4wd needed at boat ramp?

[dad911]

Byron, I suspect some of those are 4wd, but all of them are driver error.

Not that I would ever do it, but a friend of mine uses a Prius to launch his Boston Whaler.

[gumby]

4 wheel drive with a locking diff....

I had 2 wheel drive with a locking dif and it would go sideways up the ramp or not at all

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Yup....visited some of the boating forums also. Many say 2wd is fine, especially in fresh water, concrete ramps (like ours)...and then someone posts a horror story. I honestly have no need whatsoever for 4wd except for once a year boat service. I tend to think 4wd might pay for itself come resale time too. Guess I’ll hold out.

Wise, if you ask me...wet ramps can be slick, even properly grooved concrete ones. I once saw a ramp trick I thought was cool. A hitch mounted on a front bumper, used for launch only...driver could easily see what's happening all the way down.