Parking brake needed for boat launching?

I have a 2002 Silverado and when I recently had new brakes done all around, the parking brake was too rusted to put back on and it was too expensive to put a new one in. So I am wondering if I’m going to be OK launching a very heavy 24 foot bowrider on steep ramps from here on out. I always use the parking brake as an extra measure of security with that much weight on a steep ramp.

I’m trying to hold onto this truck as long as I can to avoid new truck payments, but the parking brake, combined with other money I’ve had to put into it this year is really making me think twice. If I can get away with not having a parking brake, I’d like to push it a bit farther without needing a new truck.

I always put mine in 4×4 then put it in park.

If you watch boat ramp fail videos, all of them, the rear parking brake is engaged when they pull it out

I would fix the parking brake. What you will burn up in gas in a weekend in your boat, will cover the cost of that parking brake

About 10 years ago a fella just launched his boat with a friend. New Chev Tahoe if I recall…and I mean new. I don’t recall the boat but I’m thinking it was an 18′ aluminum of somesort. They were on a steeper ramp.

Put in park and launched the boat. Next thing he knew he was running for help as his trailer and truck were drifting downstream.

After it was pulled out by the local towing company 2.5 hours later…shifter was still in park.

Since that day I’ve always used my parking brakes.

Man it was ugly…. Good Luck Queens.

Could always pick up some wheel chocks. They’re probably more effective than a parking brake. I’ve always heard that if you don’t use a parking brake on a regular basis, they become useless.

I second the wheel chock idea … my Tundra’s parking brake was toast (rust) and I used a $10 wheel chock whenever launching the boat. I did have a local repair shop replace the parking brake later at a fraction of what the dealer wanted. Dealer was going to replace everything with new parts whereas the local guy just fixed what needed fixing and worked fine afterwards for a hundred bucks or so.

Same thing happened to me on my last truck. One ton with a 4 – speed manual tranny. Parking brake rusted out. On steeper ramps, I used a home made wheel chuck. A piece of 4×4 fence pole. I attached a rope long enough to reach from the rear wheel to the driver side window. That way you could just drive off and drag the chuck to the top of the ramp.

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Same thing happened to me on my last truck. One ton with a 4 – speed manual tranny. Parking brake rusted out. On steeper ramps, I used a home made wheel chuck. A piece of 4×4 fence pole. I attached a rope long enough to reach from the rear wheel to the driver side window. That way you could just drive off and drag the chuck to the top of the ramp.

-J.

Genius idea.

David Blais wrote:

I always put mine in 4×4 then put it in park.

If you watch boat ramp fail videos, all of them, the rear parking brake is engaged when they pull it out

Exactly.

It’s not the parking brake or transmission failing (parking pawl), it’s a loss of traction at the rear wheels that causes the large majority of trucks to take a dunk.

Having the parking brake set in two wheel drive doesn’t help a thing on a slick ramp.

If you need to get the rear tires wet on a slick (algae) ramp, put it in 4×4 and in park everytime. Set the brake if you like.

The real key is that your front tires are on ground with better traction, and cannot free wheel since the differential is engaged.

Find an automotive tool dealer (Snap-On, Mac,etc) and buy a brake pedal depressor.

Good points guys about it not being a brake issue but a traction issue. I do always have it in 4WD and in Park, so that should be good enough. I may take your idea of putting down wheels chocks as well just as an extra safeguard.

I just always get nervous when I’m winching up this boat because it is a beast.

I have a foot long chunk of 4×4 lumber in the bed of my truck on the drivers side. As soon as I park in the water, that goes behind a wheel. I’ve personally witnessed three vehicles in the water at a non-crazy-busy MN access. I don’t want to be the 4th…