Towing a 370SS
 

Okay, Can I tow a 370SS with my Ford F350 diesel dually? I went and bought a 2009 370SS so the wife would have a real potty, shower and a bed for the occasional night when we spend the night out on the lake. The boat has no trailer but I would still like to trailer it to a few area lakes. Maybe only 5 or 6 times a summer. Also, any recommendations on a trailer?

Talk to Koolaidman.

His uncle has a 370 they had an Eagle trailer built for.

And yes its been towed with a F350 dually before

Definitely go with an Eagle trailer. They also make a galvanized model for salt water. I've seen more Formulas on Eagle trailers than any other brand. Good reason, Eagles are extremely strong and rigid giving important support to the hull and stability to the trailer while towing. I have an Eagle and I'm incredibly satisfied with the design, construction and performance. I guess you could say that I like it. LOL.

I pull a 38' Fountain Express Cruiser with a 2000 Ford F350 dually. Pulling is easy, stopping is the real challenge. I have an aluminum Ameratrail trailer with electric over hydraulic disc brakes on all three axles. I recommend the elec/hydraulic disc brake package. You might want to consider an aluminum trailer to reduce overall weight, but brakes is a must. Good luck.

The truck can manage better with a goose neck trailer. Bumper towing will get into more hitch equip.
I agree with the EOH brake recommendation.

I have pulled and launched a 400SS with my F-350.. Towing down the road...yikes. He tows with a toter...better

How about a gooseneck?
 

Would a gooseneck make it doable? An F350 has a published towing capacity of 21,000-22,000 pounds with a gooseneck set up. Any opinions on gooseneck versus bumper hitch for this big of a load?

I would go with a 5th wheel style, not a gooseneck. The gooseneck downtube transmits flex to the truck and contributes to a miserable ride on heavier loads. I would move the boat as close to the back of the truck as possible with a tongue that envelops under the flair of the bow. In some states a "carrier" is not recognized as a RV so with the weight of the trailer, boat and truck CGVW it will put you in a CDL class. Its still a handful but may be worth it

Guy at my marina has a 400SS he trailers only to launch and retrieve at the beginning and end of the season. Does it with a F-350.. Whole lotta boat on the trailer.

I know of a couple others who handle their 400's with 3500 chassis. One tows no more than 40 miles and the other one less than that. The load of a 400 is right at the truck limits so I would expect a 370 to fall easily in the truck limits.

I believe one would have to meet a wide load sign, flags and permit requirements to tow a 370SS in most of the southern states. That is the case here in Ga.

Trailer Recommendations
 

Since I only plan to tow the 370SS a few times a summer, I have decided to try to go ahead and get a trailer with a regular bumper hitch and give it a try. Slow and safe, local, etc. If I want to take it to Florida, I will just have it hauled by a pro. I have gotten quotes on an Eagle trailer, Manning, Phoenix and Myco. Myco is the most expensive (by a lot). Manning is the least expensive. The other two are in the middle. Any recommendations? Which one should I spring for?

Kind of quiet in here. :whistle:

Are all the trailers EOH?
That would be one of the requirements for me.
Next is the axle suspension type, torsion or spring? The torsions usually cost more but very smooth maneuvering and tires last longer.
Are all these trailers built as full frame to the rear? I know a Manning and Myco and Eagle would be but I don't know about the others. I have a trailer that is a cheap build where the frame only reaches past the rear axle and then a wooden bunk reaches back to the rear of the boat. This will be the last one of that kind for me and I would recommend only trailers that have full frames.
Myco comes highly recommended by those who pull frequently because the "get what you pay for" scenario plays out true with a lot of miles on a trailer.
If you are pulling infrequently but want a dependable trailer the others are good for all I know but others here can qualify that better than me.

What direction are you leaning?

tow 37ss
 

I boat mine in rhode island and it came with an ACE triple axel 2011 trailer with a bumper hitch. We towed it back to Ohio with an F450 Diesel Dually. Didnt really even know the boat was back there except for those tight toll booths and construction zones.

Really wasnt an issue though

Any upgrades on your truck? Did you do anything to the boat to make it shorter such as take anything off the radar arch?

Thanks

I laugh every time I see someone post those words (in bold) regarding towing. Give me a facking break! LOL :lolhit::lolhit::lolhit:

I suppose the phrase, "Didnt really even know the boat was back there" is a figure of speech.

Still, towing our 330SS from Illinois to Traverse City, Michigan with a single rear wheel F350 was really a breeze. The stiffly-sprung F350 actually rode easier with the weight on. Once I got over the , "Oh, crap" moment when I first saw the new boat it really was quite easy. Bear in mind, our previous boat was only 24 feet and our Astro van towed it nicely!

If your F350 is set for the tow weight with the proper equipment, you get a good quality trailer and you take it easy you should be ok, given enough personal experience to do it.

Hope all works out well.

I'm late to the party, but I have towed my 370ss with a bumper pull trailer since 2007. Owned a Freightliner sportchassis for 4 of those years and it did great. Stored the boat in Havasu and no longer needed the sport chassis, but recently moved the boat to San Diego with a 2011 Dodge 3500 dually. Pulled the boat very, very well as compared to my 2006 3500 Chevy dually (prior to buying the sport chassis). Trailer is a galvanized magnum trailer (Texas) with triple 8000# torsion axles. Most important on the trailer.... Tow it LEVEL. I went through 2 axles with bad bearings due to pulling it 2" high in the front. Another suggestion, replace the bearings every year. It will cost you about $300, but it'll keep you off the side of the road. The axles with shipping and install will cost about $2500, so $300 isn't bad.

I really got sick of towing the thing 200+ miles every time to use it so now we store it very close to where we want to vacation with the boat. If I was going to tow often again, I'd buy a new Dodge 3500 dually or I understand the 2013 Ford F350/450 are dialed in really good. I was very impressed with my tow from Phoenix to San Diego with the 3500 Dodge dually, so if I was buying today, I'd be getting that.

I've towed my boat, which on the scale is 23,000# with the trailer, with a 2500 HD duramax, 3500 duramax, MBZ powered Sport Chassis, Dodge 3500, Ford F250. The 3/4 ton trucks are fine for short distances, in town etc. The newer dually trucks seem to be better than they were 5 years ago for sure. I'd stick with Dodge or Ford... It's what all the cattle ranchers pull their 30,000# cattle trailers with in Texas. Those guys know their trucks out there.

Try Performance Trailers in lake George N.Y. outstanding trailers and super strong, highly recommend them

I've always liked the McClain trailers from what I've read and seen. Last time I checked they were less $ than Myco and seemed to be in the same category as far as quality. Again, I have no experience personally just been on the fence about upgrading my marginal aluminum Rocket Trailer. Let us know what you decided.