Tow Vehicle Questions
07-11-2008, 08:24 AM
#11
VIP Member
See the first thread in this section.
You only want to tow at about 3/4 of you maximum towing capacity.
Remember, passengers, coolers, fuel, luggage, tools, anchors, water, spare parts, etc. etc. ALL add up quickly and become part of your towed weight and GCWR.
Remember the difference between weight carrying and weight distribution hitches.
EoH brakes are superior, but are more susceptible to unpredictable failure, as mentioned above.
As a VERY general rule of thumb:
25-28 foot single engine boat, keeping the total towed load at 7500-ish lbs. you can do it with a 1/2 ton.
Anything bigger/heavier that that, you need more truck.
There is no such thing as too much truck. Oh yeah, and get the 4x4.
There are MANY, MANY posts exactly like this one in this section. They all have the same answers.
You only want to tow at about 3/4 of you maximum towing capacity.
Remember, passengers, coolers, fuel, luggage, tools, anchors, water, spare parts, etc. etc. ALL add up quickly and become part of your towed weight and GCWR.
Remember the difference between weight carrying and weight distribution hitches.
EoH brakes are superior, but are more susceptible to unpredictable failure, as mentioned above.
As a VERY general rule of thumb:
25-28 foot single engine boat, keeping the total towed load at 7500-ish lbs. you can do it with a 1/2 ton.
Anything bigger/heavier that that, you need more truck.
There is no such thing as too much truck. Oh yeah, and get the 4x4.
There are MANY, MANY posts exactly like this one in this section. They all have the same answers.
07-11-2008, 08:27 AM
#12
Registered User
No truer words. If your truck isn't tougher than your boat, it's going to get its ass kicked- maybe not today, but someday.
I cringe when I read posts about guys wanting to tow 16K/# boats at 85 mph. You may get away with it for a while but eventually, you'll get bit. I don't mind leaving an hour early if it means I don't have to scrape my belongings off of the highway.
I cringe when I read posts about guys wanting to tow 16K/# boats at 85 mph. You may get away with it for a while but eventually, you'll get bit. I don't mind leaving an hour early if it means I don't have to scrape my belongings off of the highway.
07-11-2008, 09:42 PM
#15
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My boat is 23ft rinker around 4k, with a dual axle trailer w/ surge brakes. I just towed it 300 miles with my 1500. dont plan on going more than 65-70 max. I would not want to tow anything larger. I'm thinking of getting 3/4 ton.
07-12-2008, 10:43 AM
#16
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I bought my 26' Scarab Sport when I had my F150. It towed it fine and I didn't feel I needed an F250 but a neighbor of mine was moving and owned a truck accesory shop so his had just about everything. I told him if it wasn't much different towing my boat I wasn't interested. He brought it over, we hooked up the boat and off we went. I made him an offer and he accepted so I ended up with the F250. After towing with both, I wouldn't go back to the F150.
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07-12-2008, 11:43 AM
#18
Registered User
The big question is "can you straighten it out?"
It doesn't take much power to make one move on flat ground and any road-worthy trailer is going to have enough brakes to slow it down. The real problems start when you lose focus and drop the trailer tires off a berm or ride up on a concrete safety barrier that pushes you back. F350 duallies won't bail your ass out when puling 14,000 lbs. Hell, a medium may not either- you just have a way better chance.
Buy more truck than you think you can afford or think you can live with.
It doesn't take much power to make one move on flat ground and any road-worthy trailer is going to have enough brakes to slow it down. The real problems start when you lose focus and drop the trailer tires off a berm or ride up on a concrete safety barrier that pushes you back. F350 duallies won't bail your ass out when puling 14,000 lbs. Hell, a medium may not either- you just have a way better chance.
Buy more truck than you think you can afford or think you can live with.
