what is tow weight?

[reelmess]

Re: what is tow weight?

If your looking to clean up the rust, look into any of several available rust converter products available.
I wouldn't use muriatic acid.
Wire brush the loose rust, paint with rust converter and paint over it.

If it were mine I'd be looking into getting a trailer that sets the boat much lower.
I'd also want a decent amount of extra tongue length. Both features will keep you farther from the water and the slick stuff on the ramp.

How much tow vehicle you need also has a lot to do with how far you tow. If your ride to the boat launch is only a few miles, then its not likely you need a big vehicle. I lived a block away from my most used boat ramp for years, I hauled my boat with what ever vehicle I had at the time. Now that I moved farther away, I bought a truck to pull my boat which goes about 20 miles each way to the ramp.
I had a neighbor who used an early 80's Pontiac Sunbird to tow his ski boat for years, but he only went a 1/4 mile at best to the water each way. When the Sunbird died he used a tractor. He soon found out that tractors don't have the best brakes though and his 23' boat nearly pulled him and the tractor into the lake.

 

[sti1471]

Re: what is tow weight?

Pics of your trailer and boat would help.

There are pictures of the boat and trailer on post #12.

 

[sti1471]

Re: what is tow weight?

The boat ramp from my house is about 6 miles. it makes for a pretty easy tow.

I thought of getting rid of the rollers and putting bunks on the trailer as this would lower the boat on the trailer several inches. but I don't know if a few inches of height is worth getting rid of the roller system. Since the rollers pivot with the boat, over bumps the rollers do most of the shock absorbing instead of the boat/trailer where it is then felt inside the vehicle. I used to have a 15' glasstron on a bunk trailer. When I would tow it and hit bumps, the sound and bouncing of the trailer would transfer to the vehicle and it made me think the hitch was breaking off.

But with this boat when I hit bumps, I can see the boat floating on the rollers, but I feel and hear nothing in the vehicle and that is nice. What is the benefit of having a boat that rides lower on the trailer?

 

[Jonnybbad]

Re: what is tow weight?

Also, if I have a boat and trailer that are 2500 lbs. on a flat surface, does that weight increase when trying to pull the boat up the boat ramp, or is it still 2500 lbs. as far as the vehicle is concerned?

I know these may be stupid questions, but I can't find a detailed answer anywhere.

Nah, you'd only be stupid for not asking if you didn't understand. Of course your vehicle is going to work much harder on a steep grade. At what point is the grade going to be a problem for your vehicle, I couldn't say, but keeping it slow and in the lowest gear possible will make it much easier on your vehicle.

I'll tell ya that if you ever back down the ramp and fall into a good hole at the end, you're most likely not going to be happy with your vehicle choice when you try to pull it out. Otherwise, unless you're traversing the rocky mountains with this rig, I would guess you should be just fine. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of following distance and take it easy. You should be well within the towing capacity you stated. If you really want to know, weigh it. You can check out thread I commented on earlier: http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/truck-scales-easy-find-618239.html#post4312303