0425004x4

Hey guys, I will be getting my new boat in Febuary. It is a 29 foot Regulator center console and I want to be able to tow it. I have the truck in my sig to do it with and here are the weights:

Dry weight of boat= 6,900 pounds
Motors= 590 a piece so arond 1200 pounds
Fuel is 285 gallons so about 2000 pounds filled up (can easily not fill it up and loose 1000 more lbs to trailer)
Trailer is a triple axel, don't know the weight but probably over 1000 right?
Gear in boat will probably be around 800-1000 lbs.

Total=12,100 full of fuel (which it does not have to be)
This is not a gooseneck trailer or anything, it will be towed with the reciever, can my truck do it. I do not want to have to buy a 1 ton DRW to do this with as I really do not want one to drive around. What about tires, I have 285 BFG A/T's, would I have to get different ones? By the way, the trailer will definitley be a weight distributing hitch. Thanks in advance.

cumminsdriver635

You should be fine with the big triple axle trailer. Your tires will also be fine. A 1 ton dually is quite a bit more stable when hauling loads, but your single wheel will have no problem with it. Just be sure that the truck isnt squatting too much.

Eric

runamuk

I have never seen a weight distributing hitch on a boat, maybe I'm just looking at the wrong boats .

Your truck as equipped should tow that "little" boat just fine! I towed 11k bobcat and trailer just fine from a rental yard. Stock!

You will need a 12k capeable hitch though! Check the tongue weight usually printed on the tongue of the trailer.

If the rear sags too much for your taste then you may want 1 ton rear springs or an airbag setup.

Be sure to check the brakes on the trailer (usually surge brakes) for condition FIRST, REPEAT I SAID FIRST!! Bearings Next!! Water does nasty things to bearings and brakes!!

The BFG's should be up to the task (wise choice) but check the trailer tires for cracks as they never get replaced !

Just my .02


Rick

jkitterman

Your tongue weight on a boat trailer is usually in the 5-10% range according to Trailer Boats magazine. So, you can expect a weight of 600-1200 lbs. You most likely will be overloaded if there is anything but you in the tow vehicle because the payload on your truck is pretty low. Here is an article on a 2500 diesel tow test from the magazine. http://www.trailerboats.com/output.cfm?id=945181

That will give you an idea of what they towed.

runamuk

jkitterman, nice article but it never mentioned anything about GVWR.

Rick

0425004x4

jkitterman, how exactly will I be overloded with one more person in the cab? All of these other guys are saying I will be fine. Nice article too, thanks for the link, but I didn't see anything on GVWR.

Edit: My truck has the factory towing package so my reciver is rated for 12,500 pounds like Dodge says on their website correct? Thanks for the help guys.

jkitterman

You GVWR is 9000 lbs and if your truck is like mine, I have about 1600 lbs of payload left. If your trailer has a 1200 lb tongue weight, that leave 400lbs. Subtract out your weight and anything else you load in your truck and you are out of payload. It seems a lot of people are over the GVWR on the 2500 model and the only real difference is the spring pack and 9900 lb GVWR on the 3500 SRW.

bulabula

My truck does a dandy job pulling my 27' Formula on a 3 axle tag-along trailer with surge brakes. Surges don't work with weight distributing hitches; and electric brakes are problematic on boat trailers (in reality all boat trailer brakes are problematic - same goes for the wheel bearings). My front two axles have brakes on them, the rear axle is a roller. A useful set up if the braked axles lock up; the rear roller axles helps to keep the boat behind you. (I've read that, never experienced it...).

My total trailer weight is only about 9k and my tongue weight is usually under 10% (depends on fuel state) - I can't move the boat forward or axles back to give me more tongue weight. The truck squats a little, and more so than my old F350 DRW CC did. I sometimes notice a little more sway in back with the dodge than the ford, but nothing that would make me trade trucks for.

In any event, my boat trailer pulls great behind me. Did I mention that my dodge gets better fuel mileage pulling the boat than the ford did all by itself?

You'll love that 4x4 on slippery ramps - I remember a couple of times when the old ford (4x2) would ever so slowly spin our way up the ramp.....

cditrani

Suggestions:

Get a Titan, Putnam XDR, or similar Class V hitch and skip the weight distribution. Chances are your trailer will have surge brakes and you can't use weight dist. anyway.

If you are trailering long distances avoid hauling a lot of gas. You can always fill at a station near your launching point if you want to take advantage of cheaper prices (marina gas is often pricey). Trailering that boat full a fuel won't break anything but it will be a handful on a long trip.

Drive slow.

My truck will trailer a boat that big without a lot of sag, but the 3rd gens don't have as much beef in the springs, so you might need to do something about that.

0425004x4

Thanks for the help guys but I am a little bit confused. Are you all saying I need to get rid of my factory mounted reviever that came on the truck to tow this boat? I thought that I could tow up to like 12,000 pounds with the factory one? I mean I don't mind spending a couple hundred bucks at all to be safe, but I just did not think I would have to get a whole new reciever. Thanks again.

cditrani

If your trailer has surge brakes you can't use weight distribution. The factory hitch can't handle that kind of weight without weight distribution. So yes you may need a new hitch.

RickCJ

Everything has to be rated up to the weight you're towing, hitch/drawbar/ball/safety chains etc..... even your truck has to registered to tow a trailer with gvw of over 10,000 lbs.

You should be looking for a dually with that boat/trailer!!

durasmack

You will probably be fine..... Possibly new hitch... Still going to be heavy sittin on the back like that.... Look for a new trailer before a new truck if you find out that it is a problem. You can very easily and very safely tow that boat on a trailer such as this one...



Maybe you dont need quite a 36800 GVW trailer, but you get the idea.... www.loadmastertrailerco.com has a wide variety of gooseneck boat trailers.
Good luck.

runamuk

Come on guys it is a 29' boat I'd pull that with my stock 05 off of my stock hitch! I have upgraded to a 12000lb, 2 5/16 ball, and 6"drop sticker but I have not upgraded the actual hitch that mounts to the frame.

I'd personally make sure to check the trailer brakes and tires, make sure that I was not on the overloads and tow it wherever I wanted to go!

JMHO

Rick

bulabula

052500, I wouldn't have any issues pulling your boat with my truck or yours with the factory hitch. That new boat of yours isn't THAT big.

You'll find the "chicken littles" everywhere. But I did have a talk with a fella at the ramp one day pulling a 27' sportboat with a Suburu. His eyes got big when I asked him why he cheaped out on a tow vehicle like that with such a mighty fine looking wife and little boy in it?

Last time I saw a gn boat trailer like that Loadmaster (it had tandem duals though), it was sitting under a 53'? Fountain with a pair of diesels in it.