I stand corrected. The Dodge DRW will tow with a Ford, but the GM trucks are around 1000# less with a conventional hitch

wrong. If you check GVW, you may be right, but if you add what theweight of truck, GM are lighter, thus making it able to tow heavier, even if it has a smaller GVW...

Thanks Randy. I looked (or saw) this boat. Looks real nice but too much $ for me...I maybe could pay the boat, but not the gas on top of the boat! If you have any other boat in the 70-80 k, let me know!

http://www.chevrolet.com/trailering/

I have been happy with the Fords I have owned but at heart have always been a fan of GM. So when I went looking for a truck I went to a GMC dealership. I talked to the owner and he went to GM. None would say GM would pull a 15000# load with a conventional hitch. The weight rating on the link says "when properly equipped". At the time I was looking that meant 5th wheel to pull that much weight.

I would like to add that the owner personally guaranteed (not in writing however) that the truck wouldn't have a problem and that I would not have any warrenty problems at his dealership so I don't doubt the truck will do it. As a matter of fact I seldom see anyone pulling a 382 with a 1Ton Dually of any manufacture. So its more of a cover your ass than anything else.

Ok, so this is making more sense now. You let a $500 hitch job pick your truck? You mean to tell me the factory Ford hitch IS rated for 15,000 lbs weight carrying? I have a hard time believing that. No matter which brand you choose, you'll likely need to upgrade your hitch in order to pull 15,000 lbs weight carrying (or even distrubuted for that matter). The Chevy is rated for 16,500 based on the link YOU provided. I'm sure Dodge is similar.

I think that's a bit short sighted to pick a truck based on the factory hitch rating. Most 3/4 and 1 ton pickups are rated for 7500 lbs or less with the factory hitch (likely your Ford too), even thought the truck is capable of much much more (legally and safely) if you replace the hitch.

Personally, I'd inspect and verify ALL the components involved in towing instead of taking the dealer's word about something. I doubt they know as much as you think they do about towing.

This will be my last one, as I don't want to hi-jack the thread.

Good luck in your Formula search. I honestly think both the 353 and the 382 are very nice boats capable of running in most of the water that we encounter regularly out here on the West Coast.

John

I also apoligize for hijacking the thread.

Johnny G you are confusing me with the the originator of this thread. I was just giving my .02 about the 382. I already have the 382 and my choice of trucks was based in large part on not wanting to convert the trailer to a fith wheel setup.

This is the Ford towing information site.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/assets/p...FSD_towing.pdf

I think Johnny and I agree that any Formula is a great boat and your decision should be based on your needs and your tow vehicle.

To get back to your question. Used 382's are not a lot more expensive than smaller boats. So its tempting to go for the bigger boat. I think we can all agree that the big boat has a better ride, costs more to run, is slower, heavier, and requires a bigger truck of whatever brand. I have never seen a 382 on a gooseneck trailer, and I have seen plenty of 38' "go fast" boats being towed with SRW one and 3/4 ton pickups

Again I apoligize for going off on a tangent. I think Johnny and I both wanted to present all the facts and got a little carried away

My 2 cents...

Considering you have a 271 right now: The 352 is a totally different boat. You should love every minute of it, and will probably never complain about the ride, etc. You can save a bunch of money up front and long term with a 35 over the 38 and you shouldn't feel overwhelmed by the change.

I heard there may be some good deals on Formulas soon :)

We certainly do agree about that. I know a few people that run formulas out here and they are very pleased with them.

Again, apologies for any hi-jacking that may have occurred. Just be safe with your towing setup in either case, as it appears RJR has done. I have no doubt that his F350 is a good choice for the job, I just wanted to point out there are other options as long as you double check the standard equipment.

Johnny