Ford F-150 Owner Totally Blows It at the Boat Ramp
I will be the first to admit that I suck at backing up a trailer. So, I am treading lightly here – you know, the whole “he who is without sin…” thing. That being said, this Ford F-150 owner had a particularly hard go of it at the boat ramp. A video shows the aftermath of what not to do when backing a boat trailer on the boat ramp.
How do you use a boat ramp?
Not like this. According to CarScoops, our unfortunate Ford F-150 Platinum driver was heading for a nice day on the Napa River for what I assume was meant to be a day of fishing and lounging. However, the day never got started because our hero here made the unfortunate yet understandable mistake of pulling too far down the boat ramp with his pickup truck.
While it’s easy to throw popcorn from the cheap seats, this kind of thing happens to many new boat haulers.
Why are boat ramps so difficult?
Boat ramps made of concrete with large grooves cut into them laterally to give trucks more traction. However, the part of the ramp that is in the water becomes as slick as ice due to algae. So, once he realizes he went too far into the water, the F-150 driver tries to pull back up the ramp. Try as he might, the rear tires spun, slipped, and sputtered.
His major mistake was not putting the truck in four-wheel drive. A bystander tries to tell the driver but the advice, although sound, is too late.
CarScoops mentions that the video seems to show the boat still hooked up to the trailer when it started floating. This caused the half-submerged truck’s rear wheels to lift, now making the truck more boat than a car.
How did he even get here?
While it seems most likely that he may have pulled too far down the boat ramp without unhooking the boat, it’s also possible that the truck could have been left in neutral or simply not in park when he got out, and it rolled into the drink.
Thankfully a nearby good samaritan hopped into his Jeep and winched the Ford F-150 and its boat out of the water and back up the boat ramp.
What’s the lesson here?
As with most recreational activities that involve vehicles, you have to take your time and learn how to operate your equipment safely. It is possible that this driver knew well how to drive down the boat ramp and something simply went wrong. But more times than not, in these situations, someone has done something foolish or hastily that led them astray.
All we know is that boat ramps are notoriously treacherous and tricky things to navigate. If you want to start launching your boat, take heed of this video and make sure you have the right gear and you know how to use it.
