Anybody pull a 38 w a 3/4 ton?
 

I have a late model chevy 2500 gas 6.0 4x4 long bed extended cab 10-12 pound tow rating. I'm gonna have to use it local for towing. But I was wondering if it would tow it 1700 miles.
ANy info on this matter would be great. Aluminum trailer,no sink boat.

Thanks

I pulled a triple engine 42 on a Myco 3 hours with a 2500 ext GMC SRW diesel. I think you will be fine. I couldn't tell the 42 was there. 47 is another story.

You should be ok, just be ready to buy allot of gas. I tow mine with a 2010 F-250 4x4 diesel. I put air bags on mine and it made a big difference in ride quality when towing. I also did a tuner and exhaust put it pulled good stock too.

I was pulling my 35 with the exact same truck as you have. From Baton Rouge to Destin Florida I was getting 98 miles out of a full tank of gas.
I added air bags to mine and it helped with the ride.
It was ok for pulling the boat local around my house, but long trips sucked!!!!!!!
The main reason I went to a diesel was it because that 6.0 works so hard getting the boat going.

Agree - I pulled my 35 with a 3/4 ton 6.0. Almost didn't get up the hill coming out of the State Park at LOTO. Had to put it in 4 low. Highway was a lot of fuel, boat ramp was fine - it just didn't like the long incline. You couldn't even tell it was back there with the new diesel.
Good luck.

You will be fine...

Probably every 38 bought but this one
:)
http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...o41966-en.html

Here! Here! Why would i want that one ? :lolhit:

You'll be fine... just allow plenty of room for braking. I pull my heavy 38 Scarab with 3/4 ton and the 8.1L. 1700 miles?!? Maybe call Exxon for a volume discount! Ha, which one are you dealing on?

Nice boat, seems like a really decent price also.

Are you talking the 2500HD or the regular 2500 (like the suburban?)

I ask because I used a 3/4 burb with the 6.0 motor but without the allison tranny. It was a bit(h!!! The azz end of the truck was all over the place, especially when a tractor trailer passed me....because I couldn't keep up with them.

Using the 2500HD with the allison tranny seems to make a big difference.

I got the HD 2500 wt . It has the manual shifter on the floor for the transfer case. Rock guards and a 6 speed auto. ( not alison).

i know a dually would be best,,,but whats everyone think about this,,,i was thinking about getting some deep dish rims and wider tires for the rear ,,,my thought is that it would increase thread contact,,,for better stoppng power,,,,2500 H D 6.0/allison trans

What is the conventional tow rating for the truck? I never worry about the pulling part, I worry about stopping and if I had a wreck what a Lawyer would do if I was over my rating,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I looked up in my trucks manual and it is rated for 12.5K conventional, but it is a old 1996 7.3 F250. Doesn't take much to hit that number, Goose neck or 5th wheel is where you really get a good rating.

I think Shogen said once that a 38 is about 300lbs more then the same year 35 (I think he was talking twin step side by side 35).

Has anybody put a 38 with trailer on a scale?

The 6.0 GMs can hardly move their own weight, much less towing a trailer. You won't be happy with that setup for the long haul (pun intended).

I towed 12K lbs. with an 8.1L in the Avalanche 2500 (same as Sub) platform with the 4speed auto, and most importantly 4.10 rear. I did so for a couple years, but longest trip was less than 200 miles.

It's night and day difference stepping up to a modern turbo diesel, not t mention I also have a dually now as well.

Imma pull it to the lake for memorial day . Then Imma let it be stored there until labor day. Then bring it back here. I am 1/2 hour from the ocean. I have only been on the ocean a couple times. A 38 would be fun to go on the ocean, and go to the unlimited hydro races at San Diego bay. Thinking the long haul to pick it up might cost 3 grand in fuel. May be better to spend 4-5 K to get it shipped. Thanks ! You confirmed what I was kinda thinkin.... And Yes. I am looking forward to burning lots of fuel in both !!!:drink:

Rent or borrow a diesel. You'll make the $$$ back in fuel costs and the increased pulling power will just be icing on the cake. I pull a 35 Top Gun and a steel trailer with a 6.0 Powerstroke F250 and get 12 miles to the gallon at 70+ MPH with plenty of pulling power on hills.

I have been pulling my 38 foot Fountain Fever for the last 5 years with a 2002 Chevy Suburban 1/2 ton 4 wheel drive 5.3 liter engine. The boat is on an aluminum I beam trailer that is a triaxle with surge brakes on all axles. My Suburban sits level with the boat hooked up and stops with no problem at all. Once you are moving you do not even notice the boat behind you. I would not want to use it to go through a mountainous area but I tow my boat almost every weekend in the summer with out a problem, I normally tow it between 20 to 70 miles. I agree additional would be great but I have no trouble towing it 70 mph down the road, it stops in the same distance that the truck alone would stop in and handles very well. Just to let you know I normally have the truck full of people (Seating for 8) about 150 gallons of fuel and all kind of supplies for the day.

My boat is shorter, and the specs say its lighter, but when its full of gear and gas, its probably pretty close to the same weight as your 38. And my boat's wind resistance is certainly a lot more, as I've got a T top with full eisenglass enclosures that I leave up when towing (makes it much easier to deal with mashed bugs and road grime).

My truck is a F350 dually V10 gas. I take it easy, cruise control set at 55, and I get 11.5 mpg on long trips, such as from LA to Tahoe. A lot of hills on that trip!

The mileage goes down quickly if I go faster. At 60 I'm about 10mpg.

If I want to demonstrate the enormous size of my member and hot rod around, I can get the MPG down to about 6. I used to drive like that when gas was a buck a gallon.

If only Chris Sunkin were here to pontificate !

What area do you tow with this setup? Just curious. It must be very flat.

Brian,
First post, it's just BS to see the response they get.

I live in a suburb of Buffalo NY. I have towed it to Syracuse, The Finger Lakes, Cleveland and a few other places. I am not saying it is a perfect set up, I have towed it with a Duramax when I picked it up in Tennessee and the power was great. With the trailer properly set up it really tows well. When I first picked up the boat in Tennessee the triaxle trailer only had brakes on one axle it even pushed around the Chevy 2500HD with a Duramax I used to pick it up. I rebuilt the whole suspension springs, axles, brakes on all axles, and all related components then balanced the boat on the trailer so it has the proper tongue weight now my suburban handles it very well. It handles well and stops on a dime. I used to be an owner operator ( had my own tractor trailer ) so I never had any problem pulling the boat. I will say where I normally launch at the small boat harbor in Buffalo the ramp is very steep I pull the boat out in 4 wheel drive low range, doing it like that makes the boat pull out very easy.

I have a hard time that it stops as good as unloaded.

Its no BS I have been using this setup for 5 years. Like I said I would not want to tow the boat through the mountains but I do not have any problem in my area.

Hi Chad,
Are you getting a new boat? 38' Fountain, wow, I am jealous.
You are going to love that.
I used to tow the 35' with a single wheel F-350 4x4 diesel and it did a really good job, but when I towed it with the Diesel Excursion (similar size to your pick up) it did ok, but not nearly as stable as the crew cab was. You will probably be ok short term, but I am going to predict that before long you will have a crewcab diesel of one brand or another.
take care,
Dave

I have often asked this same question " If you got in a wreck and your vehicle was not properly rated for what you were towing, would you get your azz handed to you if someone was injured?"


Last year at Emerald Coast a guy was towing a Baja 38 with a Nissan Armada. He was in the hotel bar talking about how stupid all the guys towing their boats with F450's were.

This is when I started thinking about getting a new truck more capable of handling my boat.
My dad always said " Towing is one thing, but stopping is a whole other story"

OH: one really important thing. Surge brakes don't work at these weights. You truly need electric controlled hydraulic brakes. With such brakes, the truck can stop about as well towing as not: the brakes on my trailer (disc on all wheels) really work!

Surge brakes don't always release all the way, so the brakes drag, heat up, grease gets thin, seeps out, and soon the dry bearings just blow up.

The brakes on the trailer, and the electronics that control those brakes, are FAR FAR more important than the engine, springs, dually, brakes, brand, fuel, etc of the truck. The brakes can save your life.

One more really, REALLY important thing: Surge brakes only work when the truck and trailer are in a straight line!

If you are in a curve,
If you you swerve,
If you change lanes,
If you get blown to the side,
If you get bumped over...

Instant jack-knife.

Don't believe me? Take your surge brake rig out to a parking lot and make a slight corner at 10 mph, and cram on your truck brakes. Then go look at the slide marks your back tires made.

To add insult to injury, after the weight of the trailer/boat pushes you around, the spring release on the surge brakes will push you a little further. :D

Yea Dave, seems like every time I get a new boat I have to buy a new truck latey :lolhit: I'm gonna hook it to my pusher for the hell of it. I'll be a touch over 80 feet. Probly need one of my friends that has a class A lic. to come with. :)

The Diesel MH should tow it just fine. Go to the DOT and get a CA oversized load permit. I am not sure what they cost now, but used to be about $125 a year when I towed the 28' Campbell around. I used to carry the oversized signs and flags, but never put them on and no one ever checked or asked.

Where is the boat coming from and what does it have for power? You are going to love having twins.

Well lets put it this way. there is a 35 w 500's and a 38 w 575's. i am goin all in on the 38. Need to get a few things lined up to get it. I'll let you know.
Chad

Hi Chad,
As you know I had a 35' with 500's and it was a fabulous lake boat, but there were times in the ocean where a bigger boat would have been really nice. I think I would go for the 38' you won't regreat that. I have heard that the 575's are pretty thirsty and blower parts can be hard to come by (B&M no longer supports them). But if push came to shove you could always convert over to 671's.
Go for it.

I pull a 38 fever with a crew cab 2500 hd. 8.1/allison, pulls great, the trailer is setup with electric/hydraulic disk's on all 3 axles and stops great also. I would like to put air bags, or some sort of helper spring in the rear though, mainly because of other stuff I haul but it couldnt hurt for towing the boat, it does feel a little squishy on rough roads.

Ocean likes length, never long enough.

Towing, you gotta pay attention no matter what. The turning circle of my truck is so enormous that the length of the load is not too relevant. I bet you'd never notice the difference between a 30 footer and a 42 behind you.

Has anyone who made this jump noticed a difference in maneuvering a 42 or 38 over, say, a 30?

I pulled my 38 with a 40' pusher all over the country coast to coast a few times never had any problems. Ran 75 to 80 out west that is the way to go on long trips. Also have a dually for around town trips.

What HP? I have a 38 Monaco w 300 8.3 alison 6 speed. Did you do better than 40 mph up big hills? thanks

Did you ever get pulled over? Must be about 90' long! You're right , no better way to travel than sitting in a filling station on a leather recliner having some great home cookin' ! I'm about 7 grand away from getting my 38.