What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

[bodiezekers]

I am considering buying a 30' cruiser with a dry weight between 13,000 and 15,000 lbs. and want to know my options as far as purchasing a tow vehicle as well. I would prefer to buy a Suburban...can I equip it to handle this size boat or do I have to go to a commercial grade pickup? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[JB]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

You would need a semi, BZ.<br /><br />I don't think even a heavy duty F350 can be rated for 20,000lb, which is what that rig would weigh with fuel and a trailer.

 

[bodiezekers]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

JB,<br />Thanks for the reply. What would be the heaviest dry weight of a boat that I could tow with a heavy duty pickup?

 

[POINTER94]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

F-350/F-450/F-550 <br />New for 2004<br /><br />The F-350/F-450/F-550 Chassis Cab lineup is designed for hard work and is the popular choice for industrial and commercial applications. The chassis cab breadth and depth of product, quality, power, toughness, reliability and ability to get any job done makes for a product that exceeds expectations. <br /><br />The F-350/F-450/F-550 Chassis Cabs are available in Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab configurations in XL, XLT and Lariat trims and are designed with customization in mind. The F-Series Super Duty truck lineup is manufactured at Ford's 4.6-million square foot Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville - the largest truck plant in the world. <br />______________________________________________________<br /><br />Super Duty chassis cabs have power and torque, where and when you need it. <br /><br />The 6.0-liter Power Stroke® V-8 Turbo Diesel delivers 325 horsepower at 3,300 rpm and features best-in-class torque at 560 foot-pounds. Key features include Electronic Variable Response Turbocharging (EVRT), for improved airflow, and an integral oil cooler to help reduce the risk of damage and leaks. When properly equipped, it delivers a GCWR of up to 30,000 pounds.<br /><br />The 5.4-liter Triton™ V-8 has 260 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 350 foot-pounds of torque. It has been the winner of Ward's AutoWorld magazine's prestigious "10 Best Engines Award" for six consecutive years. It is standard power for the F-350 SRW Chassis Cab. When properly equipped, it delivers GCWRs up to 15,000 lbs.<br /><br />The 6.8-liter V-10 is the biggest engine in the Triton™ family with 310 horsepower at 4,250 rpm and 425 foot-pounds of torque at 3,250 rpm. It delivers GCWRs up to 26,000 lbs., when properly equipped, for exceptional load carrying and trailer towing.<br />_____________________________________________________<br /><br />You are still right on or over the edge even with the turbo diesel. You had better had comercial experience to trailer something of this size.

 

[roscoe]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

Also, don't forget about boat/trailer height and width restrictions on the roads you will travel, and oversize permits.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

A 30' boat isn't something most people tow around. I think you would be best off finding a marina to keep it in...

 

[boater4life]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

I have a heavy duty 3/4 ton w/410 ratio and pull my 14,500 GVW rig with it. I usually don't go to far but it has the ba@#s to pull it. If you don't have a trailer yet, a high-end aluminum trailer should be a consideration including electric/hydraulic brakes. http://www.greatlakestrailers.com/

 

[ndemge]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

beam probably too wide to travel without permits........ even if it is legal..<br /><br />For what you would pay for a $50,000 truck, you can pay someone to move it for you every time you change lakes.

 

[Darian F.]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

we routinely tow thirty footers with a dual wheeled chevy with a duramax diesel<br /><br />have towed 32 foot cruisers flags, signs, etc<br /><br />the boat/trailer combo dosent stop very quickly however, it is a pain to trailer sometimes

 

[Knightgang]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

What kind of Cruiser is this? I know that some 30' to 36' boats fall in a category to be able to be pulled by 1 ton trucks (not SUV's). You would definetly need a desiel. You will have to decide on the weight of the entire rig.

 

[jbh350]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

Just to give you an idea, I used to tow my 32' Avanti (12' beam 13,000lbs) with a Ford F-350 Power Stroke. Towed great, had plenty of power with some to spare. The biggest problem was that I lost several Transmissions in the truck. That is fords biggest down fall. The day my warrenty was up, I went down and bought a new GMC Duramax diesel, the transmissions in these trucks are far more superior to the fords. I have had zero problems towing with this truck so far, I never thought I would say it, but the duramax is far better quality than the ford, just my opinion. By the way, I no longer have to wear ear plugs, or a kidney belt when I drive my truck Duramax is much quiter and by far a much much better ride.

 

[PAkev]

Re: What vehicle to tow a 30' cruiser?

I also have a Dmax in a 3/4 ton Silverado and am very happy with it. In my truck purchasing research, I learned that as John indicated, the Diesel and transmission combination has been the biggest challenge for most manufacturers. The torque of a diesel motor can kill even the best of conventional heavy duty transmissions. With this in mind, GM has packaged the Allison T1000 transmission (which is designed for diesel servicability) on most of their diesel powered pick up trucks. I believe Ford has also just followed with a diesel performance transmission. As far as I know, Dodge is still using the same conventional HD transmissions as in their gas powered trucks with a tranny overhall commonplace between 50K to 75K miles.