could I tow this boat with my truck??

[109jb]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

If a kid darts out good trailer brakes will do the job. Its not criminal or irresponsible to tow as he's suggesting. It's a residential neighborhood for goodness sakes, the ramp is a few blocks away. He doesn't need a new TV for this particular job. I usually encourage people to think more TV, but that's just not needed in his very unique case.

I still disagree. I don't care if it is 1 block, 2 blocks or across the country, I still feel that if you are on public roads AT ALL you have a responsibility to match the tow vehicle to the load. If you want to do this entirely on your own property then have at it, but on any public road there is no exception as far as I am concerned. Where does it stop??? 2 blocks, 1/2 mile, 2 miles. At some point the OP will undoubtedly want to take the boat somewhere else whether it be for vacation, maintenance, whatever. Tell me I'm crazy, but that is my opinion and I will not change it.


OP - One other thing that you will want to check is your hitch. Many times trucks come with hitch receivers that are not up to the task. My 2003 Duramax came with a 10,000 lb hitch but the truck has a 12,500 tow capacity. Yes, I replaced that hitch because it was the weak link and I commonly tow upwards of 10,000 pounds with the truck. Another example of insuring your tow vehicle is up to the task. The hitch capacity should be on a sticker or stamped into the steel near the receiver.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

Can we assume then that you NEVER drive over the speed limit then?

The tow rateing of a truck is based on hard use, steep grades, high speeds, winding roads and distance. He's got none of that. You're so tied up into standards you're not stopping to think about how they are based. The mules used in material yards have less umph than his truck and move much heavier loads, sometimes over rough lots. You're hitting the big red NO button and not thinking considering his unique situation.

 

[stackz]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

not that it matters but here's the google maps of my neighborhood.

I live on ft. pemberton and the boat ramp is at the end of plymouth ave. the little jutt out into the wappoo cut is the little floating dock divider between the two landings available.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=32.765769,-79.994309&spn=0.008517,0.013003&t=h&z=16

as for taking it elsewhere...well I cant see myself taking a 25' fisher up into the mountains or anything and I honestly dont like towing things for long distances as I've had some scares in the past with bigrigs going by causing me to fishtail.

and like said before, I've got a friend with an f350 dually if I really need to move it a distance. hell, my dad has an 86 f350 6.9 diesel rollback I could use if need be.

my whole thing was if my *** end would be bottomed out from weight and if I actually had the power available to pull the thing out of the water on the ramp or not.

 

[109jb]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

Can we assume then that you NEVER drive over the speed limit then?

The tow rateing of a truck is based on hard use, steep grades, high speeds, winding roads and distance. He's got none of that. You're so tied up into standards you're not stopping to think about how they are based. The mules used in material yards have less umph than his truck and move much heavier loads, sometimes over rough lots. You're hitting the big red NO button and not thinking considering his unique situation.

Truthfully the only time I speed anymore is by accident.

I am thinking about the use and his situation. If the entire route from the OP's house to the ramp was owned by the OP then yes, fine, do it, the truck will handle it. I never said the truck wouldn't. The fact is that the entire route in not owned by the OP. It is composed of public road and I WILL NOT change my mind.

 

[dbkerley]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

Those lightnings never had the torque of the 7.3s even when the 7.3 was stock. Mine was tweaked and I could roll out in 3rd then hammer the turbo and it would break loose and drift until I got tired of it. Actually showed a '99 lightning how it was done because he wasn't breaking it loose.

BTW - mine was a OBS crew cab f350 long bed and a zf5. It had a 25k rated ball in the bed and could pull into the 40s if it had to. It doesn't matter what you can pull.

It only matters what you can stop.

Get good gauges, watch your oil and trannie temps and buy the best brake controller you can lay hands on. After that it is really a matter of what you as a driver can handle.

I never really cared for the torque curve of the lightning for pulling and our 09 F350 with the 5.4 is a dog. My trailer weighs 4200# empty and it doesn't like pulling that. The integrated brake controller is nice though.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

my whole thing was if my *** end would be bottomed out from weight and if I actually had the power available to pull the thing out of the water on the ramp or not.

Tongue weight might be an issue, but there are some work arounds that you could do. A weight distribution hitch might help, I use the Equal-i-zer brand, but there are others. New air shocks, like Bilsteins (sp?) might help, air bags that mount to your frame would help (Firestone is a big manufacturer of these, you've seen them on semi's) and there are a wide assortment of after market products to stiffen leaf springs that you can install in the driveway.

I've already been down the path of trying to increase the cargo capacity of my truck. I'll be upgrading tires and adding air bags next spring, my tires already have over 51K on them and I don't trust them to tow my travel trailer another season. But then, I tow from SW Ohio to Florida, NC and plan a trip to Maine next year, you have it a whole lot easier!

Pulling out of the water should be no problem either, you certainly have the horsepower and your trying to move a heavy object at rest up the ramp at very low speed. It's a simple task for most automotive engines. After all, you're not trying to pull this boat up a 7% grade at 65mph for five miles on the interstate. You'll even be breaking inertia with part of the weight still boyant in the water.

Tranny and tires should be no problem either. They won't be getting hot or running at high speed.

Even your hitch should be ok. This is a very low impact tow you have, no hard starts or stops, nice smooth level roads. If you're worried, peridocally check it for cracks.

I'd get on a Ford blog and see what othe owners have to say about this if you have more concerns.

If you finally decide that you can't manage with your TV, you might consider slip rental. Cheaper than a new TV.

Edit: Well shucks, I just reread your post, you'll have NO problem pulling up a ramp with a 4x4 and with the tow pakcage and suspension mods you made I bet you'll be just fine. Next time you are towing a load of rock around, stop by a scale if you can and measure the tongue weight. Use a jack stand under the hitch for an accurate measurement, I'm thinking you'll have no problems.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

stackz,
With the substantial mods you have done already, you have not mentioned if your truck is llifted and what size the current tires are.

I am wondering if you have done the 8" lift and 40"dia mud tires thing too?

Taller tires equal lower braking ability.

 

[N3UP]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

You'll get the same range of answers on the Ford boards as well....

My opinions....for what they're worth.

I would tend to agree if your tow is as stated, less than a mile or so, in your develpoment, slow speed, no hills, I might do it.
BUT, and this is a very big but, if anything were to happen, if you are exceeding the combination weight rating for your truck, it IS illegal.

Would you get a ticket....maybe, maybe not.
If the other party involved is of a litigious mind, you would have a difficult time defending your self from a legal standpoint.

In plain english, if you hit my kid, I'd sue your ***** off for negligence, and since you were exceeding the LEGAL ratings of your vehicle, I'd have a good chance to win.

Is any of this likely to happen? Again, maybe, maybe not....
Do you really want to take that chance? That's your decision to make.

Just becase you can do something doesn't mean you should.

I towed a 17ft bowrider with a Mustang GT. I never had any trouble stopping it, I had plenty of horsepower avaiilable, and I never had any handling issues on the highway.
Should I have done it?
No!
And I have the cracks in the door openings and floorpan to prove it.

Only you can decide what is and is not acceptable risk.

Just consider what could happen and act accordingly.

 

[stackz]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

stackz,
With the substantial mods you have done already, you have not mentioned if your truck is llifted and what size the current tires are.

I am wondering if you have done the 8" lift and 40"dia mud tires thing too?

Taller tires equal lower braking ability.

stock 4wd factory height with ladder bars (wife is 5'1" and cant stand climbing in as it is lol).

I use LT series BF goodrich tires so they have the extra belts in the sidewall to help with towing loads....already been down that road with passenger series tires lol

 

[jeeperman]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

stock 4wd factory height with ladder bars (wife is 5'1" and cant stand climbing in as it is lol).

I use LT series BF goodrich tires so they have the extra belts in the sidewall to help with towing loads....already been down that road with passenger series tires lol

Then I would say go for it. 25' and under, not the 30 footer tho.

 

[stackz]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

Next time you are towing a load of rock around, stop by a scale if you can and measure the tongue weight. Use a jack stand under the hitch for an accurate measurement, I'm thinking you'll have no problems.

never thought about that. the rock loads are generally in the vicinity of 2ton (4k-lbs?). and when I'm towing those I usually have 12 or so bags of cement in the bed of the truck along with a mini mixer. truck pulls with power to spare lol.

 

[lonemust]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

On public roads I agree DO NOT DO IT. It's a legal issue. Far be it if something happened while going "around the block" to the ramp, you get in an accident even if it is the other person's fault. The law can and will fine you for "overweight issues". Yes they can do it, it's not just for commercial trucks. That's why the manufacturer puts a tow capacity on its vehicles. One issue I didn't see brought up is the leaf springs, Are you rideing on a heavy-duty set or a standard set??? If u have a st set you could run a risk of premature failure let alone sagging.. And what size of tags (licence plates) are u running.7000#, 9000#, 10,000#, ect.. IT does make a big deal legally since the gvwr includes the vehicle and cargo (the boat being the cargo). If you have 7000# tags and the boat weight 8000# you are overweight.... It's all about the legallity of it all... Remember the DOT is not for commercial vehicles only they can bust any one....Learned the hard way.

 

[stackz]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

weight tags? never heard of that. south carolina only has a single tag for the rear license plate area unless you buy a custom one. only other option I know of is the "truck" tag which is permanent and lets you parking in loading zones.

maybe your state is different with tags?

 

[N3UP]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

Unless you're dealing with a Semi, the weight class of the registration usually deals with the GVWR of the truck, not the combination rating.

In PA you can under register a truck, but only when it's first titled in the state.

Once it's titled, you can't lower the weight class.....
In PA at least.

 

[N3UP]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

IT does make a big deal legally since the gvwr includes the vehicle and cargo (the boat being the cargo).

Only if the boat is in the bed of the truck....

GCWR is the COMBINATION weight rating.....it's a different thing.
Unless your state specifies Max vehicle weight towing a max trailer weight...

My CDL license says I am licensed to drive a vehicle greater than 26000 lbs towing a trailer weighing less than 10000 lbs. (class B), or something along those lines...

In Pa unless it's a Semi, the truck itself is registered for a Max weight.
Nothing in the registration specifies max trailer weight as far as the state is concerned.

This is Pennsylvania, your state may be different.

All states have regulations regarding required equipment on trailers.
Brakes required if over a certain weight capacity, length limitations, safety chains, safety equipment, etc.

Those regulations vary greatly from state to state.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

weight tags? never heard of that. south carolina only has a single tag for the rear license plate area unless you buy a custom one. only other option I know of is the "truck" tag which is permanent and lets you parking in loading zones.

maybe your state is different with tags?

Unless you know better, I doubt that the DOT in your state is stakeing out your residential neighborhood.

I know people here mean well, but for goodness sakes you've said several times you're driving an incredibly short distance in your neighborhood to the ramp. I bet most of us drive further for gasoline.

I think you'll be OK, you may need a few upgrades but you can decide if you want to do it. I know I certainly would go for it if I was in your shoes.

 

[el toro]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

I don't know if the original question has been answered on what the tow rating of the '99 F-150 is? But I looked into the tow rating of our '98 F-150 a while back and it is 6500 lbs. I'm sure the '99 is about the same.

 

[Raystownboater]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

Weight distribution hitch, it spreads the tongue weight among all axles. All residential is no problem. As long as the breaks work properly, you'll gave no problems with emergency stops. Short distance, good roads, low speed, you can do this and not be irresponsible or criminal.

For what it's worth, I'm usually telling people to get more tow vehicle (TV), but few have such an easy trip to their destination like you do. You should be fine.

Most WDHs are for A-frame trailers found on campers and horse trailers. I have not found one that can be used for boat trailers. Do they exist?

 

[jeeperman]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

Most WDHs are for A-frame trailers found on campers and horse trailers. I have not found one that can be used for boat trailers. Do they exist?

WDH's do not require an a-frame coupled trailer.

You dont see them used on boat trailers due to surge brakes.
Although there is a special WDH that will work with surge brakes.

 

[Raystownboater]

Re: could I tow this boat with my truck??

WDH's do not require an a-frame coupled trailer.

You dont see them used on boat trailers due to surge brakes.
Although there is a special WDH that will work with surge brakes.

I purchased a WDH from Eastern Marine and when it arrived, i wasnt able to hook it up. I called Eastern Marine and was advised that WDH are used soley for A-frame trailers and they were unaware of one made for a boat trailer