23' boat need the right truck

[northvanwatertaxi]

What kind of truck would be able to tow my Bayliner? it has a V8 sterndrive i'm guessing about 5000 lbs
My friend has a ford pickup and that is great but I can't afford a new truck, any suggestions?

 

[JB]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

You probably need a truck or a strong SUV, taxi.

Tell us what you think you can afford and we ought to be able to make a few suggestions.

 

[northvanwatertaxi]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

I guess what i'm not sure of is what engine is best
350 enough power?
man or auto?
half ton f 150 with 302?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

1/2T F150 will be able to tow it.

If it's a 23' boat, I bet it ways more than 5000# with trailer and fuel.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

my 1999 23' chris craft 230 sportdeck w/ 5.7 L vovo. weights in a 4800 lbs dry, without trailer or fuel. we are towing with a Suburan, and will be looking for bigger tow vehicle. it really strains to get it moving. go to nada, boats, find your boat, it has the dry weight for that boat.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

If its 5000 pounds or more you don't want a 302 Ford. If its an older truck a 351 will be more suitable. 350 Chevy will do nicely as well. 360 Dodge. Any of the newer trucks in the 5.3, 5.4L range will do nicely. Like batteries, you can't have too much power, -- just too little.

 

[northvanwatertaxi]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

I rented a p.u. it was a chev half ton 2wd. fine except it needed some weight over the rear wheels.
I

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

While I may draw some ire from stick owners, automatics are better suited for towing because of the torque multiplication capability of the torque converter. Don't even get into the "over the road truck" scenario. Our daily drivers don't generally have anywhere near the torque to play with unless you get into the PowerStroke/Duramax/Cummins diesels. Even then, automatics make a better combination.

 

[KM2]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

I'll back you up on that Silver. Sticks can be a real pain in the arse on a ramp.

Besides how can I possible eat, drink, change the radio, run the gps and talk on the phone in the truck if I have to shift too. 8)

 

[BrianS.]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

I have a 24' Maxum, I would say around 6000 total towing weight and my Tundra hauls it just fine.

 

[anyfishlldo]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

I would add that in addition to the weight you are towing, the terrain, distance and elevation in which you tow is equally important.

My 19' Maxum is 4500 +/- dry and my wife's Tahoe is a dog towing it, w/ a 5.7 L, rear locking diff and decent (3.73) ratios. We are generally towing 100-300 miles round trip from 4500 ft start elev. to 6-8000 ft with some steep inclines on the way. I bought a Duramax to fix the problem, but if I lived in TX or a similar flatland low-elevation state I would not need it.

 

[vacayooper]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

First off make sure the truck and trailer are lined up correctly. I started out with my first boat and nobody let me in on the little secret of matching the drop on the ball mount so the toungue of the trailer is level. I fought my trailer everytime I hooked up the boat, once I changed the drop on the ball mount it was a a total different feeling towing , braking and handling the trailer. So first make sure the set up is correct then if that don't work change the tow vehicle. By the way hooking up something to the back of your truck will decrease performance, increase the strain on your braking and requires you to keep focused. Good luck

 

[woody20]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

You could pull the boat with this truck.

 

[scubatrooper]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

nortvanwatertaxi:

Earlier this year I was in the market for a new 1/2 ton truck. I owned a 2003 Dodge Dakota, which did fine, but I wanted something bigger. I looked at them all, Chevy 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F150 then I looked at the Toyota Tundra and lastly the Nissan Titan.

What I found when you compare the data is the Titan is a winner all around in the numbers game (interior space, engine technology, towing capacity, standard option for the money, longer warranty, etc). So I bought the 2006 Nissan Titan SE Crew Cab. I've been very happy with my Titan for towing our boat which weighs a little over 4000# fully loaded with toys and fuel.

This truck has a DOHC 32-valve V-8 rated at 305 HP and an amazing 379 lb/ft of torque. It's the torque that gets your wheels moving towing or not so this is one thing to keep an eye on as you compare. With the big tow package my 4x4 Crew Cab Titan is rated to safely tow 9300# from the factory. I think the standard cab (they call it the king cab) 2x2 is rated at 9500# towing capacity. It also has the smoothest shifting 5 speed transmission out there. I can tell you from experience, when I have the boat back there you hardly know you're towing anything. The tow package has a tow button that alters the shift points for better acceleration. It also comes with four wheel disk anti-lock brakes that bring this beast to a quick stop and is hard wired for electric brakes should you get into towing a travel trailer or larger vessel someday.

I would very much consider looking at the Titan. It drives great, strong powerplant, and lots of truck for the money compared to the others. There are two web sites that are very helpful to do vehicle research. Check out http://www.edmunds.com/ and http://autos.msn.com/.

Good luck!

Regards,

Steve

 

[JRJ]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

You could pull the boat with this truck.

Very good8)

 

[POINTER94]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

Lots more questions to answer taxi. What elevation are you going to be running at, trailer brakes?, Sail area of the boat being towed, additional gear to be hauled, standard number of riders during towing, terrain to be covered?

Before you spend a dime, go to the truck stop and get your boat weighed. Do this with a full tank of gas, water, gear, etc. Now you have a fixed number with which to work with. I would recommend you visit a travel trailer site, as these guys tend to haul greater distances, and use more comprehensive and conservative formulas in ascertaining the requirements of a tow vehicle.

Off the cuff, you should be able to get by with a half ton, but make sure the axle ratios are correct, have a tranny and maybe oil cooler. And get the largest V8 engine available. Some of the more modern engines can produce surprising hp for their displacement.

I use a 2005 ford expedition, w/5.4L engine and 4WD. In Wisconsin, towing a 24ft pocket cruiser, with a loaded weight of 6200lbs, it works fine. I think it would be a disaster at elevation or in hilly terrain.

It is rated at 8600lbs towing capasity. NO WAY.

If the boat weighed a thousand lbs more I would be looking for a new truck.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

Stop guessing your weight! You can look it up on Nadaguides.com (which is a dry weight) or have it weighed.

 

[Payne]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

Get a older DIESEL truck! Much easier towing and better milage. Be sure it is a turbo, however.

 

[Rancherlee]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

I vote for an older 3/4 ton diesel also, though a turbo model isn't needed for your wieght. Good fuel economy (I get 21mpg highway with my 83' F250 4x4 diesel, 15mpg towing a loaded stock car trailer). The older non-turbo diesel still outpull most any gas engine out there today (except the BIG gas engines like the 502 chevy and V10 ford/dodge)

 

[aggiedave98]

Re: 23' boat need the right truck

Woody, I still like your pic!!

You're going to get a ton of advice, but I one thing to consider if breaking. I tow a 17.5' I/O w/ my '89 suburban and breaking is my biggest issue b/c I have rear drum brakes that don't seem to work great (even though I've rebuilt them twice).

You had a great idea in renting (or maybe trying out a friend's truck). There are a lot of possibilities but again, depends on how much $$$ you have.