Good inexpensive truck to tow boat?

KerrNC · **Posted:** Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:06 pm

Yeah...funny how the weight goes up exponentially with length and a cabin...gulp!

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

As you see in your shopping, nothing holds value like a well cared for truck....get you a fair priced extended cab or four door 1/2 ton and you will fair much better. When you do increase boat size then you will get your money back out of truck at that time. You may run across a Gasser 3/4 ton in your search.

By the time you make repairs to a 2,000 vehicle to make it a reliable tower for 600 mile round trips you will be at the same price anyway.

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

RotaryRacer wrote:

Don't buy a 1/2 ton truck.

Find a 97-99 Chevy 2500 with a 5.7 liter and the 4L80e transmission. It will pull anything you can put behind it and be as reliable as the day is long. If you want a Suburban only look at the 3/4 ton ones and try as hard as you can to find one with the small block. While the 454 is a great engine, it is overkill and burns gas like there is no tomorrow.

+1 I have the 2004 Chevy 2500 Silverado 4X4 with the 383 hp engine and transmission option and I can honestly say the only problem when towing my boat is forgetting it's actually back there at all. I have rescued a couple of those little trucks at the ramp after they burned half their tires trying to pull boats out of a wet ramp. You will love the power out of one of those trucks and hearing the applause at the ramp when you finally tow a small truck and their boat out is priceless.

Toddely · **Posted:** Fri Aug 02, 2013 7:24 am

well I am sure having 4x4 helps out, I have a 2011 Super Crew F-150 4x4 and it pulls my boat around like nothing. As stated above alot would have to do with the ramp, I have seen some super steep ramps with un-raked concrete so watching cars and Rangers and s-10's try to pull out a boat is kinda funny. I have never seen any truck that was a 4x4 not be able to get out of a ramp. I guess my 2 cents worth would be buy what you like and can afford, I would just get a 4x4. Much easier at the ramps.

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Definitely true on the 4X4 I have a 1950's era Willy's that with an Inline 4 cylinder will pull my 2500 and my boat out of a monsoon if need be those suckers are bullet proof but would be worthless without the 4X4!

wkearney99 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:28 pm

Don't rule out just renting one when you need it. Might work out a lot cheaper to rent one only when you need it, instead of paying year-round to own and insure it.

TX H210SS · **Joined:** Thu May 27, 2010 9:10 am **Posts:** 1488

The 3/4 doesn't offer anymore at the ramp....its all gearing and traction. had many 3/4 tons including diesels and none have had the 395hp I have in my 1/2 Ram. More torque yes, but umphhhh isn't the ramp killer. Its traction..I think I've used 4x4 at the ramp a couple times as precaution, but many times while towing through wet grass.

ric · **Posted:** Mon Aug 05, 2013 12:30 pm

I've rented in the past, but when I had smaller boats. UHaul's f150 is a 2wd v6. Not sure how that's going to pull the 215. I mean it should be fine on the roads but coming out of the ramp?

ric · **Posted:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:03 am

Hm, might need a truck sooner than I thought

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/boa/3957741934.html

joet · **Posted:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:55 am

ric wrote:

Hm, might need a truck sooner than I thought

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/boa/3957741934.html

I don't know if I would buy a boat from someone who has no apparent grasp of the English language. How much attention to detail will they spend on their boat if they can't take 1 minute and proofread their ad?

Jdpber · **Posted:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 9:35 am

lok at the rental FLEET vehicles.. those are 3/4T F250 diesels or a Chevy 2500HD Duramax... your looking at a truck that is capable of towing in the TEENS.. with a 1/2T 8-9 is pushing even the newer ones unless for example it is the 2011+ chevy 1500 6.2 Max Trailering rated for 10,500 but remember this has the larger 9.5" rear, beefier trans, and is geared to tow.. a standard 5.3 1500 or f150 they are good for about 6-7 without pushing the drive train.. and if you toss any hills at a stock gear ratio and stock trans then for a 600 mile run on HWY are anything other than FLAT your going to be pushing the trans temps into the 200s and that will cause glazing and lead to trans failure with the quickness.

remember just because it has the power to pull it and move it down the road does not mean that your not going to be cruising in OD.. NO way trust me.. an older none 6speed trans your going to be cruising 65 and constantly hunting for the gears..

now lets get serious for a SAFE reliable HWY tower that you will safely be able to STOP and not destroy the drive train within a year..

71-92 Suburbans came in 3 different Diesels and 4 different Gas configurations - these are older box bodies but they are great dedicated towers if you set it up right in a DIESEL... yes you will have equal money to a 93-99 model BUT BUT BUT you would have a diesel.. and if you do not know diesel, they are torque monsters as basically a diesel motor is a huge air pump.. with this said they are designed for LOADs this is the same reason you never see huge boats that are gas.. i mean LARGE displacement boats 15K+

now the 93-99 Suburban
these had ONE diesel option the 6.5 395 which is a good motor for towing.. these are going to be a little harder to find BUT they are out there
the gas 5.7 VORTEC and the 7.4 VORTEC were the better of the 4 gas options.. 5.7 will be better on gas than the 7.4 around town not towing.. but when towing the lesser power of the 5.7 will work harder to pull at the same rate as the 7.4 thus burning the same gas and working much harder and keeping your motor in a higher RPM and more strain on the trans searching for gears on HWY

now the only diesel options for the 2000-06 was a DURABURB conversion.. these are made in FL and they are a dealer serviceable rig in a 2500 platform.. and can tow the same as a 2500HD truck as it is the same motor simply not from GM.. it is a DIRECT GM swap done by a third party..

this body could be had with up to an 8.1L now first hand experience the 8.1 has the torque to tow a lot.. buddy has a 8.1 2500 and he gets 14mpg no matter if he is around town or towing 9K 14mpg is what that motor gets, but it has the balls to pull..

now these same year breaks are similar for the Truck bodies also of GM. couple years had flux like the 07 Classic but i wont get into those details..

now for the pounds your looking to be towing. I highly recomend a 3/4Ton aka 2500 series truck of suburban.. SAFTEY is the main issue for you and your fellow drivers.. simply put the 1500 unless its the 6.2MaxTrailering $25K+ truck you are not going ot have the proper transmission, rear diff, and most of all adequate brakes to stop the loads of the boat that you desire to purchase.. this is a saftey for society item.. along with you probably not wanting to spend BIG money replacing trans and burned up rear gear sets not to mention brake failure..

the best bet to look for would be a 98-06 DURAMAX either in a suburban or a 2500 3/4 truck..

now this said trucks have the tendency with 2wd to spin the tires at the boat ramp because of the lower weight on the rear end and the heavier leaf springs.. now a Suburban is more evenly weighted and holds traction better.. this is something to remember when choosing 2 vs 4wd.. personally i feel unless it is a car hauler or interstate tow rig they need to be 4wd for horse haulers and boats.. as horse and boat haulers see incline, wet lower traction areas, and incline.. another safety concern for you to look at.. the last thing you want is to be sliding into the drink with 10k on your rear..

00-06 dmax 100k miles $18-27k year and package depending the 06 is like gold and a very salut after model year.. pre epa and can make big power
93-99 dmax 100-150k $8-15
71-92 diesel 100-150 $4-10

hope this helps
now the dodge ram CUMMINS is another great 3/4T option.. these are salt after also but you can get a 89-98s mechanical for $5-14,
the 24V 98.5-02 electric pump.. $8-15
24v 03-07 high pressure $12-20

now remember this TORQUE is key in towing and simply put a Diesel makes 2x the torque of its HP and a gas will make relatively equal torque as its HP ratings..

the larger the displacement (LITERS) the more power it will make..

example a 4.6 is a V8 but is is not anything remotely close to a 8.1 V8 other than the same number of cylinders..

i hope i did not overwhelm you... feel free to toss out questions.. i am a bit of a car guy if you have not picked up on this already. and willing to share information about model years and various motors that have GOOD and Bad years.. there were great changes in motor within years with the same body style..

ric · **Posted:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:13 pm

joet wrote:

ric wrote:

Hm, might need a truck sooner than I thought

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/boa/3957741934.html

I don't know if I would buy a boat from someone who has no apparent grasp of the English language. How much attention to detail will they spend on their boat if they can't take 1 minute and proofread their ad?

English isn't the first language spoken in Miami, or most of Florida actually. You have to know some basic spanish to live here.

jpeloian · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:36 am

Hey Ric if you want to upsize ill sell you my 268. My wife is bugging me for a bigger boat :shock:

Im local to you (o-town).

ric · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:56 am

jpeloian wrote:

Hey Ric if you want to upsize ill sell you my 268. My wife is bugging me for a bigger boat :shock:

Im local to you (o-town).

Too big! My limit until I retire is going to be in the 248 class boat. I want something with a true inside, but something that fits our local lakes. I doubt it would fit under the bridge on Conway though. Maybe. I'll have to look at the height, cause my 215ss had about 3in above the bimini top. I'll have to measure cause a 248's bridge clearance is 6'9

When I was boat shopping Boat Wrench in Longwood had a 1996 268 with a 2009 VP 8.1 Duo repower. Fully loaded with AC, trailer, everything. 9/10 condition. Sold for 16k. Sooo tempted but I had nowhere to put it!

jpeloian · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:33 pm

Yup i understand your clearance issue. When i bought the boat i ordered it without the arch for that reason. Bridge clearance is 7'0" according to the owners manual.

I love the boat, just repowered it last year, its just that we have out grown it. 5 kiddos. I dont even trailer it anymore i have it racked at Harbor Town marina on Merritt Island.

www.iFourWinns.com

Good inexpensive truck to tow boat?

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