Question about towing a bigger boat

[ahicks]

If the OP's boat ,which is a 26' and 5000#, and hits the rear roller on the trailer first, good luck with getting it on the trailer at all.

There are MANY people that tow boats this size with 2WD pickups like this with ZERO issues. OP will also not likely have an issue. Are there 0.01% of launch ramps that he may have an issue? Possibly....just not likely.

My experience would be that the number of ramps usable by a boat this size would be considerably lower than your thought, but I'm not going to disagree that a lot of people are trailering successfully with 2 wheel drive vehicles. The bigger point to my messages, is that you should do that with your eyes open. It's hardly what most would consider to be an ideal scenario, and there's not going to be a sign posted telling you that boats of that size pulled behind a 2 wheel drive truck are not a good plan.

I can think of a couple of ramps in Fl. that I use on occasion, that are so steep I hesitate to use them with our 1/2 ton 4x4 pulling a 20' pontoon. I will not trust the parking pawl in the tranny to hold while getting out of the truck for sure! Using those ramps means needing somebody that can drive the boat along for the ride. No single handing in those conditions. Are all ramps like that? Do all ramps have issues? No, I think we all know that.

 

[bruceb58]

Maybe your ramps back east are not as good as the ones I have used in CA, AZ, UT, WY, WA and British Columbia. This is with a 27', 26' and 2 24' boats. None of the ramps would have issues with a 1/2T 2WD pickup. The OP knows where he is going to use his boat so he can choose accordingly.

 

[ahicks]

That's all I'm saying. Checking out the landings you plan on using. Maybe even talk with some of the people using them.