Have you weighed your boat lately?
 

Brought my 38 Fountain home from storage yesterday. Decided to stop at the truck stop and weigh it on the CAT scale. I weighed my Dually pickup about a month ago at the local concrete plant, so I know what that weighs.

Heres what I got.

Total truck and trailer =19,480 LBS

Trailer Axles=11,480 lbs.

Rear Dually axle 4,500 lbs (empty is 3100 lbs so i have 1400lbs tongue weight)

Front axle of pickup 3500lbs

My truck empty is right around 7000 lbs. So my boat, with myco trailer, is about 12,500 lbs, with ZERO fuel. I ran my tanks pretty much bone dry last fall. With Full tank of fuel (220 Gallons), and some gear, I'd say its a 14,000lb trailer/boat combo.

Back when I had my Formula 402 SR1, total truck and trailer was 24k lbs, boat trailer had 15,500 lbs on trailer axles, about 1300lbs of tongue weight. Again, no fuel in boat. Fully loaded with gas, I'd say that was a 18k boat/trailer.

Reason I decided to post this, is to inform people, that they may be towing much more than they think they are. Forget the weights in the brochures, heresay, nada website, and all else. The scale wont lie. The 38 Fountain is not known to be a big boat, heavy boat, heck, i hear its only a 34-35ft boat by most Fountain haters. Ive read where guys have said "I'd have no problem towing a 38 Fountain with a Tundra''. IDK, 14k lbs is a heavy trailer.

Just a little Fountain.......1/2 ton no problem.

...towing anything is easy..it's the stopping part that can be a real problem... good advice to know your numbers, MT...

Did the same last year with my 34 Powerquest on a steel triple. 11,800 lbs.

I've always wanted to weigh my boat but no trailer so can't do it. Good info though. you should hit the scale again some time when the boat is off it and see what the trailer weighs.

I wanna say a c channel steel myco like mine, is somewhere around 2500-3000?

Call myco, they can tell you. I had to have them send me what mine was to get plates in FL.

Dual axel steel, 1800lbs.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/a...e-dsc00561.jpg

26,000lbs

12,000 lb f-450
14,000 lb boat and trailer (aluminum) with main tanks full

In New York, you need a CDL if you trailer ways over 10,001 lbs. I think this only applies to commercial drives. In any event I pull my boat with a company truck, I'm not sure if DOT would bust my nut or not.

Cdl required if combined gross rating is over 26k

The 2010 Ford F-450 has a curb weight of 8,233 pounds and can carry a payload that is 6,180 pounds. The gross vehicle weight rating is 14,500 pounds.

Myco told me my trailer weighs 2500 for my cat- double axle. Boat and trailer weigh 10890, truck 7000 dead nutz.

Wannabe

Mr. "OE specs" thanks for the worthless information.

This is a correct statement. And would have some relevance if the boat was strapped to the bed of the truck...as it would then be well over the GVWR of 14,500. However, as you can clearly see from the photo the boat is sitting on a miraculous device called a "trailer". This innovative piece of equipment allows you to tow boats behind the truck. Given this revolutionary insight, the GVWR now is only part of the equation and GCVWR comes into play. The truck you are seeing weighs 11940lbs full of fuel and with me in it...it is far from stock, so your duly researched web search info means nothing. The GCVWR of the truck is 33,000lbs, as it was optioned from the factory with 4.88 gears and the extreme duty tow package. When we scaled the truck in this pic the Steer Axle weighed 5600lbs, and the drive axle weighed 7920....this totals 13,520lbs....well under the 14,500 GVW. I still have 980lbs payload left over to fill the bed full of Kilos of Coke and strippers.

My old 88 29ft twin BBC on a tandem steel trailer came in at 9860lbs on a scale with 1/4 tank of fuel. Haven't weighed the 32 on triple aluminum trailer yet but it feels lighter behind the truck.

I weighed mine at a truck stop on a Cat scale. Came in at 6400 lbs. full of gear and 80 gallons of fuel. Tongue weight of 640 lbs. and 5760 lbs on the axles. Has an Ameritrail alluminum trailer that the manufacturer says weights approx. 1000 lbs.

What did you add to your truck to add almost 4000 lbs? I was looking at the curb weight not the total. I'm not any idiot my grandfather and father have 80 years trucking experience I grew up around semi trucks. Wasn't busting anyone balls lighten up!! If you added 4000 lbs to your truck show us what you got.. I am a ford fan. I think they are the best Trucks out there.. People are too sensative!

Have a nice day

Mark

:food-smiley-007:

[/quote] I still have 980lbs payload left over to fill the bed full of Kilos of Coke and strippers.[/QUOTE]

Your insurance company might deny your claim if those strippers are the kind mike Tkach likes. You'll come in over the GVW for sure :party-smiley-004:

Funny that I just saw this thread. On the way to the lake this past Memorial Day weekend, we stopped at a truck stop and weighed the boat and trailer. I pulled the truck just off the scales and weighed the boat attached to the hitch, then jacked up the tongue and weighed the boat unattached. This gave me a tongue weight (about 600 lbs which should be about right).

I was surprised at the results.

The total weight I was pulling is 7040 lbs. This is fully fueled and ready to hit the water. This is about 1000 lbs more than my estimate.

Baja claimed dry weight for boat: 4200 lbs
Gas (90 gallons at 6.2 lbs/gal): 560 lbs
Coolers, tools, anchor etc: 300 lbs
Aluminum dual axle trailer: 1000 lbs

Total estimate: 6060 lbs

Looks like I've got a heavy boat. Or they publish boat weights with the lightest engine and drive combination available. Or my trailer weighs more than I think. In any event, this was an eye opener.

Dan

That is exactly what I did. I agree mine weighs in much higher than the manufacturer publishes.

Truck sits on 24" Diesel Wheels.com rims, with 37" Toyos. Kelderman Air Ride lift kit (full 4 link setup, trailing arms and hardware are very heavy), 60gal Fuel tank, 1000 lb 3/4" Steel plate in bed of truck to control unsprung weight of rear end. And I am fat.

I still have 980lbs payload left over to fill the bed full of Kilos of Coke and strippers.[/QUOTE]

Your insurance company might deny your claim if those strippers are the kind mike Tkach likes. You'll come in over the GVW for sure :party-smiley-004:[/QUOTE]

Im down with the "Portly Peelers" as well....

Man, who would be dumb enough to say something like that on here? :D

I do it, in fact I am doing it 400 miles one way this July. Maybe I should have a dually diesel, but my diesel woes in the past keep me from ever wanting one again. I tried the gas F250 route, and the tundra just simply out tows and out brakes it. I have even stopped without my trailer brake from 60 mph, no big deal. Has anyone actually seen the size of the brakes on a tundra? Bigger up front than my friends 07 3500 DRW, that's a fact.

If it felt unsafe, I wouldn't do it. When I tell you it is one hand, cruise set, chatting with my wife driving...I'm. Not kidding. Seat of the pants has to count for something. If anyone wants to go for a ride and witness lane changes and stopping power, I would be more than happy to demonstrate.

To each their own I guess, I have full confidence in my trucks towing ability, even in severe winds. I just can't deal with the headaches of a so called HD truck as a daily driver, I've had enough.

Someone here posted a video a few years back of a DRW truck and camper being blown over in the plains of Kansas. I guess none of us are safe unless we are driving cat powered medium duty service vehicles?

If the only indication of the load you are towing comes from brochures and manufacturer specs...
...take your setup to a scale.

Weight it all three ways:
Trailer alone; tongue stand down on the scale. (Entirety of your towed load; make sure your trailer/axles/wheels/tires are up to the task.)
Trailer wheels on the scale; with hitch weight on your truck. (Subtracting here gives you the REAL tongue weight.)
Entire rig; truck and trailer on the scale. (To check against your GCWR.)


If the only indication of the load you are towing comes from brochures and manufacturer specs...
...I guarantee you will be surprised!

Remember:
Fuel is ~6 lbs. per gallon
Water is ~8 lbs. per gallon

Your truck's rated weights and specs are with a driver only, NO payload, and a full fuel tank.

What is the GVWR/GCVWR of a Tundra?

What year?
What model? (single, extended, crew)
4x2 or 4x4?

As an example:


Year
Make
Model
Engine
Tow Limit

2011
TOYOTA
Tundra
CrewMax 4WD
5.7L V-8
9000 lbs.

http://www.campinglife.com/tow-ratings-database/

...And that is PROBABLY with a full Weight Distribution Hitch; not Weight Carrying--which is how 99.9% of boat trailers are setup.

You missed on that one. It's 10500, right out of my owners manual. Using the stock class 4 hitch non load distributing

Truck now has LT tires and air bags, I don't use the air bags. Also has a class 5 hitch with a reducer to 2 inch. How many guys out there are towing with class 3 hitches?

You guys just keep going back to this....constantly. Who the f&$k cares honestly? I have towed with a truck rated higher ( in your books) and it felt unsafe, and it was near new.

I trust my judgement, and that is the only thing that matters to me. Not the opinion of of a keyboard hero trying to save the planet one trailer at a time.

I can predict the next post..." Your insurance won't pay if you get in an accident"

Surely you guys have more useful contributions to the site than worrying how a guy gets his boat to the ramp?

Please post the specs on the truck you are referring to, and look very carefully at the model I specified above.



http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2010/08...edibility.html

http://blogs.cars.com/.a/6a00d83451b...e8bf970b-800wi

2011 Toyota Tundra Gets More Powerful Base Engine

Half these manufacturer ratings are meaningless to start with, I mean how did the Tundra lose capacity from one year to the next, they just rated it differently. There are also many trucks that would have trouble with the rated load when you add some hills into the equation. I agree with 4bus it is very clear as a driver when the vehicle you are using to tow something is or is not up to the task, I am sure most of us have felt it at one time or another.

The model you specified is not my model, how's that? You randomly picked one assuming I had the 9000lb package?

Again, you are not going to change my mind as an OWNER. And I'm not going to change your opinion as an OBSERVER. I tow over the rated limit for my truck. My boat engines are over the rated hp for the drives, I drive an average of 10 percent over the posted speed limit ( except school zones) when I am tied up for the night I drink more than the dr recommend limit of alcohol, my recreation produces more co2 than the EPA recommends, and I some times cross the street without using a cross walk.

Dude, I randomly picked one when I made the first post. (Nicest optioned one to give you my reasoning; had nothing to do with 'you'. I have no idea what year or model your truck is.)

When I'm wrong about something; I'll admit it. I don't think I've provided any wrong info.

Please climb down out of your clocktower.

First off all the F-450 that my bossiness owns have a GVW of 17,500. I believe the F-350 is a 14,500 truck.

TRL, are you saying that a F-450 has a GVW of 33,00? That's a hard one to swallow.

What year?
What cab config?
4x2 or 4x4?
Engine?
Transmission?
Gear ratio?

It's not hard to find out.

I tried searching the web for 200 year old metaphor definitions but came up empty.

I think I kind of understand what you were getting at, which is comical considering the source.

Sydwys.....

Dude, what are you the commissioner of this thread?

My tucks are what I'm basing my numbers on, just like everybody else.

I happen to like this topic; but I'm not a paid consultant.

If you want to know the specs on a particular truck, I will see what I can do to find them. That's it.

Please have a nice day.

Some relevant Ford info:

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/g...superdtypu.pdf

No....I am saying that the truck (08 F450) has a GCVWR of 33,000lbs. If you dont know what that is I suggest you look it up.