Towing

grandillusion · Post by **grandillusion** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:57 pm

#216 is usually behind my 5.4L Expedition with 4:10 gears and pulls great, but I like extra power and not slowing down going up hills so I picked up an older F350 Powerstroke dually and now I don't even notice the 7.9 behind me (except at the pumps)

Gerry Connolly · Post by **Gerry Connolly** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:45 pm

Right now, I pull the boat on a cradle on a dual axel ,flatbead so I'm pulling close to 7000 lbs, up in the highway jet stream. I tow with a Chevy 2500 HD
6.6 duramax diesel with a six speed manual. This rig has lots of torque, but the wind drag is still a factor. Planing to get an aluminum "boat" trailer.
I like the manual transmission as it gets better fuel economy and feels like your "truckin".

Spike Boston · Post by **Spike Boston** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:39 am

Frequent Flyer is now pulled by a Ford 350 Diesel Van. Used to be towed by a dodge Ram or Suburban.

Post by **Tim Bosma** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:50 pm

dave wrote:Tom, it's a good thing that you DON'T have many hills! I pulled a Colgate 26 down to Naples Florida for a customer with my 2002 Pathfinder, 3.5 liter V6. That's a 2600 lb boat. The thing sat so high on the trailor that even though it was well under the tow capacity of the truck, the wind drag at freeway speeds made it feel like a 4600 lb boat [lift/drag increases at the square of the wind speed, something that sailors should know but don't]! It wouldn't have wanted anymore!

Dave,
Sound also falls of as the square of the distance, and light shifts to the red when it is coming toward you. There are charts one can consult that will indicate the effective load of a trailer at a speed, so you can tell if you are within your towing capacity.

dave · Post by **dave** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:09 pm

Sorry Tim [not Tom], of course.

Bob Kirsten · Post by **Bob Kirsten** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:20 pm

Larry, I can give you a report on three different tow vehicles I have used, which represented the gamut from "definately not enough" to "Just right". We started with a 1998 Chevy Blazer, 4.2 ltr V6. I could manage local launchings, but it was always suffering a hernia, and had a lot of push/pull and sway. Next was a 2001 Mercury Mountaineer, V8. It did better, but still not adequate for hills. We now have a V8 Chevy Blazer, and it is a joy to haul. It hardly notices it back there.

Bob Kirsten
DD Mau
North Star Sail Club