www.iFourWinns.com

How much does that boat weigh anyway? I have heard that some 1/2 ton trucks have a hitch only rated for 5K lbs on them for some reason so that's a good point to check...a late model truck in good shape is a good solution since you are not taking that big chunk of depreciation...that's why I bought my second Jeep used (Chrysler Certified vehicle)...good deals are out there for sure....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Boat dry weighs 4200 lbs. and trailer roughly 1300. I also have a 90 gallon gas tank plus gear and I am right at the limit for my truck which is rated at 6200 lbs. I checked the specs from Chevrolet and the tow capacity is listed at 8500 lbs. The truck I am looking at is does have the heavy duty tow package installed on it from the factory. I think all this means is different gear ratio in the diff. and a trans cooler. The truck does have higher miles on it (113,000), but looks to be in really good shape considering.

_________________
1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

Just my $0.02... I'd recommend checking the hitch on it anyway. They've been using hitches rated FAR lower than the trucks' tow capacities for years now. A Draw-Tite 10,000 class IV can be had for $300, maybe even installed.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I will do that after I talk with wife. She might not like the idea of getting another new vehicle and one just so we can tow the boat. Not that I wouldn't use it for other things, but she doesn't seem to understand that it is not safe to tow our boat at any sort of speed for very far. I on the other hand know what can happen.

_________________
1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

Good call. I looked at a few 1/2 tons and your right. The factory hitches are only rated for 5000 lbs.

_________________
1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

I don't really get why they are doing this other than maybe the hitch is rated to only 5K lbs weight carrying but a higher rating if you use a Weight Distributing hitch.....my 07 Jeep came with a class 4 rated to 7200 lbs and even the OE one that I put on my 98 was a class 4 rated to 6500 for the V-8 Jeeps...
Makes you wonder why they are bragging about all these high tow ratings and then when you read the fine print....

One thing I want to do this year is find a place to weigh our boat...I have no idea how much it really weighs but I know that the OE FW trailers for them had a capacity of 4000 lb and the boat was supposed to weight 'only' 2650 so clearly they felt that these boats are likely to be much heavier than that for them to put a 4000 lb capacity trailer under it....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I agree, if a truck has a published 8K pound tow capacity and it's purchased with the tow package, it ought to come with a hitch rated for at least 8K pounds. But as stated, for $300 you can have a better quality hitch than the stock one ever was, rated for 10K. I wish all the issues with the new vehicles could be solved that easily.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I know what you guys mean. I can't even find actually tow capacity on a 1/2 ton. Every where I look it says 8500 Lbs, but in the fine print says that this number is whith using a weight dist. hitch. Yeah and the last 1/2 ton I looked at had the "Tow Package" on it and when I looked at the hitch set up it was no dang different from every other truck. And car mfgs. wonder why they can't sell anything. Then again I guess its like my kids juice that says 100% real juice and when you read the ingredients there isn't a drop of juice in it. What the heck is wrong with this country. ALl these lying A'holes should be put in prison. Its all about the dollar bills to these people!

_________________
1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

I know what you guys mean. I can't even find actually tow capacity on a 1/2 ton. Every where I look it says 8500 Lbs, but in the fine print says that this number is whith using a weight dist. hitch. Yeah and the last 1/2 ton I looked at had the "Tow Package" on it and when I looked at the hitch set up it was no dang different from every other truck. And car mfgs. wonder why they can't sell anything. Then again I guess its like my kids juice that says 100% real juice and when you read the ingredients there isn't a drop of juice in it. What the heck is wrong with this country. ALl these lying A'holes should be put in prison. Its all about the dollar bills to these people!

_________________
1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

I know what you guys mean. I can't even find actually tow capacity on a 1/2 ton. Every where I look it says 8500 Lbs, but in the fine print says that this number is whith using a weight dist. hitch. Yeah and the last 1/2 ton I looked at had the "Tow Package" on it and when I looked at the hitch set up it was no dang different from every other truck. And car mfgs. wonder why they can't sell anything. Then again I guess its like my kids juice that says 100% real juice and when you read the ingredients there isn't a drop of juice in it. What the heck is wrong with this country. ALl these lying A'holes should be put in prison. Its all about the dollar bills to these people!

_________________
1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

I read something interesting the other day...in that in the future...tow ratings will not be taken on faith from manufacturers but there will be specific standards that have to be met in order for the truck to be rated to tow X amount...if this becomes the norm...I bet you'll see some of these high tow ratings go down....

_________________
88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

I heard that too. Such standards are long overdue, but their validity will depend on who has a hand in establishing them. Theoretically, they could end up being worse than what we have.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Is anyone using the Equalizer WD Hitch on a Four Winns trailer equipped with a fold-away tongue?

Rod

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2010 278 Vista
5.7 GXi DP

Past:
1999 225 Sundowner
5.7 GSi SX

I have looked into this a little - it will work with a folding tongue. You need a bracket that attaches to the folding tongue bit, and the WD hitch chains attach to this bracket.

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Alec

2006 Horizon 190
VP 4.3GL/SX, Sunsport

Also check out, http://www.timbren.com. I used them on my previous truck (f150) and they helped alot to control sag and bouncing when towing our camper. Great idea and low cost solution.

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2008 H210SS VP 5.7 Gi/SX
2011 Ford F150 FX4 EB