Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

[kenmyfam]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

My little 16 ft Alumaweld, trailer, etc weighs around 23-2400#. I can tell it is back there also. My highway mileage drops from just over 15MPG to just under 12MPG towing the boat. That is based on over 3000 miles. My trucks towing limit is over 10,000#.

Good to hear it's not just me then !!!

 

[Chris-R]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

You are going to be over the tow limit of the truck. No question in my mind about it. The tow rating is for the vehicle and a driver and a full tank of gas that is all. Anything more you put in the vehicle has to be subtracted from the allowable towing capacity. You said 4 people would be in the truck which I assume includes the driver. The weight of the other 3 has to be subtracted from the towing capacity. If you use the US average adult weight of 170 pounds that is 510 pounds off of the towing capacity which brings it down to 4590 pounds. This is already below what you estimate for the boat and trailer alone not including gear and fuel.

Thanks to everyone for helping out. I really hadn't thought about adding the weight of everyone in the truck besides myself. Doing that, i would be way over the limit. I'm going to look for a lighter boat/trailer setup. My truck is only a year old so I'm not going to upgrade the truck. Again, thanks for the help guys.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Thanks to everyone for helping out. I really hadn't thought about adding the weight of everyone in the truck besides myself. Doing that, i would be way over the limit. I'm going to look for a lighter boat/trailer setup. My truck is only a year old so I'm not going to upgrade the truck. Again, thanks for the help guys.

Good idea. I've generally found that I need to keep a weigh of around 2900 lbs dry as my upper limit when looking at new boats that would tow behind my Frontier safely (after loading & passengers). The trouble with pickups as tow vehicles is that you can easily fill up the bed with heavy junk to bring along (especially when camping) which also adds to the GCVW and reduces your towing capacity significantly.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

You will kill your transmission. Or at least if it were me I would expect to. 45 minutes towing the maximum load is asking a lot out of that truck. Assuming this is your daily driver is it worth the risk??

It's up to you. Another point that I'm not sure if anyone made is that if you cause an accident with an overloaded rig you may be looking at anything from insurance denying your claim to facing criminal charges.

 

[skargo]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Thanks to everyone for helping out. I really hadn't thought about adding the weight of everyone in the truck besides myself. Doing that, i would be way over the limit. I'm going to look for a lighter boat/trailer setup. My truck is only a year old so I'm not going to upgrade the truck. Again, thanks for the help guys.

Good, smart decision! Best of luck in your search!

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Also stopping ability and pulling the boat out of the water on the ramp are two more things to consider.

Pulling the boat out of the water won't be a problem. It's a 4x4, he'll get great traction, better than I get with my Tundra 4x2. He'll be pulling in 1st gear, there's no issues there. Our local RV dealer moves everything except his 5vers with an old 20HP lawn tractor, including his 30+' TT's.

Stopping the boat shouldn't be an issue as long as you have, use and maintain trailer brakes. I pull a travel trailer and it's no problem stopping, at all.

Comfortable/safe towing a boat that size with a full load? Probably not. If the roads cooperate, relatively flat, wide shoulders, good pavement, not too high a speed limit, light traffic, you might be able to do it. You'll be adding years to your TV thought, even under the best circumstances.

 

[dvandsm64]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

my father in law taught me you can tow anything you want, but the stopping could be tragic and deadly and any accidents would be your fault!

our 2009 f150 knows our @3000lb. boat is there. but our trailer has brakes. so does our @8000lb. camper.

 

[captkevin]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

You should be fine - it won't be a powerhouse but as long as you take it easy it will be fine. Make sure you Change fluids annually for trans & differentials with synthetic fluid.

 

[rndn]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

You should be fine - it won't be a powerhouse but as long as you take it easy it will be fine. Make sure you Change fluids annually for trans & differentials with synthetic fluid.

Very bad advice. New and synthetic fluids don't increase the towing ability of a vehicle. The original poster already stated he would not try and was now looking for a lighter boat/trailer combo.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

I'm going to go against the flow here and say that if you're not over by 5% or so, you can do it without damaging the truck or being unsafe. This is on the condition that the trailer has working brakes on both axles and you're towing in a relatively level area, no mountains, etc. Stay alert and keep a safe distance from other vehicles.

You can lower the weight by having the passengers take another vehicle and meet you at the ramp. They can carry the ice and drinks. Also, you can fuel the boat near the ramp.

The factory tow rating is a compromise between the engineers, the sales people, and the lawyers. The truck won't last forever if the trailer is one pound lower than the tow rating and fall apart if it is one pound over.

 

[skargo]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Why are people still giving him dubious advice? He stated he would get a lighter boat to be LEGAL and SAFE.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Why are people still giving him dubious advice? He stated he would get a lighter boat to be LEGAL and SAFE.

EDIT

This is a forum for advice and opinions. Just because mine doesn't agree with yours doesn't make it "dubious".

 

[Vanover]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Additional cooler or the one it came from the factory with ???? If the one from the factory I suggest an additional one.
Our Trailblazer has the factory tow package and a tranny cooler from the factory. As we are in the process of getting a travel trailer I am having an additional tranny cooler fitted early next week. As I said earlier. You can not over cool a transmission.

I disagree, thick tranny fluid can do the same as thin tranny fluid. IMPO you can over cool a tranny. In fact the reason it is run to your radiator is to warm it to operating temp. Then the constant temp maintains and cools the fluid as req.
I have plumbed them before the raiator and after the raiator and in my experience the ones plumbed after the radiator do better on the long hual. You really need to know the safe temp to opperate at and then what yours will operate at under your load. A temp guage is priceless. Just my .02 cents though.

 

[mxzeatr]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Thanks for the replies. My truck already has a transmission cooler. It also has 4X4 low and 4X4 high so I don't see why I would have trouble at a ramp. It has 4 tires just like most 3/4 ton and one ton trucks. Right now I'm pulling a 2,200 Lb. boat and my Sport Trac doesn't know it's there. I go no faster than 65 and usually 60 on the highway. The grades here are minimal. I like the idea of taking a test ride with a boat of similar weight. I also like the idea of filling up the gas tank near my destination. I want to thank everyone for their input. Anyone else who wants to chime in, please do so. Now I'm off to find someone with a boat and trailer of similar weight to do a test drive.

Yes your truck does have 4 tires like bigger trucks. But the question here is, (and this has not been mentioned) are your tires rated for the max load capacity of the truck? Take a look see, MOST of the trucks are not equiped with heavy enough tires to haul max capacity loads from the factory.

I'm going to go against the flow here and say that if you're not over by 5% or so, you can do it without damaging the truck or being unsafe. This is on the condition that the trailer has working brakes on both axles and you're towing in a relatively level area, no mountains, etc. Stay alert and keep a safe distance from other vehicles.

You can lower the weight by having the passengers take another vehicle and meet you at the ramp. They can carry the ice and drinks. Also, you can fuel the boat near the ramp.

The factory tow rating is a compromise between the engineers, the sales people, and the lawyers. The truck won't last forever if the trailer is one pound lower than the tow rating and fall apart if it is one pound over.

5% over? Come on. Its ILLEGAL to exceed your GVWR on the road. I'm not sure how it is in your guys/gals states, but here in MI I've been seeing more weighmasters with 'normal' (non-commercial) vehicles pulled over in my travels. From what I've read/heard you exceed those ratings, and they'll likely impoud your boat and have you pay the fines and come and get it later.

 

[642mx]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

I disagree, thick tranny fluid can do the same as thin tranny fluid. IMPO you can over cool a tranny. In fact the reason it is run to your radiator is to warm it to operating temp. Then the constant temp maintains and cools the fluid as req.
I have plumbed them before the raiator and after the raiator and in my experience the ones plumbed after the radiator do better on the long hual. You really need to know the safe temp to opperate at and then what yours will operate at under your load. A temp guage is priceless. Just my .02 cents though.

I agree with ya. The tranny in my truck comes from the factory with a tranny fluid warmer to help the fluid warm up fast.

 

[642mx]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

This is a forum for advice and opinions. Just because mine doesn't agree with yours doesn't make it "dubious".

The problem is, nobody (or very few) on this forum believes a truck should be worked or used as it was designed. A lot of these folks think you need a dually to pull a canoe.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

5% over? Come on. Its ILLEGAL to exceed your GVWR on the road. I'm not sure how it is in your guys/gals states, but here in MI I've been seeing more weighmasters with 'normal' (non-commercial) vehicles pulled over in my travels. From what I've read/heard you exceed those ratings, and they'll likely impoud your boat and have you pay the fines and come and get it later.

They don't weigh private vehicles around here. They didn't where I used to live either. Impound your boat? Yea, right! "Illegal"? Post a link.

5% is 250 lb on a 5,000 lb trailer. Go back and re-read my post on tow ratings.

I'm not, and have never been the guy who says it's OK to tow a cruiser with a Honda civic, but I believe if the OP is close, he will be fine.

BTW: From reading this forum, I find lots of people saying it's fine to scrape the rust off a thirty year old painted steel trailer and use it, or weld new parts in, but then they turn around and say you need a 20% cushion between the actual weight and the recommended capacity?

I think some folks just like to argue.

 

[skargo]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

EDIT
This is a forum for advice and opinions. Just because mine doesn't agree with yours doesn't make it "dubious".

I don't appreciate the insult, or your unsafe and potentially illegal advice. Being just 1 pound or 5% or whatever over will get the guy sued for everything he owns IF an accident happens.

 

[skargo]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

The problem is, nobody (or very few) on this forum believes a truck should be worked or used as it was designed. A lot of these folks think you need a dually to pull a canoe.

So you believe it's OK to exceed weight ratings, and put yourself at risk?

A lot of these folks think you can pull an aircraft carrier with a Vespa.

 

[JB]

Re: Is This Boat too Big for My Truck?

Y'all need to cool down, gents. Skargo is safety minded, but maybe not the greatest diplomat. He is trying to help the OP stay safe. Please respect that.

Vehicle tow ratings are determined by hardware factors. They are not negotiated by salesmen and insurance adjusters. Safety is determined by driver skill and experience and by the condition of all those hardware factors.

My rule of thumb is that only professionally trained tow drivers should even approach the vehicle rating and use only vehicles maintained by competent fleet mechanics.

We amatuers should stay at or below 70% of the rated load.

That is my opinion.