Towing Rinker 250 W/F-150??

Okay another towing question. I'm looking at buying a 2007 Rinker 250 Express Cruiser. Weight of cruiser is 6350 lbs without any fuel, water, etc. It sits on a aluminum trailer. I have no idea lbs of trailer but it does have brakes. I currently have 2004 F-150 crew cab. It has 5.4 liter enging, tow package, 3.73 gears, 18" wheels. I'm not for sure if it has a transmission cooler. Owners manual says it will tow 8700 lbs but when i figure weight of truck 7200 lbs minus GCWR 14500 lbs that gives me 7300 lbs. Can my truck pull this boat?

Thanks

Re: Towing Rinker 250 W/F-150??

It could pull it, but it wouldn't be my first choice. Pocket cruiser boats usually mean you have to step up to 3/4 ton trucks. How good are the brakes on the F-150? They are 4 wheel discs, so that's good, but are they powerful? And regardless, you would want to make for certain that the brakes on the trailer work!
To see if it has a transmission cooler, look for an additional coolers in front of the A/C condensor, behind the grille.

Re: Towing Rinker 250 W/F-150??

According to Mitchell UltraMate, there is a standard duty radiator and a heavy duty radiator. Their is also a standard duty trans cooler and a heavy duty trans cooler. So maybe they all have trans coolers on them? And they all should have a power steering cooler too.

Re: Towing Rinker 250 W/F-150??

with the 5.4 L and the tow package you should have the heavy duty radiator and trans cooler. Basically a tow package ususally includes a HD radiator, trans cooler, higher output alternator, and the hitch/wiring.
It'll be pushing the limits of your f-150 but you should be alright if you're not going to be towing far or in hilly terrain.

Re: Towing Rinker 250 W/F-150??

i have been pushed thru intersections too many times when towing with a F-150. they are too light on the tail end, even with tongue weight.

Re: Towing Rinker 250 W/F-150??

Ford P/U and SUV have 2 tow tow packages:
Standard Duty and the H/D (heavy duty).
Easy way to tell which: The H/D package comes with the hitch installed at the factory with BOTH the 4 and 7 pin connectors installed on a welded-on-the-hitch bracket.
The standard duty has only a 4 pin connector.
Next item. You state 8700# towing capacity. Read the manual again, this ratin may be for an equalizer hitch, and could be derated to 5000# without the eq hitch.
I am towing a boat/trailer combo which weighed out at just under 8K (truck scale) with an '03 Expedition 4X4 H/D package) with the 5.4, 3.73 limited slip axle, yada, yada. I do use an equalizer hitch. I also have 4 wheel disks and a tortion bar suspension on the trailer, so it stops very well.
The towing is so smooth you can almost forget the boat is behind you. However, a professional trailer shop set it up to my specs for tongue weight (475#) using a scale.
If you do the above things I did, I will say your F150 will tow that rig OK.
With an aluminum trailer, allow about 1000#. So now you are at about 7300 dry. Add gas, and other stuff in the boat, I would guess at about 8500 towing weight, just within the limit.
Have the boat and trailer weighed at a truck stop weigh station. Their scales are certified.