What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

[overload]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

You need a 1/2 ton truck or SUV with a V8, minimum, no ifs ands or buts... period. You can use a V6 McTruck for quick trips to the lake, but on long trips out of town, especially out of state, you absolutly need a full size truck with a V8 for safety sake. A V6 will pull that load fine, but on long trips you will run into panic stops, long or steep grades, congestion, merging traffic, passing situations, etc, all things that will put great strain on the vehicle. Plus if it's hot you will want to use your air conditioner. All 1/2 ton trucks were desinged to pull loads in this weight class and most are ordered with towing packages. A V8 verses a V6 (except the old Ford 4.9 L I6) will give you power to climb hills and merge into freeway traffic whithout sweating bullets, plus run the AC and your accessories. A V8 will probally give you better gas miles as well because it will not have to work as hard as the V6.

Look at it this way, get a 1/2 ton truck with a V8 and drive confident, or a lesser vehicle and have that nagging question in the back of your mind the whole trip. What is peace of mind worth? - Overload

 

[leoo24]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

what do you guys mean when you say 1/2 ton truck? surely not that it weighs half a ton right?

 

[dave11]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

what do you guys mean when you say 1/2 ton truck? surely not that it weighs half a ton right?

It's an old designation as to how much it will carry in the bed. More of a generic term now.

 

[JoeCrow]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

1/2 ton as was stated is a payload figure
Chevy C-10,
Dodge 1500
Ford F150
are all "1/2 Ton" trucks

 

[overload]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

what do you guys mean when you say 1/2 ton truck? surely not that it weighs half a ton right?

A 1/2 ton truck is your standard full size light duty truck such as the GM 1500, Ford F-150, Dodge 1500, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Titan. Also includes the Suburban, Tahoe, Expidition, and similar full size SUVs built on a full size truck frame. This is from an old naming scheme where trucks were classified by the cargo capacity of the pickup truck bed, so a 1/2 ton truck could carry a 1000 lbs load, a 3/4 ton truck 1500 lbs, and so on and so forth. The naming has just stuck even though modern 1/2 ton trucks can carry more than 1000 lbs.

 

[Liquid_force]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

Reading this post got me to thinking. So I went to several states and looked at their laws regarding trailer brakes. I will be the first to admit I have learned a lot. It seams that in most of the states I checked 3000lbs gross trailer weight is the limit. Anything over that and you have to have brakes on your trailer. I did not know this. So to everyone else that doesn?t know or is unsure, check your local laws.

PS. To everyone that I might have endangered with my ignorance I offer my sincere apologies. I will remedy my problem by adding brakes to my trailer and lightning up the load.

Dude - chill out. It's less than ideal, but if you are even a reasonably aware driver and recognize your stopping distance is more than usual you'll be just fine. Trailer brakes would be great, but you won't spontaneously combust or be scentenced to life w/o parole, and nobody will crucify you for not having them. Well, maybe a few posters here might.
How many times have you heard of someone pulling a 18-22 footer being pulled over and taken to a scale and ticketed. Ever? For ANY reason?
If that situation were an accident waiting to happen law enforcement would be all over it. They HAVE portable scales -- they could sit at lake access roads and just tear it up. They don't because it's not an imminent disaster.
If you're a reasonably cautious driver I will happily take to the road alongside you and feel perfectly safe doing it.

 

[overload]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

Rs2k - A Chevy pickup truck in those years would be perfect for your needs. I'd try to find a '96 through '98 with a vortec 5.7 L in good shape, if not the newer ones are just as good with the 5.3 L. Earlier models had the TBI fuel system which is a dog compared to the vortec. At 3,500 lbs you can get away without trailer brakes, but I'd put 'em on if I had a choice, just in case.

 

[leoo24]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

Thanks guys

we don't have many pickup trucks here in spain (or europe) so it's not a term i've heard before

 

[sleeper]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

I think people get a little carried away with the V8 full-size thing. My buddy has a 1994 Chevy 1/2 ton with V8, I have an 05 frontier mid size truck with V6. But look at the specs.

Chevy 5.7 V8 210 hp, 300 lb-ft torque
7500 lb tow rating
1700 lbs haul rating
4 speed automatic

Nissan 4.0 V6 265 hp, 284 lb-ft torque
6500 lb tow rating
1400 lbs haul rating
5 speed automatic

My truck tows better than his, especially at highway speed. One of the biggest differences is the extra gear in the transmission. Like I said, if I towed 5 days a week of course I would have a bigger truck, but mine does great for what I need.
Of course newer V8 trucks make a ton more power and have even bigger tow ratings, but I wonder how anyone ever got any work done in the past? Most of the time these newer trucks have twice the power and tow ratings than people will ever use, but they think they will need it.

(Disclaimer to keep some peoples feelings from getting hurt - My comment only applies to the majority or weekenders, I know full well that many people need and use every ounce of power and hauling/towing some trucks offer.)

 

[Feorine]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

How many times have you heard of someone pulling a 18-22 footer being pulled over and taken to a scale and ticketed. Ever? For ANY reason?

A couple of years ago, a local police officer in Virginia Beach made a name for himself by ticketing everybody at the ramp with a dual axle trailer but not brakes. The only people who got off, were those able to prove that their rigs weighed less than 3000 pounds.

Ron

 

[Liquid_force]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

nice!
I would have guessed it happend somewhere

That's a cop needing to pad his/her numbers!

Must have been fresh out of the towing regulations training course.

 

[Scorpion 210 LTD]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

Dude - chill out. It's less than ideal, but if you are even a reasonably aware driver and recognize your stopping distance is more than usual you'll be just fine. Trailer brakes would be great, but you won't spontaneously combust or be scentenced to life w/o parole, and nobody will crucify you for not having them. Well, maybe a few posters here might.
How many times have you heard of someone pulling a 18-22 footer being pulled over and taken to a scale and ticketed. Ever? For ANY reason?
If that situation were an accident waiting to happen law enforcement would be all over it. They HAVE portable scales -- they could sit at lake access roads and just tear it up. They don't because it's not an imminent disaster.
If you're a reasonably cautious driver I will happily take to the road alongside you and feel perfectly safe doing it.

The issue is not about situational awareness or driving skill. He can do all of those things and not be able to do anything about the bonehead who pulls out in front of him. Guess what?, if it gets litigated the person with the equipment violation is going to get hit, maybe not life w/o parole but vehicular homicide is no joke either. So no, even though few (overzealous) officers will pull a set of scales out for a routine stop, I guarantee they will if there is a serious accident regardless of fault. I will bet my class A CDL on that.

You can roll your eyes all you want, I am not trying to make him paranoid- but even though 99.9% of those that have no trailer brakes will ever have an issue, he has to at least be aware of the consequences.

 

[10 FOOT INVADER]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

I pull my 2800lb monterey with a 90 town car. The boat fully loaded is more like 4000lbs. The town car has air bags on the rear and a 5.0 v8. Very large tranny cooler. Would never pull it without trailor brakes. You may be able to pull it just fine but wait till that as-ho-- pulls out in front of you going down hill and decides to turn. A friend of mine has a 20 foot sea ray that he pulls with a ford f150. He does not have trailor brakes. Have seen his boat shove his truck a long way after the brakes locked up and the anti lock kicked in.

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: What kind of power will I need to pull 3500 lbs of loaded boat trailer?

don't discriminate and buy a 1/2 ton pickup whichever you like(everyone has their fav) and get a v8 and if you launch in some unsavory places 4x4.. or if your replacing a vehicle with the tow vehicle look at full size suv's for comfort..i personally use an 00 jeep grand Cherokee 4x4 v8.. 6000lb tow rating and im happy its my everyday setup..