Help with choosing a tow rig.
 

Hello everyone from snowy Atlanta, Ga. I am a buying a new to me boat this spring/early summer. Looking into a 28 ft with twin big blocks, either a Apache(#1), Pantera. I am looking for advice on which to get. GM, Ford, or Dodge? Gas or Diesel? I know I want a 3/4 ton and no less but the rest is still in the air. Please let me know what you guys think. Old boat was a 23 ft with single built small block, so never really had any problem towing that thing. Plus most of the towing was just around town and stuff, no real highway trips. This time will be different, couple long trips planned.

Give us a budget....

Any 3/4 ton or above will be fine.

If you won't be driving it a ton, and don't have an unlimited budget I'd go with a GM 2500 w/ a 496/Allison combo. Truck is strong, will run forever, cheap maintenance. Only downside is they are gas hogs, but if you aren't driving it a bunch it'd take 100+ years to in gas savings to payoff the added cost of diesel, if there even is an advantage given the higher cost of diesel.

2010 Dodge 1500 with the big hemi, 390 hp and 403 ft/lbs tq.
Tow rating of 9500 lbs. No need for a 3/ 4 ton for a 28 with twins...imo.

Look for a 2005-2006 2500 diesel. $12,000 and up now.

I am going to respectfully disagree with you on that I used to tow my 29 with a 1/2 ton.I did not realize how scary it was intill I bought my dually.My current truck is over kill but did not want to switch if I went bigger.

2nd that,, a half ton would be a joke, buy a good used truck sometimes a good 2wd drive dually can be bought as cheap as a 3/4 ton. Put the extra money in the boat, who gives a crap what the pull rig looks like,, its the boat that matters :ernaehrung004:

This truck will tow great. Yeah a 2500 would tow better.

Chit we better all get full tractor trailers so we are really safe!!!

How often are you towing? What distance? Etc. What else are you using the truck for? The new 1500 Ram would be a awesome daily driver and still tow the boat no problem.

If you are towing across the country to poker runs often, and maybe parking the truck and using another for daily driving, its worth gettinga 3/4 ton.

I tow my boat (27' with twin sbc's) with a 07 Sierra 1500, new body style. It tows the boat with no problems, but I would never attempt anything more with it. To offer some comparison, I borrowed my parents 07' Ram 1500 w/ Hemi once, and it was the longest drive of my life with the boat behind me. Now I do not know the specs of the 07 Ram, but it couldn't match my GMC what-so-ever.

If you go with a duelly you will probably want a 4 wheel drive. They will spin with dew on the grass on level ground if they don't have some kind of load in them!

This is exactly what I have and I love it! it's 4x4 and I only use it to tow and I drive my bmw daily, rjl676 is definitely correct saying they are gas hogs because my gmc definitely is but tows awesome. I had a dodge ram 1500 and I sold it becuase I wanted to get a 3/4 ton with 4wheel drive and the difference is incredible. Good luck on your truck shopping there's many great trucks out there!

as loooong as it has these 4 letters on it BIG Daddy its all good :drink::drink::drink:

FORD

My thoughts on tow rigs and go fast boats.

up to 24' boat= 1/2 Ton

25-32' = 3/4 Ton

33-42' 1 ton dually

42'+ = medium duty or class 8.

Half Ton trucks are great for picking up a few sheets of plywood, or carrying some tools around. They really arent purpose built haulers. Most up until recently were pretty much jacked up El Camino's. Smalll axles, springs, brakes, weaker frames, c or d rated tires, etc.

So many guys associate the length of a boat in comparison to their trucks towing cababilities. A fueled up twin engine older pantera 28 or 28 apache with the trailer are heavy boats. I would imagine them fully loaded with fuel and gear, to weigh in somewhere around 8500-10,000 lbs sitting on their trailer.

Someone mentioned the new dodge 1500's tow rating to be 9500 lbs. Keep in mind, in order to be able to tow 9500 lbs, you would need to not have any passengers, gear, or any extras in the vehicle. manufactures figure their tow rating based on the GCVWR, which is the maximum truck and trailer weight combined. Well, then they subtract the new curb weight of the truck, and then whats left over gives them the 9500lb rating. Problem is if they are basing their numbers off a new truck that scales in a say 6500 lbs curb weight, what happens if you got 4 people in the vehicle, luggage, accessories, etc. Technically, your truck now weighs 7500 lbs or so, so realistically, your tow rating dropped to 8500 lbs now.

Its the same in the big truck world. Lets say you are plated to haul 80,000 lbs. You semi tractor weighs 20,000 lbs on the scale. Your empty flatbed trailer lets say weighs 15000 lbs. So combined you are 35,000 lbs empty. 80,000-35,000 lbs means you can haul 45,000 lbs of cargo. Of course their are more variables as in lbs per axle, etc, but you get the idea. Ever wonder why you see semi's out there hauling aluminum framed flatbeds, aluminum wheels, fuel tanks, air tanks, etc. Its all about lightening the truck weight in order to haul more cargo.

If the police and Dot started weighing everyone, like guys like us towing boats, they can really generate some revenue from overweight fines like they do in commercial hauling.

Aside from all that tech stuff, the new Rams are awesome trucks!

I am of the mind set the biggest truck you can buy, I like to be able to STOP, and that is where larger trucks help. The other reason is if you have more truck then boat, if or when you want to move up you only have to buy a boat not both.

Holy chit guys thanks for the advise and replys.

1) Towing from Oshkosh to Atlanta, then some other poker runs around the south east.

2) Towed my old boat with a suv and 96 1/2 4wd dodge with 360, did ok but the brakes would fade so 1/2 tons are out. ONLY 3/4 ton.

3) I am thinking my budget is 20k to 30k.

4) Has to be 4wd, I go snowmobiling in the winter back in Wisconsin.

5) NO Dually, wife hates it.

6) Will be my new daily driver, no big deal I live 4 to 5 miles from work.

7) I am leaning toward a Gas burning GMC/CHEVY.

The 6.0 in the newer GM's do not pull like the 496, but they get the job done. You're budget's enough in my mind to get a pretty darn nice Duramax though.

Any plans for a lift or big tires? If not then the gasser is not as bad either.

Personally I think it needs five;

DODGE

:lolhit:

Just three letters GMC

6) Will be my new daily driver, no big deal I live 4 to 5 miles from work.

7) I am leaning toward a Gas burning GMC/CHEVY.



I would have said get a diesel but from my personal experience, diesels don't like being driven 4-5 miles and shut off every day. Gasoline motors are fine with that(I have a 300 Hemi now).

My son gets 20mpg hwy with his 1/2 ton Dodge Hemi. It has a cylinder drop feature on cruise control. Hemis are rare in 3/4 ton Dodge trucks but you might be able to find one with some online searching.

A lot of good advice on here. You can't have too much truck.

Please, despite whatever the manufacturers try to say in their ads, half ton rigs have no business at all towing much over maybe 7000 on the highway. Can you hitch up 9500 and make it a few blocks on flat ground? Yes, but you just can't put enough tongue weight on one to carry a really heavy load safely at high speed, even with load levelers.

Also, try pulling 9500 lb with any half ton up Donner pass or something similar. You are probably costing yourself much more in driveline damage than saving by not just buying a 2500 or 3500 rig for that purpose. Big difference between a small block gas rig screaming uphill in second gear at 5000 rpm and a nice diesel growling up it at 2000.

I've been through two 2500 diesel rigs, (a Chevy and a Dodge, both great), and now have a C4500 Kodiak/Duramax. I also drive a Dodge 1500 hemi as a daily driver, but can't imagine towing much with it.

A first generation Escalade is a great truck for everyday use and has been a great truck for towing. They are GMC Denali's
with a little more wood inside and caddy badges. 99 and 2000's parts are interchangeable with GMC's I think tow weight is 6000 lbs. Good luck with your search

I pulled a 28 Pantera single engine with my 2001 Chevy 2500HD CC with the 8.1/allison. It was a great truck and my daily driver. I liked it so much, I bought a 2007 Classic with the same package. The last year of the 8.1/allison was in the 2007 Classic trucks. You should be able to get a low mileage one in your budget easily. They are hard to find though. I had to drive 250miles to get mine.

If you only have to drive 4-5 miles to work, I would go with the exact truck Griff has! No question about it.

I have a 2500 avalanche with a 496 I get 12-13 mpg which isn't great but my fiends new dodge diesel only gets 14 so how long before you make up the fuel savings The savings

Guys thank you. It nice to get all this help and advise. So after speaking with my brother last night who has a 2003 chevy 2500 6.0 xtra cab 4wd gas burner. My new daily driver/tow rig will be a 3/4 crew cab 4wd, after reading the posted and listening to my brother I am thinking I will much better off in long run with a diesel. I like the way the super duty looks, Dodge not so much and GMs look good plus I have heard great thinks about the duramax/allison combo. I am thinking maybe little bigger tires but not anything hardcore or a lift. I am thinking intake and exhaust upgrades and maybe a power tuner for all the right reasons.

I tow my 292 Fastech with a 2008 Silverado 2500HD D-Max with Allison trans and love it. Most of the time I don't even know its back there.

No offense, but I wouldn't tow more than a 22ft boat with a escalade. They are great for hauling the kids to soccer practice, but that's about it. The rear suspension is nothing more than a glorified set of air shocks.

I would tow a 28 with a v10 excursion or 2500 suburban 8.1 though

Package deal on a 29' Phantom and 2002 7.3 F350?! :drink:

The Duramax will probly be better suited to your short daily drives than the Cummins. Go to the Dmax forum sites and talk to those guys they will steer you on the right path.

Definately some good advice...go big , so you only have to do it once.
I am in the market for a bigger boat and now a bigger truck!

I have an F250 SD crew cab, short bed....love the truck, but am extremely skeptical on the motor. The 2006 6.0 diesel has a weak EGR valve and head bolts that are prone to failure. I had a 1995 7.4 Suburban with over 210K miles that would pull a house down. The F250's modern tow/haul mode and the 4 wheel discs make stopping far superior, but I think the Chevy was truly built to last. (btw I tow a 26' Sutphen, 6000 pounds loaded +/- 500lbs) I don't believe hemi motors have the proper torque curve for real towing. I'd go with the biggest/best Chevy diesel that you can afford...you won't be disappointed...$.02
c

I have an F250 SD crew cab, short bed....love the truck, but am extremely skeptical on the motor. The 2006 6.0 diesel has a weak EGR valve and head bolts that are prone to failure.


Yank that POS engine out and put a Cummins in there. You won't regret it.

www.fordcummins.com

Guys all the advise was awesome, sorry for the delay in my update. Way too much going on, boating, work and starting a family.

First off I ending up buying a Nissan Titan extra cab 4x4 long bed. It towed great around town but the trip from Wi to Atlanta was a 15 hr nail bitter. I liked the truck but it just wasnt enough. My dad really liked the truck so he bought it from me.
So I went and bought a 08 Ford Super Duty Crew Cab Diesel 4x4 short bed, WOW I love it. WAY MORE TRUCK.

Guys Thank You all so much for your advise.
Greg

whats the weight of the boat and trailer combined. hemi half ton can two 10,300. Ford EB can tow 11,300, Chevy can tow 11,300 with a half ton as well. You have to be careful with the numbers though as other have stated. But basically you need to look at a few things, pay load, which will say in the door sticker. You can figure that your tongue weight is probably about 500lbs, two people and gear probably 500lbs and thats real liberal for two people. That would be your GVWR, which on the EB is 7700 lbs truck weights about 5600, so you get 2000 lbs payload. which I beleive about the same if not more than the 2/4 tons out there. Next you have to look at GCWR, total weight of everything. SO yeah you can tow 11,300 with the EB but that would mean only yourself could be in the truck. Now like me I tow about 9500lbs with my EB so pretty much I could max the payload of the truck out and still be under the capacity. Realistically I tow 9500 and its my wife and I and a beach bag, so we are fine. Now we tow 50miles round trip from memorial to labor day. My EB tows that boat the same as my F250 diesel did, actually i can acelerate faster with the gasser.

Now if you are talking long trips up and down hills with tons of people than go diesel. If your not going that far than dont waste money on a diesel, its costly. Honestly i dont feel any less or more safe in my EB than i did the F250. As far as brand I mean they are all good, personally wouldnt go dodge, trust their engines but nothing else.

Biggest things is to find your weight of what you are towing. You have one foot less than I do but I dont know what a pantera is compared to a fountain, I also have a steel trailer, if you have an aluminum trailer and your boat weighs less than mine you could litteraly be sitting at 6-8lbs which I would never waste money on a diesel at that point.


biggest thing is dont undersell or oversell yourself. You wont want to get stuck in something that cant tow what you wanted, and you have break downs, accidents and more maint cost. But dont go two big either a diesel is bigger investment up front, maint on standard oil changes and fuel filter changes are going to run your 300-400 a year vs half that in gas. Fills ups on a diesel are about 150 bucks vs 80-90 on a gas. Do whats best for you.

Congrats on the buy, didnt see that. I had an 08 to and got rid of it for the EB with 22k miles on it. Great engine lots of power compared to the 07 6.0 I had. But gas is going to suck in that thing, telling you now. 13-14 is the best youll see unless you mod it.

i have a nice dually for sale in the clasifieds...I spotted that the wife doesnt like them, but their easy to get around and Ive pulled 42ft fountains before with no problems...much more stable...:coolcowboy:

Thanks but I already bought a 2008 Ford Super Duty F-250 Lariet 4x4 Crew Cab Diesel. I love it. Thank you for the offer. Good Luck with the sale. I am thinking my Ford will tow my Apache with out any problems at all.

suggest you get the K&N intake. Its like 255 on amazon. It seems to add a little power and turbo gets a little more boost. Your stock filter is 75 bucks so the K&N will pay for its self in a year or two. As far MPG I didnt notice anything when I put it on my 08. The intake is kind of a PITA, I would youtube it and try to get a video before you do it. the instructions are horrible. If I had to do it again it would go a lot quicker the first time just sucked.