Will a 2003 Ford F250 4x4 gas V10 be able to pull a 1988 22 foot Stingray Maxim, truck has an 8 inch lift. My question is the hitch we have on it says max 5,000lbs, do I need to upgrade the hitch?

youre all good

truck will tow it with ease but being lifted you will need a custom heavy duty drop bar.

Does that include gear/fuel and trailer?

what does the boat weigh ?

See this thread:
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/t...-up-grade.html

I would strongly suggest an upgrade to a Class-V hitch. Overkill? Maybe, but they are NOT expensive, and if there is anyplace you want overkill in your rig's setup, it's in the towing hardware.

Also, I wouldn't tow much more than what you are talking about here. I don't think your transmission is going to hold up, given you probably have 38" tires. If you have not changed your differentials, you probably have a corrected gear ratio of about 2.7; which is not good for towing.

Also, make sure you go with a SOLID drawbar/receiver, that is a drop hitch appropriate for your trailer. I am going to bet that the trailer coming with the boat has Surge Brakes, which means when you slow down the boat/trailer/weight is going to literally surge against your drop hitch to engage the trailer brakes. That's going to snap off any rinky-dink drawbar you get at Advance Auto. You need something solid like from Curt or the like:

http://www.curtmfg.com/Category/168/...0Ball%20Mounts
http://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mount

Don't buy ANY adjustable aluminum hitch drawbar product. They can't be trusted, no matter how well they are marketed; and especially not with Surge Brakes.

the boat weighs around 3200lbs

We're running 35's with our lift

It will tow it, but it won't be quick; not that such is a big deal when towing, Just don't be surprised; as you are going to "know it's back there."
If you have a 4.10 axle ratio, you are going to be much better off than 3.73.

Just remember, you want your drop hitch as such that it tows the boat level. This let's the axles distribute weight evenly, allows tires to heat and wear evenly, and most important: enables your trailer brakes to work properly. Also, lifted trucks tend to squat, as the lift kit is designed to support the weight of the truck, but doesn't have the same compression rates as the factory suspension. Take this into account when selecting your drawbar.

Why are aluminum draw bars bad? Is there proof or myth?