ratman

just towed my 35ft cig 1200 mi. white knuckles all the way with a chevy g20 van 350cu efi motor OMG! . trans fluid was black by the time i made it home. ready to trade up to a better tow mule but crimny what they want for a 15yr old dually in my area blew me away. was wonding if a 2500 bigblock 4x4 would tow it without the dog wagging the tail on the highway. boat is well balanced on the trailer so don't have crazy tongue weight, so do i really need a dually? thx ratman

klaw

I(just got my new 2005 f-350 I have a 1995 f-350 on the market in good shape let me know if you are intretsted Its a 7.3 turbo diesel 4x4 dually

ratman

what do u want for it?thx

Rick G

Most 2500's or F 250's may not be rated to tow 10,000 lbs. Given most steel trailers weight about 1,750 lbs add to that an 8,000 boat 1,000 lbs of fuel and 200 lbs of extras and you will get over 10,000 lbs easy. If your truck is not rated to tow the weight and you get in an accident your insurance will probably not cover damages or liability. I would not think of towing a 35 foot Cig with anything less than a dually.Mine's a 1979 Chev one ton( 400 small block 410 gears) and tows my Formula 302 with ease. For safety sake drop the dough and get a dually.

Just my 2 cents hope that helps . Rick G.

stecz20

350 or 3500 would be more like it. with a 250 it might seem ok but you are over weight im sure. if you want to sleep better at night id pull with a one ton. dually, you'll sleep like a baby...

jordy

Right from thedieselpage.com:

Q: What are the trailer weight (towing) ratings for the new 2001-2004 HD trucks?

A: Trailer weight rating for all 2500HD/3500 series pickup trucks is 12,000 lbs with a suitable weight-distributing hitch. The fifth-wheel tow rating can be computed by subtracting the weight of your chosen truck and cargo from the Gross Combination Vehicle Weight Rating (GCWR) of 22,000 lbs. This means a standard cab 2500HD is rated to tow a 5th-wheel of nearly 16,000 lbs. Extended cab and crew cab trucks are rated proportionally lower due to the increased weight of these trucks.


IMHO, the dually will make it more stable, but I wouldn't sweat pulling it with a SRW truck as long as the brakes are setup and working on the trailer you're pulling and your hitch is rated for the load you're hooked up to.

TxHawk

iTrader: (2)

Im not including laws, or limits, but i have pulled our 40' that weighs nearly 11000lbs back and forth from Sarasota to Dallas with a 3/4ton 454 suburban. It honestly did the job fine and ran 70mph if you wanted to. Tranny was fine, nothing got hot. I recently replaced it with a 2004 F-250 diesel 4x4 crew cab short bed. I drive it everyday so i couldnt put myself in the dually. This truck pulls the boat fine. I have not thought about questioning it.

timewarp

Looked at Trailerboats Magazine towing guide, all 3 manufacturers 250's/2500's 3/4 ton trucks with single rear wheels have combinations of engines and tranmissions that are rated to tow at least 12000 pounds, shouldn't have a problem.
My 93 Dodge W250 with the Cummins has towed a 35 Cafe Racer and a 36 Skater(not at the same time ) and had no problem, a dually might be a little more stable but I don't think I would want the hassles of a dually the rest of the time.
The one thing to think about is 4 wheel drive, the low range comes in handy at the ramp, I don't bother locking my hubs in most times but being able to use the low range for backing and pulling out of the ramp is a good thing, if the ramp is slimey 4 wheel drive can be a necessity.


Caleb

berns29scarab

first of all the truck signatures (250,2500,350,3500) are payload capacities (weight in the bed) your actual towing capacites may be slightly greater from vehicle to vehicle, but most important is power output and gearing. i've seen diesel 3/4 tons that were ordered specifically for towing and had higher towing capabilities the 1 tons that werent ordered correctly. my personal opinion is that the dually will be over kill and an unnecessary added expense. i would look for a properely equipped 3/4 ton either gas or diesel. my buddy is pulling a 37 outerlimits with a 2002 f-240 crew cab with a v-10 and has had zero problems. make sure whatever you get has a good tranny and oil cooler ....just my .02

Jayl13

I was shocked at used Dually prices also.
Which is why I bought a brand spankin new one.
Worth every penny, and it was only a few grand more than a used one 3-4 years old that was half destroyed by concrete contractors and stuff. Hard to find a real nicely maintained dually these days, most of them are abused work trucks.
I had a SRW f350 gas 460 EFI before the diesel, HORRIBLE on gas, 2 mpg high test fuel towing on the highway.
Diesel gets about 15 towing on the highway running about 70-75
much more stable as well in turns, weight distributing ect.
If you blow a rear tire, you dont chew up your rims either.
Has alot of advantages having a dually.
If I had to do it all over again, I would buy the exact same truck again.
You wont regret getting a diesel dually believe me, I dont
Jason