What do you use to tow your boats?

[Searay Jim]

I tow my 220 Sundeck with a Ford F-150 Fx4 5.7L with tow package and 3.55 rear end. Trailer has 2-Disc brakes. Tows great but you'll know it's back there when you hit the hills...Locking out OD is a must. Other than large hills, I can cruise at about 70mph. Once I move to a bigger boat I'll have to upgrade the truck as well.

I towed mine with an Expedition with the same 5.4 and 3:555 gears. I was surprised at how much difference the right after-market exhaust and intake made. I also ran a chip (an actual Superchips "plug in" chip since it was a 2000) which the primary benefit was tranny tuning (I also installed a shift kit). I ran the Gibson Swept Side single exhaust, and an Airaid intake. Obviously you could tell 7000+ lbs was back there, but I never locked out OD and it ran great. I also for 11-13 MPG which was 3-4 MPG better than friends with a similar but slightly smaller boat got in theres. I also tow conservatively and 60-65 and still do.

It had no power problem, but I knew I was at the ragged edge of the Expedition with the 240 which is why I got the Excursion. But there are things you can do.

 

[bmredram]

Thanks Jim...I'm going to look into some of these mods and see if that can help the performance of my truck. I'll let you know.

 

[dpvandy01]

it would tow fine on the flats even in OD, but on the hills i would have to lock out the OD.

You should lock out the OD everytime you tow. That is what the F150 manual states any way. I towed a 250 Sundancer with tandem axel trailer close to 10k miles in the past 4 years. Never a bit of trouble

 

[gr8daneh]

I tow mine with a Honda Ridgeline and it does very well. I run it from about 4500' to 7500' to boat in our local mountains and climbing to the summit is not an issue. I'm very pleased with the ease in which the boat tows...

 

[kilroy]

You should lock out the OD everytime you tow. That is what the F150 manual states any way. I towed a 250 Sundancer with tandem axel trailer close to 10k miles in the past 4 years. Never a bit of trouble

I agree. I don't tow anything that big but I still lock out the OD when going uphill.

 

[Searay Jim]

These new trucks (last 7-8 years) are smart enough to know when to shift where. Locking out OD burns more fuel too. I always let the truck decide when it needed to shift or unlock the TC and it was usually right.

 

[HudsonHauler]

I tow a 270 Sundeck with a 2007 6.2 liter GMC Yukon XL. I have the towing package which includes a tow transmission mode which adjusts shift points and OD engagement. The boat sits on a dual axle trailer with 4 disc brakes. Acceleration is slow but linear and decent and maintaining speed even on grades is not an issue. Luckily, I have the transmission and oil coolers as part of that towing package. The biggest piece of mind comes from monitoring the transmission temp gauge. If you dont have one and will be hauling a heavy rig, consider installing one. A transmission temp gauge is really the only way that you can know if you are putting too much strain on your transmission. I watch the trans temp and make sure that it never gets above 200 F. On a hot day with lots of highway grades, it will range between 159 and 190 F.

You also need to watch engine temp.

Make sure to stop ever hour or so and feel those trailer hubs! Keep that grease gun handy and be ready to squirt into those bearing buddies if you feel too much heat.

Good luck.

 

[ruf1967]

'07 Nissan Titan

 

[ameno]

I use a chev. 250 Duramax. With just a single point hook-up to the truck and the hills and curves we have I can tell it's back there. Power wise no problem, but with some of the narrow roads we have the boat can barelly fit and can get pretty dicey at times, so now I have a slip and don't pull very often.

 

[wish2fish]

I use a chev. 250 Duramax. With just a single point hook-up to the truck and the hills and curves we have I can tell it's back there. Power wise no problem, but with some of the narrow roads we have the boat can barelly fit and can get pretty dicey at times, so now I have a slip and don't pull very often.

what does single point hook-up mean?

 

[ameno]

As with my travel trailer I have stabilizer bars and sway bars, which makes a lot of difference on a heavy load, the travel trailer weights more then 10k and pulls better then the boat because of the type of hook-up.

 

[Pairadice]

2003 176 with a 2003 H2 Hummer. Gets 11 MPG at best whether the boat is behind it or not. :smt101

 

[MXer478]

I WAS using my F-150, it only has a 4.6 sooooo......it sucked! I bought a Expediton with the 5.4 and it pulls her like a CHAMP!:grin:

 

[fragmag]

My Tundra only has the 4.7L and it pulls just fine. Granted I'm only pulling a 185 so it's not a lot of weight. I would like to have the new 2007 Tundra with the 5.7L, but I like my truck too much to trade it in.

 

[Weave]

My Tundra only has the 4.7L and it pulls just fine. Granted I'm only pulling a 185 so it's not a lot of weight. I would like to have the new 2007 Tundra with the 5.7L, but I like my truck too much to trade it in.

:thumbsup: Me too

 

[billandamy]

Nissan Armada "off road" edition with towing package upgrade. I haven't pulled my boat yet since it is still about 3 weeks away from being built. I am sure it will be quite easy to pull.

Though I am nervous. I have pulled all sorts of things behind trucks all my life, never an item so unprotected, however.

 

[ghuskin]

2006 Dodge Ram 1500 w/HEMI Power. Only use it twice a year to launch in spring, haul out in fall. hauls my boat with ease.

 

[Newbie]

04 F250 CC superduty 4x4, diesel. I figure w/ the 260, trailer, all gear etc I am around 11k?? From NC to NY in Aug we averaged around 12.9 mpg at 65-70mph. Man that was a long 14 hr one day drive. SB

 

[RuneSpyder]

I tow our 220 Sundeck w my '07 Dodge Ram 1500 MegaCab with the 5.7 Hemi. No worries....

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

I pull my 280 SS with my dad's now mine old 1976 F350 Camper Special. It has a V8 Ford 390 and for you metric types that translates to 6.8 liters with a edelbrock carb.
What makes it the camper special is a longer wheel base.
It is two wheel drive and does the trick.