suggestions on picking out a boat

[ohfishcat]

well my ohio river fishing/boat addiction went from my 12 foot aluminum to my 16 ft bowrider
now im looking at mid to late 90,s,, 23 /24 foot sea ray sudancers/maxum scr/wellcraft prima etc etc aft cab/mid cabin boats
i looked at a sea ray sundancer 25 ft but seemed huge and tall,,my pulling vehicle is a trailblazer 4.2/4x4,,and i also have a silverado 5.3/2wd

so im looking for a boat thats big but somewhat light to pull and something easy to load and unload without being a nightmare fiqured the shorter 23/24 ft length boats are lighter and not so monsterous

any suggestions on these kinds of boats brands lengths heights weights and how my vehicles would pull em

 

[dn010]

Re: suggestions on picking out a boat

I find myself in the same situation as you. I'm going from '18 and looking to go '25, but with hesitation for the same reasons - just might be too big. I realize it's only 1-2 foot difference to go 24-23 etc but I haven't seen enough boats to know if it makes a big difference or not. I do think it will be more of a pain pulling a bigger boat around - less room at gas stations, less storage area in my yard, etc. those are things to consider - I hear a lot of folks who do this and end up getting a slip because of all the hassles.

One thing I can tell you is you'll need to look up the boat you're interested in and see what the weight of it is. Then you'll need to compare that to what your truck(s) can pull. Keep in mind, this will be boat weight-empty with no gas or supplies and does not include trailer weight.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: suggestions on picking out a boat

I guess you've got 4 foot-itus then...

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: suggestions on picking out a boat

You'll have to figure out how heavy the loaded boat, motor, fuel and trailer weight. Your owners' manual should have your truck's tow ratings based on your chassis, engine, gear ratio and transmission. Just compare the projected weight vs. allowable tow weight for the truck.

You'll be limited to the Silverado pulling a big boat. Remember that some 1/2 ton trucks are beefier than others. Boats are long, catch a lot of wind and they actually pull a little heavier than their weight. I personally wouldn't want to haul over 8,000 lbs. with any C1500 Chevy.

You should consider adding a secondary transmission cooler to your truck. The tranny is your weak point of your drive train, and heat simply destroys transmissions. Tranny coolers can be bought for just over $100, and that beats a $4000 repair.

 

[Mason78]

Re: suggestions on picking out a boat

You should consider adding a secondary transmission cooler to your truck.

I agree, I ordered my 2012 F150 with a tranny cooler and I'm glad I did. My transmission temp only increases a few degrees when I'm towing. I will never own a truck without one.