98 Explorer loading/unloading a boat

I have a 98 Explorer (4.0 SOHC 2WD) with a Uhaul hitch (Max: 5,000lbs) installed.

Overall, the truck is great and is mostly stock minus the a few items.

I am thinking of buying a small 16' pontoon boat that'll weight about 2100lbs w/o gear and maybe 2300lbs with gear.

I don't think I will have a problem towing the boat but loading and unloading the boat will be new to me.

Has anyone had experience launching a boat and retrieving the boat with a 98 explorer?

Is there anything i can do to this truck to make this task easier?

Thanks.

 

[thebrakeman]

As long as your rear wheels don't have to go far into the water, you should be fine. Being only RWD, if you get too deep, and hit some algae on the ramp, you could get into trouble. But that goes for any RWD vehicle. Don't spin your tires pulling out, and don't dunk your exhaust.

 

[cannonman]

I have towed and launched from 94, 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2007 explorers and a 2012 Escape. Boats range from seadoos, a 3000 lb tandem axle Grew to a 4600 lb (yes overloaded the escape but no problems) single axle Four Winns and loads of sail boats runabouts and the like between. Vehicles have all been 4 wheel or AWD and as thebrakeman noted algae on the ramp can be VERY dangerous for RWD vehicles if you back in too far or launch off a steep ramp. Look at youtube for people who have sunk their ride and trailer due to lost traction and backing in too far. I have never had a problem dunking the exhaust just never turn the engine off and you should not over pressurize the exhaust system, it will happily bubble away. All that said the pontoon boat is the most concerning. Generally they have the trailer wheels UNDER the pontoons. This makes the depth of water needed to "float your boat" off the trailer easily a foot more than other trailers need. This means you need a ramp with a quick drop off under water to drop the trailer deep and keep traction on the rear wheels of your EXP. If the ramp is gradual, be very aware of how deep you are in and I would recommend having someone with a long rope and a tow vehicle in case your EXP gets stuck or tries to float off with the trailer. Inspect the ramp before also to judge how slippery it is, well used ramps should not be an issue but if you cannot stand on it, look for that guy with the stout rope. Anecdotally, a ramp across the lake my brother and I have launched many boats from had a "noob event" last weekend. Our launches have been easy and fast even though the ramp is tight. A massive near 30 ft pontoon pulled by a 4dr 4wd GMC pickup gave great entertainment as it backed in until the rear doors were a foot under water and the top of the tailgate was near level with the surface. Engine roaring, people were pushing and humping and falling off the trailer into the lake in attempts to free the boat and succeeded in the end. 4wd was the only reason that truck got out of the water and it was pouring out from under the seals of the rear doors and the full bed. They then proceeded to ram the dock. A good laugh for sure.

 

[Turdle]

You might consider a front hitch for boat ramp use. This way the rear wheels will stay out of trouble.
From what I have seen, front wheel drive cars pull a boat out better then 2wd pickups do, mainly because of where the drive wheels are. That algae is slick like ice sometimes.

 

[wifes2011xlt]

On the other hand, the tongue weight on a front hitch will raise the back end reducing the traction to the drive wheels. A rear mounted hitch helps with traction because of the added tongue weight but gets your drive wheels wet and slick. Pick your poison.

IMO, way overthinking this. Plenty of much heavier boats get pulled out of ramps with RWD tow vehicles every weekend without any issues. I don't think I have ever had to switch my 4WD on at the ramp and my boat is almost double the weight of yours. It just takes "that one time" though so I understand the question. Just make sure you have good tread on your tires and parking brake is your friend. I used to keep a bag of bird feed in my trunk to spread out on slick ramps before I got my 4wd tow vehicle in case I had any traction issues. Never used that bag once.

And if you ever have to back down far enough to dunk your exhaust, be sure not to turn the engine off.

 

[traveler]

I've used a 4 cyl 5 speed ranger to launch and retrieve a 16ft open bow runabout. Only problem I ever had was a hot clutch on retrieval. And yea... Use the parking brake and Don't shut off the engine.