RV camping and boat launch/retrieve question

new owner Winnie Aspect 2006 E450 chassis

looking at fishing/camping trips

some campgrounds have no docks or beach area which means boats have to be launched/retrieved daily which I think would be a major hassle with the RV.

Wondering what others have done.  Thinking maybe a polite request to another fishing/camper would provide a loan of a pick-up but maybe that's unrealistic.

looking for advice.

thx
mark in MN

I'll wait with your for this discussion.  Something I've been thinking about since we bought the MH...but I've so far not towed my boat or anything with it.

In my case... a lot of the ramps around here are rather long (tidal water) and in some cases steep with a sharp angle at the top.  Thinking this through, what concerns me is my long overhang frame extension.... that is one long lever between the rear axle and the hitch...and I wonder if I'd be scraping my transom before my rear wheels started to drop.

Secondarily I'm concerned about getting the whole house angled on the ramp and finding that it's a bit slippery...not so concerned about it sliding in really....but that I might not be able to get the rig back up the ramp!

I recon the best scenarios are the little flat water ramps on small lakes where the drop is so short to the water's edge that the tow vehicle stays level while launching.
Otherwise I think I might look into a front bumper mounted hitch for launching.

anyway, good luck to you!

Thx for reply.  I recall an incident many years ago at the long and steep boat ramp on the GA side of the Walter F George reservior; an RV was attempting to recover a boat and blew something which resulted in tranny fluid all over the ramp.  A big mess and no doubt an expensive incident for the RV owner.

oldryder said:

Thx for reply.  I recall an incident many years ago at the long and steep boat ramp on the GA side of the Walter F George reservior; an RV was attempting to recover a boat and blew something which resulted in tranny fluid all over the ramp.  A big mess and no doubt an expensive incident for the RV owner.

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A transmission line or whatever could break no matter what you're driving. That has to be very rare.

Maybe 30 years ago I launched and loaded a 20' aluminum boat into the Pacific at the Monterey Bay boat ramp, with our 31' Suncruiser. That was a bit stressful. first and only time. I guarantee that launching a boat with a motorhome will get you an audience, and these days, the cell phones will be out in case you goof up.

When I go to Branson and take the bass boat, I've gotten the campground maintenance man to put my boat in the water for me. I've always given him a small tip ($10 or so), I've had to insist he take it. I did leave it in the water and rented a slip for 3-4 days from the campground. Then they were always happy to retrieve it for me too.

I've seen and used all sorts of facilities. Or lack of facilities. Will you be launching a trailer boat? Or a cartop boat,canoe, or inflatable?  If you can get a waterfront site, or the sites are spread enough to give access, you can pull the boat up and tie-off to shore.  A few places where boating is a big thing may have rental slips or a public use dock.

Asking for help is a hit of miss thing. Many areas have plenty of friendly and helpful folks, while others tend to be suspicious and private. You have to talk to people and listen to the vibes.

Everyone thx for replies.  The place in question is a state park on a very large lake in ND which has windy conditions more often than not so beaching not an option and no dock facilities.  Park ranger reported they don't help so I'll look into resorts on the same lake which might have docks or helpful staff.

Lots to learn about RV camping....

My experience has been that most campers are friendly and willing to help out. The exception is near a large city where the campgrounds get mostly weekenders escaping the city.

SLOweather said:

Maybe 30 years ago I launched and loaded a 20' aluminum boat into the Pacific at the Monterey Bay boat ramp, with our 31' Suncruiser. That was a bit stressful. first and only time. I guarantee that launching a boat with a motorhome will get you an audience, and these days, the cell phones will be out in case you goof up.

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  One of several reasons that I want to convert ours to 4 WD, with a 2-speed transfer case! Sometimes those ramps are a little steep and a little slick!   

I can only speak to ONE campground where boating is popular but there is no dock
The public dock is about half a mile down the cross road.

Solution is obvious.  You head to the launch. Launch and one of you pilots the tow vehicle back to the CG while the other floats the boat to the CG Dock.

If I had a trailered boat, I'd think hard about using a winch to control the trailer's move up and down the ramp. Perhaps even go to the extent of installing a larger wheel at the front of the trailer.

Ernie

I haven't done it yet but I plan on making a tongue extension like this one.
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?attachments/img_2585-jpg.136256/

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?attachments/img_2588-jpg.136257/

If worst comes to worst, just offer $10,00 or more to someone with a truck to launch and pull out the boat.

billwild said:

If worst comes to worst, just offer $10,00 or more to someone with a truck to launch and pull out the boat.

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I'll do it for ten thousand.  )
Oh, maybe you meant 10 dollars.  ;D ;D ;D (

Rene T said:

I'll do it for ten thousand.  )
Oh, maybe you meant 10 dollars.  ;D ;D ;D (

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I think he meant $10....But just in case...I'll do it for $9999.00 and I'll throw in a bag of ice ;D ;D

I've been boating and RVing for nearly 40 years.  2 things you don't do.

1  Launch a boat with a Class C - some do, and some make it interesting for us to watch in lawn chairs with a six pack at the docks when they submerge the rear cabinets, especially with the rear generator running.

2  Ask someone else to launch your boat.  Just something you don't do.  You might get a sucker or two once in a while, but it can't be part of your vacation plan.

You end up doing what the rest of us do - the wife brings another car to launch, or your traveling friends have a launch vehicle, or you go to a lake that has a launch service.

Thx for replies.  I especially like the comment about submerging the rear of the vehicle.

I had already figured out that my best option was to find resorts with a launching service or similar.

one step up the learning curve ...

mark in MN

Oldryder.  You could do like the guy I saw yesterday on 395 headed north toward Crowley Lake.  He had an old Class C motor home, about 25'-26' long, pulling what looked to be an old Suzuki Samari. Hitched to the back of the Sammy was an old aluminum fishing boat(you know, the kind with about a 7-8 horse outboard)on a trailer.

Made me laugh out loud.


(Wow, did I type the word "old" a lot in that post.  Must be a theme.)

I've been doing this for over 8 years now. 2000 Fleetwood Tioga 23b/Crownline 180BR(3,200lbs). Easy peasy. The Ford 6.8 litre pulls the boat fine at highway speeds. With 7' from the rear axle to the trailer tongue, backing is easier than with a pickup truck. I prefer to launch the boat by myself without any help. My wife/kid/friends will help me prep the boat for launch, then get out of the way as I have found them, while good intentions, to be a distraction. At times, when I launch at a ramp with multiple lanes, I get people taking photos/videos. While their boyfriends and/or husbands are pulling forward for the 8th time to straighten out there $60k truck and $80k boat, I am in, float the boat off the trailer, a quick tie off to the pier (yes you need a pier if launching solo), and off to the parking lot. All while the pickups are still trying to launch.

Key is don't let your back tires touch the water if the ramp has algae under the waterline. I have found the steeper the ramp, the easier to launch as the boat floats off the trailer sooner. At no time in my rear bumper, never mind my "cabinets" are close to the water . I wish I had the 4WD (6WD?) version of of my 23b model RV, but they are hard to find, and a little pricey.

So yes, it is doable. Take your time backing. Keep the front widows open for a quick egress if necessary(that goes for ALL vehicles on the ramp). And keep your back wheels out of the water. Have fun and stay safe.

Oh, and another option. My father installed a receiver on the front of his class "C" years ago that worked very well. He would unhook the boat trailer, spin the RV around and hook up using the front ball. This way, it was easy to "back down" the ramp, and his rear tires were nowhere near the water.

I hope this helped a little. Have fun and stay safe.

Al