I am in research mode for the purchase of a new TV for my new 25ft fishing boat. The total weight of boat, trailer, gas, accesories, engines, etc is 8500 lbs. The trailer has brakes but they are not electric. There is no way to attach a W/D system. I am currently towing with a Nissan Armada and it feels like it is at its limit, even though I am not a very experienced tower. You can definitely feel that the boat IS there and I cannot go above 60 mph and feel safe.
I was wondering what you guys recommend. I would like to tow it 200 miles each way once a month with many more 50 mile tows. With the armada I feel that the 50 mile tows are OK, but the 200 mi tows would be very stressful. The armada is rated at 9100 lbs I believe.
What would be the recommendation? the choices are a tundra 4x4 crewmax or a F250 4x4? Long bed or short bed?
Better yet, just take the boat to the dealership and hook it up there. Then the salesperson(hopefully knowledgable at doing this) can show you all the towing aspects. We do it all the time.
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Well, you are going to know it is there. Your nissan should tow it fine, you just need to get used to towing. Any time you have something doubling your curb weight, you will know it is there. People often they can forget it is there as a relative term because when they are used to towing a track-hoe on a trailer weighing 15000 lbs, they constantly know it's there.
8500 is a lot of weight to learn on, but it is not a lot to tow. If you are looking at a Tundra, you will feel that it has a little more skip in it's step than the armada, due to a towing cap. that is 1800 lbs higher than the nissan. The f250 diesel will tow it better, but does a HD diesel fit your lifestyle? It is louder, bigger, and rougher. The Tundra can easily tow your weight. Other things can tow it better, but you would be losing a lot of comfort just to tow a moderate weight.
That said, I have towed right at 11,000 with my tundra with no concern. I know something is back there, but I will not buy a larger truck to make short runs with a trailer.
i agree with the person who said to bring the boat to the dealer ... that is the best way to test it is to hook it up to the actual truck and see what it can do .... i am sure it will pass the test with no problems .. but if you have the extra cash i also agree with the other guy and should think about the 08 ford diesel .. i wanted one.. but i am a toyota person at heart and would have kicked myself for buying the ford
Unfortunately I keep the boat in the outer banks in NC and I live 4 hours away. I dont get to see her except on weekends. The boat and trailer weighs in at 8200 lbs with a 1/2 tank of gas. The toyota dealer is far from where I am so testing is not a possibility unless someone here lets me take the truck for 2 days.
I did read the towing guide for the tundra and it says that without a W/D hitch, the towing capacity is only 5000 lbs. what's up with that? Is that just legal protection? Most boat trailers cannot accommodate a W/D hitch.
Anyone has experience towing such a large boat with a tundra just on a ball hitch?
Pablo
BTW, I dont have the tundra my garage yet, it was a required field when I signed up... I will try to change it.
Unfortunately I keep the boat in the outer banks in NC and I live 4 hours away. I dont get to see her except on weekends. The boat and trailer weighs in at 8200 lbs with a 1/2 tank of gas. The toyota dealer is far from where I am so testing is not a possibility unless someone here lets me take the truck for 2 days.
I did read the towing guide for the tundra and it says that without a W/D hitch, the towing capacity is only 5000 lbs. what's up with that? Is that just legal protection? Most boat trailers cannot accommodate a W/D hitch.
Anyone has experience towing such a large boat with a tundra just on a ball hitch?
Pablo
BTW, I dont have the tundra my garage yet, it was a required field when I signed up... I will try to change it.
If it was me I would go with a 3/4 ton for that kind of load, but from what I've been hearing in here the Tundra will pull it just fine as long as you don't exceed your payload. At ~8,000lbs you will be around ~800lbs + at the hitch. Whats the story of the weight distribution thing on the Tundra limited to 5,000lbs without one?
You can use an Equal-i-zer hitch with most boat trailers. It is compatible with surge brakes and has an adapter for "pole" tongue trailers. here is a link. Equal-i-zer® Hitch - Product Info - Compatibility For what its worth I pull a 6200 lb camper with my 4.7 DC and have no control issues the truck handles it no problem.
Here is a tow test comparison by Trailer Boats magazine. The boat weighed in at over 6800 lbs. I see yours weighs more than this test but it will give you some idea of the capability of these trucks. 2007 Tow Vehicle of the Year
I pull a 28' Pursuit Center Console on a reguler basis with my CrewMax and it does a great job!!! No need for stabilizer bars or anything of the sort. I have never weighed the whole rig, but the boat alone is 7200lbs. With fuel, water, trailer and gear, I know its over 10,000lbs. The Tundra runs 75 - 80 mph all day long in 5th gear. No worries pal, buy a Tundra and go Fishin'
I am in research mode for the purchase of a new TV for my new 25ft fishing boat. The total weight of boat, trailer, gas, accesories, engines, etc is 8500 lbs. The trailer has brakes but they are not electric. There is no way to attach a W/D system. I am currently towing with a Nissan Armada and it feels like it is at its limit, even though I am not a very experienced tower. You can definitely feel that the boat IS there and I cannot go above 60 mph and feel safe.
I was wondering what you guys recommend. I would like to tow it 200 miles each way once a month with many more 50 mile tows. With the armada I feel that the 50 mile tows are OK, but the 200 mi tows would be very stressful. The armada is rated at 9100 lbs I believe.
What would be the recommendation? the choices are a tundra 4x4 crewmax or a F250 4x4? Long bed or short bed?
any help is appreciated
Thanks
Pablo
If you tow a boat that heavy, you are in 3/4 truck land. I traded in a 2004 cummins long bed and I would NOT tow a boat as heavy and long as yours with these new 1/2 ton tundras. The big 3s 3/4 platform trucks are much heavier duty.....
NOw, I am not a big fan of the ford diesels due to problems. The cummins or duramax would be my choice..
Don't buy into the myth that these new trucks can haul safely 10,000 pounds...I would not do it.
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Boat Towing dilemma
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