser. I really liked the space in the crew cab and the regular doors. I thought about how many times I have used the 4WD in my other truck and SUVs. I remembered that it got me out of a difficult situation when I got stuck with the hitch digging into the ground when driving through a divit in a dirt parking lot with the boat and trailer loaded. I used 4lo and got the load moving on. I would have had to call a tow truck if I didn't have the 4wd. This is a great website and I have learned a lot of info in a short time by reading your posts!

Thanks for all of your responses and great pictures. I am still trying to figure out how the truck and trailer got so far in the water and away from the ramp.


Its quite easy especially on steep ramps. There is so much backward force that when the truck is trying to go back up ramp and starts to spin, it loses all traction and its own weight pulls it back into the water. Then the water just lifts truck up and pulls it farther back. And he one in the pic looks like boat was still attached to trailer so thats even worse.

The idiot with the truck in the lake must be a complete moron.

I have never needed 4x4 to get a boat up a ramp. Three years ago a guy with a 1500 suburban 4x4 could not pull his 26 foot twin engine Roballo up the ramp. Mainly due to the lake being extramly low and having to have the trailer axles off the end of the ramp to load the boat on the trailer.

Finally he took the boat off the trailer and we hooked it to my 2 wheel drive crew cab dooley. Then loaded the boat again. Put ten guys in the bed of the truck and I pulled the boat out first try. I just kept it in low and never let the tires spin.

4 wheel drive is nice at a ramp but not needed if you think.

The idiot with the truck in the lake must be a complete moron.

I have never needed 4x4 to get a boat up a ramp. Three years ago a guy with a 1500 suburban 4x4 could not pull his 26 foot twin engine Roballo up the ramp. Mainly due to the lake being extramly low and having to have the trailer axles off the end of the ramp to load the boat on the trailer.

Finally he took the boat off the trailer and we hooked it to my 2 wheel drive crew cab dooley. Then loaded the boat again. Put ten guys in the bed of the truck and I pulled the boat out first try. I just kept it in low and never let the tires spin.

4 wheel drive is nice at a ramp but not needed if you think.

Can you also turn water to wine, and lead to gold??):h

Can you also turn water to wine, and lead to gold??):h

Point was 4x4 with no traction and needing high rpm to develop torque to get boat trailer over ramp lip could not do it. A diesel with lots of weight on the back tires, and low rpm torque could.

I have never needed 4x4 to get a boat up a ramp, not even some very steep ramps on lake comberland.

I can think of a few lakes and boat ramps here and in the Gulf of Mexico where you'd get screwed without 4x4. :)


Keep in mind you had to put 10 guys in the bed of your truck. What if you didnt have that option?

Point was 4x4 with no traction and needing high rpm to develop torque to get boat trailer over ramp lip could not do it. A diesel with lots of weight on the back tires, and low rpm torque could.

I have never needed 4x4 to get a boat up a ramp, not even some very steep ramps on lake comberland.

When I was 6 (1981) the old man was pulling our little caravelle up the big hill (not the actual ramp but the hill away from the ramp) at Waitesboro with his mid 70's dodge custom van (2wd, side pipes, 383, mag wheels, Moonscape mural on the side, with shag carpeting, sears catalog walpapered paneling interior.... God I loved that van), anyway its pooring down rain, and of course the tires start spinning and the whole rig starts to slide back...:eek: needless to say at 6yo I was scared $hitle$$... Luckily he was able to get traction and granny it up the rest of the way....

If you know Waitesboro, you'll know how bad this was.

Rather than reading posts from 4wd owners gushing about how great 4wd is, hows about a few posts of constructive solutions for 2wd - other than "buy a 4wd". I can't afford to buy a 4wd right now.

So, how about this. It seems like weight is the real issue here. Since tongue weight seems to decrease as you back down a steep ramp (i.e., like when two guys are carrying a long load up a stairs, the guy on the bottom bears most of the load), wouldn't it make sense that you need extra weight over your back wheels to maintain the same tongue weight and traction at the ramp? Since I don't have 10 guys handy to stand in the back of my truck at all times, I borrowed my buddies wakeboard water ballast bag that holds 700 lbs. I can fill and empty it pretty fast with the pump, even do it at the lake. I think 700 lbs ought to do it. I know snow plow guys that will put a load of snow in their pick-up bed to maintain traction.

That was the one and only time I needed to add weight to the back of the truck.

I have found with two wheel drive you just go easy on the go pedal. I have yet to need 4 wheel drive to get up a boat ramp. Some times I have had to watch where I stopped the back wheels of the truck.

One time on a real slimy ramp I put some sand down where I was backing the rear tires.

I currently have a 4x4 truck and have yet to use it at a boat ramp.

Well, I don't think it's available on the pre-2006 models, but it seems the '06 allison transmissions have a "low traction" mode designed just for times like this. You shift into M and put the gear selector on (2). If it senses wheel slip it automatically limits torque to the rear so you can keep traction. At least, that's what it says in the manual.

My idea of using a water ballast bag that holds 700 lbs. worked perfect. I was able to pull my 9,000lb. boat up a steep wet and slippery (and part dirt) boat ramp in 2wd without the rear tires slipping at all! Easy to fill and easy to empty (no lifting anything). It's a cheap alternative to 4wd, since I can't afford to buy one right now. The only ramps in Texas now it seems are pretty steep (or closed because of the drought).