Another way for jet skiers to annoy responsible boat owners

[Timmo]

Went for a ski yesterday and on returning to the ramp I noticed a truck sitting on the ramp. No problem as the ramp is two lanes and although a bit tight is OK for two trailers. Once I backed my trailer down I noticed what was happening next door on the ramp.

There was a truck with a rather large Kawasaki jet ski sitting on the back. To launch it there was an electric/hydraulic system that extended the frame the jet ski was sitting on behind the truck, it then lowered the frame to ground level and it then rolled back into the water attached via a cable to the truck. The proccess was then reversed to bring the frame back onto the back of the truck.

Now when we arrived at the ramp the launch proccess had started and by the time we had driven from the car park to the ramp, backed down, retrieved the boat and driven back up to the car park, tied the boat down, checked everything and had a chat, the jet ski had just floated off the frame. I would estimate the whole proccess of launching the jet ski would have taken 15 minutes at least, the whole time sitting on the ramp.The guy operating the device might have been a learner and took longer than normal, but it's still a very long, convoluted system.

I've never seen this system before and it begs the question, why? What advantage does this system offer over a trailer? No licence fee and no trailer maintenance but what a pain, the grief you would receive on a busy day at the ramp just wouldn't be worth it. Also unless you want to drive round with a jet ski on the back of your truck all the time you would have to unload once you got back home.

Wondering if anyone has seen this system before? I get the feeling it may be an "American invention" as I've never seen it before and it was on the back of a GMC truck which are very rare over here. It looks like it would only fit on a GMC or and F truck as our Hilux, Ranger, D Max utes would be too small.

Lets hope it doesn't catch on!!!

[Pnwrider]

Maybe he has another trailer he pulls to go camping or for whatever and this allows him to bring the jet ski as well?

I've seen people back their trucks deep enough to have the tailgate underwater and then drag the pwc in... not how I'd do it.

[jk13]

When you have an actual Jet Ski (i.e. a stand up) two guys can lift it out of the bed in seconds.

What you are describing sounds like something our local HD dealership uses for bikes. Rolls all the way out and lays flat on the ground. Load up bike and tie it down, then it hoists the whole thing back up into the bed. Seems a bit overkill and time consuming to me too.

[Bill_AirJunky]

I have a neighbor who carries his 2 standups in the bed of his truck & uses a winch to pull them in to the bed. He uses dollys in the garage to move them around. The routine doesn't really take any more time than if he used a trailer. Not having a trailer means less to buy, store, insure, license, maintain, etc.

I've seen similar setups used to carry motorcycles in a truck bed, usually big, heavy bikes that would be difficult to ride up & down a ramp.

[WINEGRAPEGROWER]

Could that be an Aussie thing?? From the pic, ya'll got a funny way of skiing down there!

Edited November 2, 2015 by WINEGRAPEGROWER

[Timmo]

Cold that be an Aussie thing?? From the pic, ya'll got a funny way of skiing down there!

You have to turn the picture upside down as it was taken "down under" in the southern hemisphere.

[powderski14]

They got these for snowmobiles as well.... Sled beds

[oldjeep]

They got these for snowmobiles as well.... Sled beds

Yup, sounds like what you see for snowmobiles around here - looks like they have a jetski version as well.

http://www.truckbossdecks.com/

http://www.truckbossdecks.com/flexx_loader.html

Edited November 2, 2015 by oldjeep

[twitchee2]

I used to have one. Jettrax. It was awesome. No towing speed limit (CA) took less than 3 min to launch or retrieve. It was an awesome setup.

In the video i had to put the drain plugin or it would have taken even less time.

http://s26.photobucket.com/user/twitchee2/media/jetskiunload_zps90bbd486.mp4.html?sort=3&o=274

[Gord91f3]

That's way to complicated, back when the kids were young I stretched the trailer out another ten feet added bunks for two wave runners,

I pulled it whith a 32 class A. It looked fantastick painted it all up matching colors we would get to the ramp all 70 feet of fun the kids would jump on there skies the wife in the boat and back it in. kids would back off left and right the wife down the center two min tops, I would head for the R V park and game on was a greate rig it was sad when the kids grew up because I had no one to play with anymore but life goes on and I am sure I have a few pics some wear will post them. It was a fast mod to the trailer. I extended the frame rails added some crossmembers and slid the axels back to weight it right was easy. It's s***ty summers over but hay we have a foot of snow up at big white waxed the boards this weekend and two feet more and we are on the hill. Have fun ....

Gordie..