If I were to fit a limited slip differential to my Hiace would it help it get up slippery boat ramps? Or do I actually need a locker to do that?
Some weight over the drive wheels would be your first, cheap option. Doesnt it already have a LSD? A difflock will make both wheels turn together increasing drive distribution and therefore grip.
Hang on, you asked for an expert, ignore all written.
If I were to fit a limited slip differential to my Hiace would it help it get up slippery boat ramps? Or do I actually need a locker to do that?
Boat ramps are generally pretty symmetric, left side just as slippery as right side (or is that port and starboard?), there's usually not much twist in the ramp that would unweight one of the driven wheels. So neither of those diffs would help much at all. Put down 2 rolls of carpet long enough to be weighted by the front wheels on the dry section of the ramp.
Get a compressor and let your front tyres down to 12-16psi. Then five minutes or less to reair. Diff locker won't work real well for the reason given above and if you get an automatic (read cheaper) diff locker then it will make all sorts of weird noises on road which get annoying.
Get a compressor and let your front tyres down to 12-16psi. Then five minutes or less to reair. Diff locker won't work real well for the reason given above and if you get an automatic (read cheaper) diff locker then it will make all sorts of weird noises on road which get annoying.
Don't you mean rear tyres?
Get some bags on sand and put them in the back over the rear wheels. Extra weight will help with traction.
Won't always be enough but Ive had slippery days were 2 guys standing on the tow hitch makes all the difference.
Slippery ramps are a bugger...seen more than one or two or three cars in the drink due to slippery...
My tip...get a draw bar extension and keep the back wheels away from the slime....great for beach launch too.
Why..... I witnessed first hand a new cruiser (some years back) back a 13ft tinny down a ramp...very very low tide. The guy stopped...applied the hand brake...got out and to his horror ,the angle of the ramp was too great and the whole rig just slid very slowly backwards into the water. (tried throwing / placing rocks under the wheels, but could not get them to bite enough once the rig was moving....sadly)
Many years ago my tow car was a morris minor 1500, front wheel drive, we just got the mates to sit on the front guards.
And to add to that we sometimes left a mate in the boat and he powered up the motor to help push up the ramp. Always good for a laugh
So just add weight to back of your van, or as climber said, draw bar extension, if you have a good solid jockey wheel a 5 metre length of rope (or what ever length you need to keep out of the slippery stuff) will do the trick to both launch and retrieve, as was the way it was done with the old wooden clinker ski boats when trailers didn't have winched and we floated the boat onto the submerged trailer.
A great idea is a spare wheel, hub, bearing etc on a swing away bracket that can be used at the ramp or beach
Or just go to a better boat ramp
no need for sandbags, simply move your trailer axle/s more rearward to increase your towball weight. just add a fair bit and you wont have an issue
Get a compressor and let your front tyres down to 12-16psi. Then five minutes or less to reair. Diff locker won't work real well for the reason given above and if you get an automatic (read cheaper) diff locker then it will make all sorts of weird noises on road which get annoying.
Don't you mean rear tyres?
Thought the Hiace vans were front wheel drive. Otherwise, yes, rear wheels.
no need for sandbags, simply move your trailer axle/s more rearward to increase your towball weight. just add a fair bit and you wont have an issue
100% agree. I used to have a vl towing a 16ft f/glass boat and had the same issue.
I moved the boat way forward but it became to heavy on the highway and had limited steering ( quiet scary) so I got a weight distribution hitch. Worked very well and I'm sure you would find one second hand somewhere. Alot cheaper than air locker or lsd and can be taken with you if you sell the car.
If you struggle to pull out of a slippery ramp again, try getting someone to leave the boat engine on and put it in forward. The boat will effectively help push from the back. I have a run about boat and pull with a falcon wagon and have never had trouble, but my brother had a heavy ski boat which sat somewhat high on the trailer, and the lack of bee in the water meant all the weight was on the trailer as opposed to being floated by the boat. When a slippery low tide ramp was presented, we would knock the v8 into gear and help the thing get pulled out. Don't floor it though or it may jump off the trailer, and with an outboard perhaps lift the leg somewhat so you don't drag on the ramp.
To answer original question- locker.
Dependent on type of lsd it can put power to wheel with grip, not always helpful if that wheel only just has traction.
Locker both wheels will turn at same rate.
Most important thing with ramps is make sure you arent dropping trailer off end of ramp, check condition of ramp there is always better lanes on the ramp. When driving out handbrake on feed power gradually until you feel weight take up then constant power to top. See so many people use power to get to top & wonder why they sliding backwards.