Towing Feedback

[CatchMoreThanU]

I am in the process of purchasing a 21' pontoon boat with trailer. The total tow length is 26' and weighs about 1600#. The trailer is a duel axel. I have a Ford F-150, which is 23'. Is this a bad combination?
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[releaseit]

Check tow rating with truck. Is Ford V6 or V8? Probably has between 3,000-6,000lbs tow rating. Watch weight to. That gets alot of people.

Does your truck have a tow package? You should check, if not you might want to get a transmission cooler. Basically it cools oil going in and out of your trnasmission. Prevents major damage to transmission.

Helps on long tows espcially during summer months. Hope that helps alittle bit. When in doubt check manual or Ford website.

If you have not already gotten a tow hitch most U-haul locations can install both hitch and transmission cooler.[]

Hope that helps. Happy and Safe boating[cool]
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[DKSRenegade]

You are on the edge of safe pulling with that combo. You probably have a small V 8 /auto trans. Pulling grades like the sisters to Flaming Gorge, will possibly over heat your rig. As for the weight of the boat, figure the trailer, contents and fuel into the equation. If you can keep your speed from 55 to 60 mph and use a good trailer brake system you will probably do all right. You may want to ask a boat dealer for their opinion just to be safe. The only thing in your favor is that you are driving a FORD! DKS[]
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[CatchMoreThanU]

Thanks for the reply
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[pontoonfool]

I pull my 18 ft. pontoon with a 90 Chevy 3/4 ton ext. cab LB with a 350 with an automatic. It pulls it but it's slow going up Daniels and Soldier Summit. Pontoons are light but they sit so high and are so square that thet have alot of wind resistance. Pull it with the cover on and the bimini down.
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[Gumbo]

Your truck should pull it just fine. That tandem-axel trailer should pull and track well. Read your vehicle's towing specs--it will tell you what it can safely pull. The comment about a tranny cooler is a good one. Also, make sure to take it out of overdrive when pulling in the mountains.

One of the most important factors when towing a boat is stopping power. Surge brakes are a great safety measure, but make sure your truck can safely stop with your boat in tow.

[mustbblind]

tranny coolers are easy to install and can make a big difference boat trailer should have trailer brakes either surge or elec.. they are in valuable when pulling i have a 96 suburban and pull a 24 foot trailer plus my boat i think im bout 63 feet long thats the other consideration when pulling your 49' cand be fun to turn around in small areas good luck
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[clipripper]

i think it should be a fine combination other than i would really be worried on owning a ford..........lol
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[icehole69]

I used to worry about towing and capabilities of the trucks I have owned in the past, with automatic trans versus manual trans, and loads. I used to wear my trucks completly out from towing horses, boats, quads, Snowmobiles and trailers. so I learned a one ton truck with a diesel motor was the only way for me, so I went with the F350 with the power stroke. I havent had that problem since, I will tow anything. and I dont have to worry about it. []
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[releaseit]

An F350 would definetlet do it[shocked]. Only thing with trailer brakes is be very careful. I have seen many people lose there trailers in California and Nevada because there not set right.

I never used them on mine. I have a Ford Ranger V6 and tow an 18' Searay powerboat. Luckily most of me towing is local to ocean and a couple lakes. No real mountain driving. Good luck!

Pontton are alot of fun. I rent one a couple times a year for parties, etc
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[Gumbo]

Icehole, you're the opposite of most. Most guys pull with their trucks only a handful of days out of a year. The other 350 days of the year they use that F-350 turbo diesel as an expensive commuter car. Just look at the freeways these days.

The original post asked about whether his existing F-150 would work. The answer is yes, though you won't be able to go 85 up Parley's or Daniel's Canyons on your annual Gorge/Strawberry trips. But the other 360 days of the year you'll be just fine.

Another point on trannys: after break-in change out the tranny fluid for 100% synthetic, like Amsoil. Your tranny will run much cooler and will therefore last longer.

[jr8fish]

i dont know about the dura max from chevy because i have never driven one but the power stroke for ford and the cummins for dodge will tow anything. i have driven both and i much more prefer the Dodge cummins over the ford power stroke. i am anxious to drive the new hemi engine. say what you want the cummins and power stroke are good engines it just depends on your preference.

jr8fish
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[Lundman]

Get your new pontoon boat trailer with surge brakes then you don't have to worry about anything expect the light plugin - they wear well and the maintenance is very low - the F150 will be able to handle the load but the biggest thing I have found is to have a good set of mirrors. You will be backing this long load down some boat ramps that will seem like the I-15 freeway at 5 p.m.

Also - A marriage saver - get a pair of walkie-talkies to talk to the driver from the boat while loading and unloading your new craft - they will save you plenty of headaches.

Good luck and change for tranny fluid yearly is you pull your craft alot - prevention is cheaper than the cure...

Good luck and watch the wind in those high profile boat - It will grab you...

[url "javascript:void(0)"][/url] Happy Boating
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[FishN2Dmax]

If your F150 has the 5.4L engine you'll have plenty of power for "1800#" boat. When you add the the trailer and gear, fuel, your total tow weight will be closer to 2600lbs. I have a Lund 18 aluminum boat with trailer and while the boat only specs claim it only weighs 1300lbs, when I add motor, fuel, cargo, and trailer it weighs in around 2800lbs. Get surge brakes on the boat trailer! I pull a 30' 5th wheel and my boat behind that for approx 12000lbs tow weight with NO problems using a DuraMax diesel HD 2500. Your Ford 150 will easily handle 2600lbs if it has a V8 and a trans cooler.
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[danzilla]

Ok I cant sit here any longer. I cant believe that the main concern here is power and suspension,

I drive for a living hualing oversize loads that average 100K to 195K lbs. My tractor is a 4 axle rig with a 550hp engine, there are so many laws in place for rigs that are in place for safety.

I've never thought it was a good idea to double up a camp trailor with any type of other trailor. I know this is going to upset alot of people but at least hear me out.

even the full ton trucks have limits with the braking capabilities. imagine pulling something that weighs 10k lbs with a vehicle that only weighs 6k lbs. the laws of physics does still apply here.

theres nothing that irritates me more than waiting until my cerfew is over so I can enter the freeway (legally I cant be on the road during curfew hrs for the safety of myself and others) but while I'm waiting I see pickups going by with 30+ft fifth wheel and 20+ft boat behind it.

theres no way that I can ever be convinced that pulling that much weight with a standard breaking system on a pickup, that if in an emergency situation, even the best driver in the world will be able to stop in a safe manor.

I know that it is illegal to pull double sets in arizona and I'm sure we'll see this happen in utah also. I dont care how much horsepower your truck has, you may beat me to the top of a hill but I hope you can slow it down coming off the other side.

it also irritates me that we (comercial drivers) have to stop at port of entries to check our weight and be subject to inspections and now a days a 1/2 ton pickup can drive on by pulling the same weight, being driven by anybody that can pass a driving test in high school.

I dont say this to offend anybody I have just been a stickler for hiway safety too many accidents have happened that could have been prevented with common sence.

DZ
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[FishN2Dmax]

DanZilla,

I understand your concerns, but as you you expected, I disagree with your general statement regarding more regulations on RV'ers. RV'ers are not on the roads 365 days a year. Commerical driver down time is to make sure you as a professional driver have enough time to sleep and to keep the roads safe. The average RV'er has no financial motivation to drive 10 hours day in and day out.. so they will pull over and rest. DO you really want all the RV's plugging up DOT and port of entry's, If you think your wait is bad now, wait till this happens! I can't speak for others that tow two trailers, but I do agree it's requires special skills and safety equipment. I will only tow if I have brakes on all trailer tires towed. Including redundant (two electronic brake controllers). I have sway control on the rear trailer(s). You are correct, you may be able to pull a trailer, but that doesn't mean a vehicle can stop it! The tow vehicles and trailers must be well equipped to stop the trailer(s) weight.

BTW, I too have a commercial CDL and I for one DO NOT want RV'ers to become even more regulated. If this happens, it will only serve to dilute the existing DOT resources that have a hard enough time enforcing commercial transport regulations. I agree, it is not a good idea to tow two trailers, however with that being said, if the driver has experience and proper towing equipment, two trailers can be towed safely!
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[danzilla]

Ok that being said how do you feel about being regulated to hual under 80k lbs and facing bookoo fines for exeeding that because you are a comercial driver. BUT if you have an 5th wheel and a boat that totally exeed the capacity of the pickup hualing it and doing that freely, without being bound to any laws of weight. (there are laws in place but its impossable to patrol this area without plugging up port of entries)

it is possable to put 75k lbs in a 1ton pickup and it is not legal nor safe but it goes unregulated and its left up to the operator to decide when enough is enough and far to often people exeed what is a safe limit.

as far as RVers not being held to a log book and required to sleep I also disagree with that but thats another grey area that will never get regulated because of an exausted law enforcement system. I know that alot of motorist would not be able to get hired on to a trucking company because they would not qualify for the insurance weather it be because of age or health probs or habits because the insurance deems them unsafe, But they can own their own RV and travel on the same roadways as everybody and do it completely unregulated.

what it boils down to is an imperfect system and relying on common sence to govern safety, some peoples idea of safety is different than others.

I dont mean to upset people with my opinion but I travel the same roadways and my children do as well and as far as their safety and other families I think that safety is the #1 issue.

In my younger days I drove over the road and did think that I was immune to safety concerns. I was driving back from florida, running 2 logs and extended my sleep beyond my capacity. I fell asleep and traveled 11 miles before I woke up, luckily I didn't crash but it scared me enough to straighten up and I've always remembered the fear I had as it had happened. I dont know what woke me but I can remember jumping and thinking to myself "oh god I've been asleep" I pulled over on the side of the road and almost cried at what could have happened, how real the danger was with my carelessness and how to correct that. I dont expect my experience to change anybody's feelings but it did change mine and know now what my limits are and ly it took something like that to show me where my limits are.

DZ
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[FishN2Dmax]

Danzilla,

I think we can both agree the system is imperfect! Your points are well taken and make sense in an ideal world. It all comes down to drivers (commerical and RV'ers) using common sense and we both know that won't happen! We also know there is not and never will be enough law enforcement resources to even begin to touch all unsafe practices and vehicles on the road. I for one would like to see more education requirements or a special drivers license endorsement for RV's over a certain length and weight like they currently have in CA. I'm not advocating this as a way for the states to collect more taxes or license fee's, but as a way to help educate those that are Driving vehicles the size of the commercial drivers. To your point, Isn't it ironic that the Joe Public driver must have an endorsement on their Class D drivers license to operate a 300lb motorcycle, yet with no education or testing endorsement can operate a 50' 24,000lb RV. Again, I think the RV'er debate would be best solved by proactive education / testing requirement. Having RV'er pull into entry ports, doesn't solve the education problem and will only serve to over whelm the existing DOT resources.

I know, I'm dreaming... their will never be a national RV license endorsement requirement. The RV industry lobby's hard to make sure the aging baby boomers don't become discourged from buying that NEW mega RV as a result of the testing requirements. Your frustration is lack of DOT regulation/inspection for RV'er, mine is lack of license /education. I guess in the end we're just both concerned about safety of our roads and highways.

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