towing a 29 outlaw
 

I have an 02 1500 silverado with a 5.3 and I am looking at buying a 29 outlaw.I have been told that the truck will pull it and that stopping is the issue.I have a superspring on the truck to handle the tongue weight.The trailer that the outlaw is sitting on comes with triple brakes not double.Will the triple brakes make this boat towable without me having to upgrade my truck

If it were me, I would upgrade the truck first, I can see some issues on using a 1/2 ton to pull that large of a boat.

The transmission is the first thing to come to mind, depending on how far you plan on towing your boat, they don't hold up extremely well in my opinion...

Just my $.02...

what kind of towing are you doing? back and forth to ht elocal ramp or are you headed on a tour of the country?
a half ton will get it done.
however A set of airbags in the rear and a shift kit in the tranny. 373 gears may be pushing it, but 410's will definately get it done.
Formula has a 292 they are sending all over the country being towed by a half ton chevy. check the formula forum they give alist of upgrades to the truck to make it

I tow a twin engine 242 , 27loa with a half ton z71 avalanche, boat loaded with fuel on galvi trailer is just about 9k. boat wet is just under 7k and trailer is 1,800 a good set of trailer brakes make all the difference.
a couple of small upgrades and you will be ok.
but if you plan on long trips you may want an upgrade

What is the tow rating with your power in the truck. "Can" tow it is much different than "should" or can "legally" tow it.

It you are over the tow limit of the vehicle and have an accident, you are not covered. Just something to think about.

Bingo- Give an insurance adjuster one reason to NOT pay a claim, and they'll take it. Today's truck engines have good power, gas or diesel. However, you don't get into brakes with adequate load-stopping power until you're into a 3/4 ton or larger.

Whether or not your 1500 is rated to handle the load is one thing. Durability and longevity of the transmission and engine is another thing entirely. I used to have a Tahoe with the same motor and transmission as you have. It towed my 25 footer ok, but I can't even imagine trying to tow our 32 footer (not that much bigger/heavier than a 29 Outlaw) with it. Granted your truck has a longer wheelbase, but that wasn't the only issue towing with the Tahoe. It was working very hard to tow us up hills and braking was marginal.

Also, be sure to double check what your hitch is rated for. It could be as low as 5000 lbs weight carrying if I remember correctly, which is WAY too low for a 29 foot Outlaw. Another insurance pit fall that some people don't think about.

If it were me, I'd upgrade to something that won't be at the max while towing your new boat. You'll have peace of mind that you have enough truck to handle the load and it will last a lot longer too.

John

A buddy of mine had a 2000 29 outlaw,he towed it once with his half ton z-71,it threw it around like a rag doll. He said on damp pavement until the brakes took up on the trailer it would skid the truck like it was on ice. He bought a 3/4 ton 4dr w/454,it still worked to pull it,especially if boat was full of fuel,Smitty

I have a 1997 29 outlaw(approx 8500lbs in tow), and pull it with a 3/4 ton duramax. I couldn't imagine trying to pull it with a 1/2 ton. I am pretty sure it is over all of the limits on the 1/2 ton. I would recommend upgrading to a 3/4 ton before conquering the 29 outlaw.

Just my opinion.

I would not tow a 29 OL with a 1500 unless it was a single engine. Even then it would be borderline.

That's allot of boat for a 1/2 ton

I tow a 29 Outlaw and would NOT recommend it at all with a 1/2 ton truck for your own safety and those on the roads around you!!!

IMO towing that rig with a 1500 would be dangerous. I tow a 292 Formula with a 2500 Duramax crew cab and it does the job and then some. Bought the truck, then the boat... I will never tow with a gas motor again...:cool-smiley-011:

Sorry you guys are such girly men. I tow my 29 scarab safely with my expedition and though being superior to chevy I'm sure the silverado is up for it.

on my last boat which was a 29 outlaw on a triple axle steel trailer, i used a 1/2 ton 4 wheel drize z71, i towed that boat for two years, and made a few long hauls with it. I would never speed and would give plenty of stopping room, i sold the 29 outlaw and bought the 35 fountain i have now, i pulled a few times with it but moved up to a 3/4 ton ext cab ford 4wheel drive, the main problem with my old setup was it was not rated to tow the load and if I got in a wreck i would not be covered

My Titan towed my 24' Superboat like a dream. Now that we are looking at larger boats, I went ahead and stepped up to a new Dodge 3/4 ton with the 6.7 Cummins. NO WAY am I going to let my truck dictate what boat I can and can't buy. My Titan was even rated to pull some of the boats we are looking at, but not all. Step up and make the truck buy. You'll be happy you did when you want to make that vacation trip with the boat to someplace you've never been.

For what it's worth, I towed my Pantera from St. Louis to Cinci with my '96 silverado 2WD - 5.7. Trailer does not have brakes. No issues, but I consider myself borderline with this rig. I'm figuring around 5500-6000 pounds tow weight.
I'm looking at upgrading trucks in the near future to at least a 3/4 ton and 4WD - although, I'd much rather get back into a Dually.
It's kind of a shame to get rid of the '96. It only has 57K on it, only use is driving back and forth to work everyday (4 mile round trip) or to tug the boat someplace - occasional hauling something.

thanks to everybody for the input. went out today and bought a dodge ram 2500 mega cab with a turbo diesel. that should do the trick

That'll do the trick. I pull my 36' Apache with a Dodge 3500 and am very impressed!

Sweeeeeeet!! Those Mega Cabs are HUGE!!! It's like a pickup limo!

Congrats on your new truck. I think you made a wise decision. I'd like to make one suggestion now that you have a Cummins. Your best investment would be to get a set of good gauges. Boost, EGT and trans temp would be a good start. They will insure that you enjoy your Cummins for many many miles. Also you might want to check out this web site--tubro diesel register.com. It is a web site about Dodge Cummins--very informative.
Jay

I have a 30 OL and tow it with a Ram 2500 diesel. Does a good job. You should be happy as long as you stay under 75 mph. I also have a 1/2 ton silverado 5.3 gas that I pulled the boat about 20 miles one day to fuel up. It was not a good experience when fully fueled. Boating is about having fun. You will enjoy having a more confidence while towing.