Boat Launch Ramp Question

Wolfhound · May 9, 2005

Boat Launch Ramp Question/Submerged Real Axle

At the lake we use, the water level is higher than usual, and we are having to launch from the top of the ramp where it is not as steep, and the water is about to the center of rear wheels. The boat trailer is designed to have the axles submerged, but is it a problem for the truck's rear axle to be submerged like this?

mdinkle · May 9, 2005

I have not actually see it happen, but my understanding is that water can get into the rear axle and contaminate the diff fluid. I have see it written in a Ford owners manual that if the water gets that high on the wheels that you need to change the diff fluid.

But I am not sure if this is true for the Titan.

fklentz · May 9, 2005

Jeez it must be a shallow ramp for that to happen. The differential has a vent on it and if submerged water will enter it, not good. I also have a boat and launch it quite frequently. Onr of the things I see all too often is boaters that put the trailer too far into the water for launch or recovery. What I do is when first launching I back the boat in far enough to wet all the bunks and take some weight off the trailer and then pull it back up disconnect the safety chain but leave the winch cable attached with about a foot of slack. I then back it up and brake a little hard to break the boat free and then pull it out far enough that I know that I can still power it off. The recovery is easier, I know that if I put the trailer in to submerge the bunks half way I can power it out up to the stop. That's what works for me but I do strictly saltwater launching at a select few ramps near where I live, there are some that I won't use as I almost lost my last truck due to slime growing on a ramp and had to use the boat to power uot the truck. In all the launches with the titan I've never even gotten the tires wet.

Wolfhound · May 9, 2005

fklentz said:
I back the boat in far enough to wet all the bunks and take some weight off the trailer and then pull it back up disconnect the safety chain but leave the winch cable attached with about a foot of slack. I then back it up and brake a little hard to break the boat free and then pull it out far enough that I know that I can still power it off. The recovery is easier, I know that if I put the trailer in to submerge the bunks half way I can power it out up to the stop.

I launch in a very similar way. The water is so high that it is up to the parking lot and just to get the bunks wet, the truck has to have all four wheels in the water. The ramp I use is a private ramp, but I may have to consider using the fee ramp (it's steeper) until the water level drops.

krh2 · May 9, 2005

fklentz said:
Jeez it must be a shallow ramp for that to happen. The differential has a vent on it and if submerged water will enter it, not good. I also have a boat and launch it quite frequently. Onr of the things I see all too often is boaters that put the trailer too far into the water for launch or recovery. What I do is when first launching I back the boat in far enough to wet all the bunks and take some weight off the trailer and then pull it back up disconnect the safety chain but leave the winch cable attached with about a foot of slack. I then back it up and brake a little hard to break the boat free and then pull it out far enough that I know that I can still power it off. The recovery is easier, I know that if I put the trailer in to submerge the bunks half way I can power it out up to the stop. That's what works for me but I do strictly saltwater launching at a select few ramps near where I live, there are some that I won't use as I almost lost my last truck due to slime growing on a ramp and had to use the boat to power uot the truck. In all the launches with the titan I've never even gotten the tires wet.

Ya, low tide in SD and your tires are on moss. Put it in park, set the brake, and watch it slide up to a foot towards the water. Scarry. I started using wheel chocks when the ramp is slippery.

I did notice oil seeping from my axle after my new '05 rear end was installed. It looked like it was coming from a vent on the passenger side of the axle. It kind of looked like a valve stem (some kind of a "snorkel" type of vent I suppose?) Only seeped the first trip home so I think it was just purging extra oil and that there is a "vent" system.
IMO.

Wolfhound · May 9, 2005

krh2 said:
It looked like it was coming from a vent on the passenger side of the axle. It kind of looked like a valve stem (some kind of a "snorkel" type of vent I suppose?)

Thanks, my next question was going to be where is the vent? I'll take a look to see if I can see it on mine. I may not have gotten that deep with it.

NorCal 4x4 · May 9, 2005

Wolfhound said:
Thanks, my next question was going to be where is the vent? I'll take a look to see if I can see it on mine. I may not have gotten that deep with it.

They are supposed to be threaded, so you can add a fitting and hose to the bed, etc. or maybe the little side compartment. I plan to look into this, since last time I went though a deep creek I felt that I had to change the fluid right away, which isn't a big deal to do but not that fun either. Not sure if the front is also vented but I changed it out too.

JayDee · May 9, 2005

The diff vent is on the passenger side axle tube. It's a small "check valve" looking thing. I would recommend removing that THING they call a "check valve" and install some vent tube (look for some 3/8" or so black vacuum hose at the parts store) on the barb WITH a hose clamp. Then, run the tube up and attach it to the bottom of the bed where convenient (leave some slack). The FRONT diff already has a vent tube run up into the engine compartment.

I have yet to see how Nissan routed the transfer case and transmission vent tubes. If anyone knows, please let me know (don't feel like crawling under the truck while it's raining).

rcflier_97 · May 9, 2005

After launching my boats all over this state, I've never had to submerge my back wheels. I also like to get the bunks wet first, then pull it back out , relaunch. Works every time.

SuperT · May 9, 2005

GMs used to come with the hose extension and vent mounted to the crossmember as standard (at least in the mid 70s). Trouble was that the hose would normally come loose from the fitting on the differential and you'd be worse off than if the vent was located there.

HudsonValleyTitan · May 9, 2005

The Titan, from what I'm told, has a closed accordian-like expansion tube that allows for expanding and contracting of the fluid and is NOT an open vent. Therefore you can submerge the rear end with no problems.

Wolfhound · May 11, 2005

HudsonValleyTitan said:
The Titan, from what I'm told, has a closed accordian-like expansion tube that allows for expanding and contracting of the fluid and is NOT an open vent. Therefore you can submerge the rear end with no problems.

When I looked at it, I thought it looked like some sort of a one way check valve. The next time I see the shop foreman at the dealer, I'll try to confirm because one poster saw fluid discharged from this valve after their axle was replaced.

DeTitan · May 11, 2005

Perhaps a boat trailer tongue extension is in order.

It makes it a lot easier to float the boat off the trailer while keeping the tow vehicle out of farther up the ramp.

The one on my sail boat was built into the trailer, had to release two levers to extend the trailer tongue out and lock it.

Here is an after market solution for any trailer:
Extend-A-Hitch

Wolfhound · May 12, 2005

DeTitan said:
Here is an after market solution for any trailer:
Extend-A-Hitch

That would certainly resolve the problem.

Boat Launch Ramp Question

Wolfhound

mdinkle

fklentz

Wolfhound

krh2

Wolfhound

NorCal 4x4

JayDee

rcflier_97

SuperT

HudsonValleyTitan

Wolfhound

DeTitan

Wolfhound

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