21 ORP question using 4WD while pulling boat out of water

Guys,

So dumb question from soon to be owner. I have 21 ORP coming and have question on 4WD.

My question is with regard to when I retrieve my boat and pull it out on a trailer.

When I go to back up my trailer, after shifting into 4WD with the manual lever, am I able to go slowly back down in reverse down the rest of the ramp while in 4WD Hi.

Or alternatively, do I need to wait until I load the boat first, put in drive and then slowly put into 4WD Hi while in forward motion? I will only use the 4WD if the ramp is slippery anyway but just thinking through this.

My old Explorer was simply push button so I just pressed it when needed before pulling out boat.

Thanks for your help.

 

Yes, absolutely fine

 

You can travel forward and backward in 4HI -- no problem. You can engage 4HI moving or sitting still, though it might not immediately shift into 4HI if sitting still... a little movement helps. The only thing to consider is steering. If you have to make a hard turn, 4wd might fight you a bit when steering depending on how slick the ramp is. Corrective steering is fine, but turning hard to the locks will bind things up and you'll feel it in the steering wheel. Treat it like you did your Explorer except you've got a stick instead of a button. Have fun!

 

Great thanks guys! Yes fortunately no hard turns at the ramp, just a slow wide turn usually. I can't wait!

 

I find on occasion, 4H engagement is not immediate, so for your case of pulling a boat+trailer out of the water, I would probably ensure I'm already in 4H beforehand.