chuck21401

Hi,

I'm thinking about buying a bigger Formula this spring. The candidates include: 272, 292, or 311. I particularly like the 1989-1990 model year boats.

I'm not sure which size to get and I know that bigger is better. But I would rather get a smaller boat in excellent condition rather than a big boat that needs work. My budget would be up to 50K for boat/trailer combination. Of course I need to sell the 242LS first.

Couple of questions:
1) What size truck would I need to haul these boats?
Would a 3/4 ton truck do the trick?
2) Diesel or gas? Mostly the boat would be parked at the marina and the truck would be used to drop it in and out of the water on the weekends. I don't anticipate pulling the boat on long trips.
3) What are the top speeds/crusing speeds for:
272 with 7.4 motors?
292 with 454 magnums?
311 with 454 magnums? 502s?
I would like to cruise at 45-50mph and top out around 70mph on a good day.
4) Would I need K-planes and external steering?

Thanks for your thoughts.

mopower

272 with 330/454s...3000 rpms gets you 42mph... flat out 66/68mph. If I remember correctly 36/3800 will get you 50mph. My present 540s get me 50 mph at 3000 and into the 80s top end , but that's limited because I DO need hydraulic steering. Towed mine with a 4dr Tahoe for a couple of years. Local was fine(10 miles to ramp). Highway was a little tough , semis can blow you around . Took a 800 miles round trip to New England and beat the snot out of it in the mountains . Moved up to an F350 SRW PSD , a little overkill but I'm not sorry. F250 woulda been ok , but this was sitting there and it's RED bling bling

ThirdBird

I tow my '89 311 with a big block 3/4 ton Suburban. Does the job adequately but I wouldn't want any more boat back there than I have.

As for boat speeds; amazingly, the 272/330, 292/454mag and 311/454mag are all within a couple miles an hour of each other. They'll all do 67-68, a 272/454mag might nudge a tad more. So, get the biggest you can. Don't buy smaller thinking you'll be faster, it just ain't so. My 311 with 454mags does 67 every day full of fuel with four people. Of course, you need time to air it out just right and a little chop definitely helps.

With no or little chop and just slapped up on plane without any real friggin' around she'll hit 65 right now.

Maritime_Eng

ThirdBird is right, My father has a 1989 272 with 330hp 454 and it will do around 67mph. My 1991 311 with 502 390hp will do 70. Both are nice boats and handle what ever you can throw at them. My dad pulls his with a 3/4 ton Chevy with a 350. I pull mine with a 3/4 Dodge with a V10. I have pulled mine all over the counrty with my truck with no problem except the gas mileage! My next truck will be a diesel.

Don

Chart

If you're not looking to actually "trailer" the boat, but to simply launch it and load it, anything will work, if it's got low enough gearing. That includes an old jeep or a small tractor. Of course, the old jeep may not be able to hold the rig on the ramp, and the whole thing could get very wet.

I'd favor a 3/4 truck, but a 1/2 could also work. Gas, as paying for a diesel engine would be wasteful for you. 4wd would be a good idea, inless the ramp is ideal all the time.

Before getting the Excursion, I trailered our 302 with a half ton suburban thousands of miles. It had a vortec 350, and did much better than it should have. Airbags on the rear axle were required (while they are just a good idea on a 3/4 ton), as were strong tires and better brakes. But your needs are different. Point is, a 1/2 ton gas truck with 4wd (needed in part for the low range) will be fine for you. And they are readily available.

chuck21401

This is a very interesting point. My wife has a 1999 Land Rover Discovery. It is 4X4 with a V8 and has hi/low gearing. It is rated to tow 5500 in high and 7700 in low. I could not get her to buy a Suburban or Expedition instead of the Rover. I might be able to use this truck to launch and load the boat....but it is English.

jaybird

can you find a marina that does rack storage? You may want to look into it if you are not taking road trips. Then no truck needed, just call ahead and the boat is in the water. Then the extra $$ can be budgeted for more boat .

Chart

Well, whatever you do with it, DON'T GO DOWN THE RAMP DEEP ENOUGH GET ITS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WET!!!

RedDog382

I have a friend that may be looking to sell his '91 311 soon ... moving up to a 382. Clean boat. I'll have to get back to you when he finalizes the 382 deal.

formula1

Chuck21401, personally, I would not tow one of those big Formulas without a 3/4 ton or better truck/SUV. You're asking for trouble if and when something breaks on a 1/2 ton and you can't stop and you wind up hurting someone. The liability alone is far to great to risk hurting you, your family or someone else's!

Certainly, if you can spring for the extra cash, the diesel is the way to go. You'll save lots of $$ in fuel economy and they should last more than a couple 100k miles (if properly maintained). I also noticed that while towing my 1990 292SR1
that depending on the tow vehicle, I get a little sway out of the rear of the truck at certain speeds-mostly highway. Bigger tires or a dually fixes that. With my F350 dually PSD, we not only tow the boat, we even use it on family trips because the fuel MPG isn't much less than our van!

I've been considering selling my 292SR1. It is a 1990 with twin 454 mags (only 325 hours!) and a triple axle Eagle trailer. I'm considering a 280SS or 330SS. With the 3 bladed Mirages, it topped off at 70 MPH. But, I don't ever run it that hard. Usually 45-55 MPH is best, especially with the wife and kids.