what do you tow your boat with?

[chappie260]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

I bought a 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 5years ago knowing that I would eventually upgrade my boat from a '96 Chaparral 2135SS at some point. Now I have finally paid the truck off and I have purchased a 6000# 260 Signature. The Chevy tows it without problems. My point is to buy the largest Truck you can afford so you can be prepared for "5 Foot Itis" when it strikes. (and it will...)

 

[pinellas50]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

2001 Ford Expedition.

 

[URDADDY]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

This beats that toyota as a hauler hands down.

 

[642mx]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

This beats that toyota as a hauler hands down.

Actually it doesn't... The V8 gas versions only had 255 horse... V10's only had 310 (70 horse shy of the 5.7L Tundra). And the gasser Excursion's where rated at 6100 towing capacity with the V8, and 10000 lbs for the V10. The 5.7L Tundra is capable of 10,800 lbs.

 

[642mx]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

My point is to buy the largest Truck you can afford so you can be prepared for "5 Foot Itis" when it strikes. (and it will...)

Great point! After a couple of years with my first boat... the "Itis" has set in!!! We've been looking at 25' Baja Outlaws for our next boat... and then I'm sure I'll need a 29' Outlaw in a few more years!

 

[URDADDY]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

is the V10 and is rated at 10,000 lbs. And although yours may be rated a whole 800lbs more, pull with each and see which does better. And lol, isnt a big deal but fun to debate about.

 

[Bluegills Unlimited]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

The wife has a Grand Cherokee which I imagine would tow about like the Durango but I have never towed with it.

I loved the way my GC towed. I now have a full size GM pickup, but the GC really towed great. I had the 5.2v8

 

[northernmerc]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

Over the past several decades, I've towed many thousands of miles with Toyota and GMC 4x4s. The Toyotas can tow lighter loads but won't stand up for long with heavier loads. The Toyota transmissions and rear axles have given a lot of trouble when used for towing heavier loads. IMO, it's hard to beat the good old North American made GM trucks.

 

[Doug N.]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

You need to get the biggest truck your wife will allow. I am in an F350 with the 7.3 liter diesel. I have a 14.5 foot jon boat (home built). The 2011 model is coming out a 6.7 liter diesel. Let us know what you get away with.

 

[Titanium48]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

thanks for the input guys... i know my little car wont tow my boat.. car has 1000 lb towing cap and boat is closer to 2000 lb... but the boat is a 1977 glastron gt-150 keep em comin guys! since now after boat shopping i am now car shopping for something to tow it! lol... thanks yall...

Actually, it might. Here in North America, marketing has a big say in setting tow ratings and vehicles not marketed for towing have artificially low ratings. When the same cars are sold in Europe, the blanket 1000 lb North American car tow rating mysteriously increases to something over 1000 kg.

I tow a similar boat (14.5 ft, ~1600 lb total) with a Saturn SL2. I had to make some modifications (adding trailer brakes and an extendable tongue) and there are some limitations (steep ramps are difficult and unpaved ramps are impossible), but it works for me.

If you still want a new tow vehicle, there's no need to go full size unless you want a big truck or SUV for other reasons. A small 4x4 pickup or SUV will tow a 1500-2000 lb boat just fine and 4 wheel drive will overcome the launch limitations of the car.

 

[Yellow Yota]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

I tow this.......

With this.......

'98 12 valve Cummins turbo diesel. No issues whatsoever. How fast you wanna get there? Hehehe....


(Sorry for the poor quality burnout picture. It was a cell phone camera. Also, this was just a shot of the final hurrah for the old tires!)

 

[JimKW]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

I still say look into an older Envoy or Trail Blazer. They are not all that expensive and the have real 4WD with the low range and get around 20 mpg on the highway when not towing. Be curious why mileage I get towing the boat for eight hours up to Michigan the last week in June.

 

[mjgates]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

If I were looking for a tow vehicle. I would look into an older, 95-99 Tahoe or Yukon, or some kind of full size truck. F150, Silverado, and although the Tundra can tow, I agree with the earlier poster in the fact that they do not handle heavy loads like your good old american trucks do. The Tahoe/Yukon can be had for about 5-7k and tow great. I currently pull a 21' Sea Ray 210 Bowrider with a 99 Yukon with no problems at all. Whatever you do, stay away from Ford Explorers. Not because they can't tow, but they will cost you a fortune in repairs.

 

[jrs_diesel]

Re: what do you tow your boat with?

I use a 01 Dodge Ram 2500 with the Cummins diesel. With my 3.54's I am rated to haul 13,500 lbs. More than adequate for my 22 ft sailboat.