Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

[Nobody785]

Hi,

I'm considering the purchase of a 21 ft boat and a trailer. It would be towed behind an '04 Chevy Tahoe LT 4800 V8 w/ 3.43 axle ratio, spec'd for a maximum trailer weight of 5,700 pounds. The Boat's dry weight is listed as 4,080 pounds. I don't know how much the trailer weighs. Fuel and other stuff in the boat would probably weigh 300-400 pounds. So that's about 4400 pounds + the weight of the trailer.

I'm guessing I would be right against maximum, but close enough to be OK. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Boat Dry = 4080 lbs

Fuel = 500 lbs

Stuff = 200 lbs

Trailer = 1250 - 1500 lbs

Total weight = 6030 - 6280 lbs.

So, its over the towing rating by about 10%. Also, when you are at the max for towing rating, it assumes you have little/nothing in the vehicle itself.

 

[Nobody785]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Boat Dry = 4080 lbs

Fuel = 500 lbs

Stuff = 200 lbs

Trailer = 1250 - 1500 lbs

Total weight = 6030 - 6280 lbs.

So, its over the towing rating by about 10%. Also, when you are at the max for towing rating, it assumes you have little/nothing in the vehicle itself.

Thank you very much for the reply. I guess I could upgrade the axle ratio on the truck to 3.73 which would bring me up to 6,700 lbs of towing capacity per the owner's manual (or even 4.10 which apparently takes it over 7,000). On the other hand I guess I can't be sure whether or not there were suspension or other differences that caused the higher ratio'd trucks to have higher towing capacities, although the manual only lists the gear ratios as the difference.

Plus, it only holds 40 gallons of fuel (36 useable), so that would only weigh less than 250 pounds using a density of 6.2 lbs/gal (where I live it's usually hot, so density is probably even less). I also don't know what fuel level for the truck the numbers are based off of (manual doesn't say), granted it only holds 26 gallons so that shouldn't make a huge difference.

I'm still in the preliminary shopping stages though, so I'm trying to get a feel for what the truck could handle. The engine is rated at 285 hp and 295 ft lbs of torque, has 90,000 miles and and is rear wheel drive only. I might need to just look at smaller boats I guess.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

The best way to find out is to take the boat for a "test tow" before you buy it.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

I think with a boat that size realistically you will be right up against the limit give or take a few hundred pounds. There are lots of people that go over the tow rating and lots of people who keep a 20% margin of safety on the tow rating. I have seen everything from a 28 foot cruiser being pulled with a Range Rover to a 14 foot John boat being pulled with a F250 Diesel. If you are going to go over the towing capacity you are risking damage in the form of transmission and rear end damage, though if you are slightly over I doubt there will be any damage. If you do go over the rating then I would make sure that the trailer has breaks....Stopping is the important part....

From the research I have done things that give trucks higer tow ratings are:
Oil and transmission coolers
Engine size
Rear end ratio

My avalanche that did not have a tow package on it ran the transmission in the summer around 210F. My Silverado that does have the towing package including the coolers runs more like 160s.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Is this a 2wd Tahoe? I only ask because I used the same exact 4.8L truck but with 4x4 and (I believe 3.73) gears for a few years.

In any form- It will do it., You might loose some speed in the hills and getting up to highway speed is taxing, Use Tow/Haul mode and 3rd gear. I think my V6 4Runner is better at accelerating and holding speed but the Tahoe with the small V8 always did the job.

Enjoy the new boat!

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Nobody,

Can your Tahoe tow it...yes, should you...no! If you want that much boat (what's the price?), if you aren't at your max, you could either a) buy an older diesel truck for towing only. b) re-gear yours c) sell and buy a vehicle that'll tow it safely?

The likely hood of damaging your Tahoe increases...more than likely your auto-tranny will pay the price if used long term for extended period (heat is the killer). Safety is another concern, but one could debunk an argument about that simply be replacing axle gearing, which would allow for a higher tow rating, that rgument looses merit pretty quickly...so in my mind safety, while important, is not a concern here...Tahoe's are a stout enough vehicle for that weight. Brakes are the same whether you have the lower (higher numerically) gearing. Look at the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR) as well!

Whatever you decide, a transmission cooler is recommended as are trailer brakes and rear air bags (possibly), depending on tongue weight rating (I suspect your rated somewhere around 700# w/o weight distributing hitch and 1,200# with?) You don't want weight distributing hitch on a boat, typically not necessary if boat is set on trailer properly.

I tow my dry weighted 4,900# travel trailer all over Colorado (at average elevation of 5,000') with my 2007 Toyota Tacoma 4x4, SR5 DC. Fully loaded it comes in at 6,000# (water, batteries, propane, generator, food, beer, clothing, toiletries...you get the idea). My factory rated towing ability is at 6,500# and GCVWR not to exceed 11,300# (vehicle plus towed vehicle). My actual GCVWR is 10,800#. I'm close!!

Good Luck...I like that Sea Ray, it's a good looking boat!
~Brett

 

[bigdee]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

The best way to find out is to take the boat for a "test tow" before you buy it.

You have not shared enough info for a forum to answer your question that is why I suggested that you give it a test tow.
There are too many factors such as road conditions, understanding your limitations and common sense to make a decision for you. Myself, I would have no problem using that truck.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

a "test tow" won't answer his question.....

as far as safety, your tahoe IS up to the task.... no there are no suspension differences between the different gear ratio vehicles.... You can tow that boat just fine but you need to make some changes if you plan on the trans surviving.... swap in lower gears and if you plan on towing any distance in hot weather or mountains add an aftermarket trans cooler to the factory one.

Otherwise you will have no issues with that combination

 

[bigdee]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

a "test tow" won't answer his question.....

if you plan on the trans surviving.... swap in lower gears and if you plan on towing any distance in hot weather or mountains add an aftermarket trans cooler to the factory one.

Otherwise you will have no issues with that combination

Depending on the terrain and how much stop and go driving you can get by without these modifications by understanding what you have and knowing how to drive conservatively. I have pulled similar loads with a 4.3 Blazer w/o issue in 126k miles. Easy on the gas gradual acceleration will help save a tranny,even with a cooler.

 

[Nobody785]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Thanks for the continued replies. It would not be towed long distances, typically 10 miles or less from the shed where I'd be keeping it to the boat ramp with a few rolling hills but nothing significant. The steepest grade would definitely be the boat ramp.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Thanks for the continued replies. It would not be towed long distances, typically 10 miles or less from the shed where I'd be keeping it to the boat ramp with a few rolling hills but nothing significant. The steepest grade would definitely be the boat ramp.

In that case you should be fine. I would still do the test tow to see how comfortable you are with it. A tactile feel is worth more than what I can tell you!

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

+1 ^^^ for local towing, I would not worry about being 10% over the rating

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Only other thing I was thinking about...how steep is the ramp where you'd boat? Having a heavy boat + Steep Ramp + 2 wheel drive = possible tougher getting traction? If the Tahoe has traction control, you'll most likely be okay? Otherwise, might be a scary moment...especially when the ramps wet!

 

[jkust]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Only other thing I was thinking about...how steep is the ramp where you'd boat? Having a heavy boat + Steep Ramp + 2 wheel drive = possible tougher getting traction? If the Tahoe has traction control, you'll most likely be okay? Otherwise, might be a scary moment...especially when the ramps wet!

Traction control without any other systems just stops your forward momentum by breaking individual wheels. It impedes your ability to get out when all you have is the ability to spin the wheels and creep up the ramp. Traction control doesn't control slip as a mechanical locker or limited slip or a computer limited slip will do. Look to see in the glove box whether the code G80 (mechanical locker) is present on the RPO options list (G86 is the mechanical Limited Slip only on select few GM's). The 3.42 will just make it more difficult to take off from a dead stop among other things. I see all the time people with trucks that bought them and didn't buy the really inexpensive G80, and 3.73 only to regret it later on. This is extremely common on GM trucks. Newer GM's are different because they have stabilitrac which simultaneously will act as a computer controlled limited slip if you don't have the optional G80 locker. I'm a used suv buyer and man it was difficult to get all of the towing related options on a used SUV. Literally the G80 was like a hundred bucks and the 3.73's weren't much more. Of course some variation of 4wd as on most trucks/suv's here so that's not an issue to locate. That 5700lb tow max sounds too low to me unless it is the unusual v6.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Reading the specs on the truck and what gets it to the 7800lb tow limit looks like it has nothing to do with safty just with the 5300 vs 4800 motor.

"The Vortec 5300 is rated 295 horsepower, which is 10 more than the Vortec 4800. More important is the difference in torque: The 4800 develops 295 pounds-feet of torque, vs. 330 pounds-feet for the 5300, both at 4000 rpm. Torque is that force that propels you away from intersections and it is especially important for towing or hauling weighty stuff, like people. "

 

[jkust]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Reading the specs on the truck and what gets it to the 7800lb tow limit looks like it has nothing to do with safty just with the 5300 vs 4800 motor.

"The Vortec 5300 is rated 295 horsepower, which is 10 more than the Vortec 4800. More important is the difference in torque: The 4800 develops 295 pounds-feet of torque, vs. 330 pounds-feet for the 5300, both at 4000 rpm. Torque is that force that propels you away from intersections and it is especially important for towing or hauling weighty stuff, like people. "

I almost forgot I had a 2004, 5.3 with the 3.73 and G80 plus the 4wd 3 suv's ago. That was pre stabilitrac days when you could roll one over much easier (as my wife did). It had a tow rating of 6500lbs and its 4wd decreased it a bit from the 6700lb max. That's why I'm thinking those tow numbers sound too low.

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

jkust,

I can agree that traction control doesn't work as well as locking diffs or limited-slip diffs, but most of the basic vehicles have some form of traction control (brake based). I would bet you a dollar to a donut that a 2wheel drive Tahoe with an electric locker are slim, 4WD, slim still, but probably not as rare as a 2WD. I would argue a point you make about a locker, they are not design/installed for towing, they are designed to be used in slick, off-road situations (I would agree on a boat ramp being both those!). Both my Toyota's have lockers and they are limited to 4 low and below 5mph (Again, I would still say that's appropriate for a boat ramp, but a 2WD Tahoe will not have 4low or 4high for that matter!?). If I were given the option of traction control or electric (or pneumatic) locker in a boat ramp setting, I'd more than likely have the traction control. With a locked rear end on very slick surfaces you get both wheels spinning, then, that's the end of forward momentum as they just become 2 spinning, slippery skis! Where as with the TC one wheel would still be trying to slip and the other would stop and repeat...It happens very quickly (almost imperceivable?)

Used to have traction control on my Land Rover Discovery II, worked so well in the snow (I had 17" wheels with very wide tires) granted, it was all wheel drive, but very, very stable. I rented a GT Mustang (2005) in Boston over a Thanksgiving weekend, snowed the morning of...drove from Boston to Rochester with traction control, was surprised how very little slip I experienced...had no trouble getting around the secondary streets. I had previously owned a '97 GT Mustang without TC...when it snowed, I left it in the garage. I've owned a few cars with lockers and in snow, they're pretty much useless for hills/ice. They work great in rocks, mud, general off-roading and fresh snow, but ice...no way.

Anyway, most likely a moot point as he's most likely got unlimited slip rear end with (or without traction control). Just a point to consider!?

~Brett

 

[NYBo]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

Funny you should mention traction control. My wife and I were leaving a lakeside B & B this morning in her 2012 Malibu with traction control. As we climbed the steep shale driveway and reached a particularly slick spot, we lost all forward motion. The traction control did us in. We backed down and tried again at a higher speed. We came to a stop in the same spot. The only way we could make it up that hill was to back down, disable the traction control, and use the throttle to maintain speed. The wheels slipped but we made it. Yes, I know this is a front-wheel-drive car and we weren't towing a boat, but I think the issue would be the same.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Can my Tahoe haul a 21ft Sea Ray and Trailer - Owners Manual says 5700 lbs max

If you cannot climb a slippery grade with a front wheel drive car, turn around and back up the hill. Instant fix. Back to the 4.8 vs 5.3. 4.8L is a 292 cubic engine which is not especially large for a truck. People also tend to ignore rear axle ratios when buying a tow vehicle. Fact is, it takes a bunch of power to overcome a poor selection in axle ratio. And the smaller the engine the more important axle ratio becomes. Yes, deeper gears may cost you some fuel mileage but stress on everything is reduced dramatically with deeper gears. This is even more important since manufacturers are installing much larger diameter wheels and tires than previously. My Yukon has 16 inch wheels (265's). 17, 18, and 20s are common these days. That increase in overall diameter alters axle ratio in a negative way.