towing question

[VinMan]

I'm almost there. I have decided on a used Seafarer 228 but need to buy a truck. I really want the least truck I need to tow this boat to the ramp and for service, both of which are a mile from my home.

I have my eye on a Ford F150 SuperCab 2 wheel drive with the small 4.6 liter eight cyl engine. It gets a little better mileage on the highway if I take trips (without the boat) with my son. It is rated at just under 8k lbs towing. The Seafarer is 3510 without the motor. Should be over 5k with motor and on trailer. Is this OK. Do any of you Seafarer owners tow with a regular 2wd half ton?

By the way, I love this site and hope to change my username from FutureOwner to something else soon.

 

[Drifter80]

I just towed (for the 1st time) my Seafarer over 200 miles with far less truck than that and I had no problems.

 

[gw204]

Used Jeep Cherokee 4x4. Make sure it has the 4.0 and auto trans.

You can get one for a few grand in good shape and it will go well over 200K.

 

[okletsfish]

When I bought my 228 I had a Chevy 1500 4X4 with a 305 ci engine 373 rear and tow upgrade .The truck did ok on flat ground ,but when going up steep grades and hills it squalked a bit..I also added a set of air spings to the rear witch made a big difference on how the rig handled and took away the sag out of the rear of the truck while towing.

 

[purple98tj]

We just purchased a 2004 F-350 with a gas motor to tow our 228G. I had a 1997 F-250 two wheel drive. The 250 was ok for the very short trip to the ramp but I feel much better with the 350. It has disc brakes in the rear and four wheel drive if I need it. We plan on trailering to other ports so we wanted something beefier for the long hauls.

 

[Grouper Duper]

I tow mine in Flat Florida with a Toyota Sequoia, and it does great. I towed it once with a '98 4Runner, and that was terrible. Though I've never had it on a scale, I've calculated my tow-weight at about 6000 pounds (boat, motor, trailer, gas, water, gear, hardtop, radio box, ice, etc.), which is near the tow rating on the Sequoia. It's only 2wd too, and I've never had trouble at ANY ramp (balance that tonque weight properly!).

If you're really only towing a mile, it wouldn't scare me at all to do it with less, though.

 

[Barlow46]

I used to tow a 208 loaded with a ford crown vic a few years back. Had the v8 engine, rear wheel drive with overdrive lockout. No problem on power here in Florida and the trailer had brakes. Problem was the tongue weight on those ford air bags. I bought a tongue adapter for the boat trailer which allowed me to use my dad's weight distributing camper hitch setup. The tongue adapter allows the weight bars on the hitch to connect to the trailer tongue frame. Worked like a charm as it spread out the tongue weight to all four wheels on the crown vic. I still have the adapter but don't use it anymore. If anyone is in need, I would be willing to sell at a reasonable price or trade it for a decent light spinning outfit. Not sure if they are still on the market or not but try looking under weight distributing adapter for boat. I now have an F450 dually and pull an 18' sportsman. Funny how things work out.

Just did a search and found what I have in an earlier version. http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.prodInfo&productID=8965&categoryID=354

 

[Parthery]

That Seafarer will be heavier than you think...

The 3510 weight does not include a hardtop...if the boat you are looking at has this option its another 500 lbs or so. Does the boat have the aux tank? Not that you would, but if you filled both tanks it would be an additional 350 lbs over the approximately 600 lbs in the main tank.

I had a 226 that I took to the scales when I was having a trailer issue. With 1/2 tank of fuel, and a hardtop, gear, etc... it weighed out at 6300 lbs or so, including the trailer which weighed 1000 lbs.

I towed this boat with a 1500 Tahoe 2WD with the 5.3 V8 and it was fine....

 

[VinMan]

towing

Thanks for all the advice. This site is great (especially for a newbie). The boats I am looking at have hardtops and I never considered that. Well it seems that even at over 6k lbs., I'll be OK with a base F150. I know that an F250 would be better but I am trying to get enough truck to pull the boat, but not guzzle gas on trips without the boat...thanks again.

 

[Average Joe]

For the type of towing you described it should be plenty. Alot of guys decision on a tow vehicle is influenced more by testosterone than actual need.

 

[Brad1]

I tow my '03 Seafarer 226 with a Nissan Titan. My Titan is rated at 9,400 lb towing capacity. The Titan handles the job very well.

Make sure you do not exceed the combined weight specification for your tow vehicle. Exceeding towing capacity is not something you want to do. If you are in an accident and you are at fault, you could be in serious trouble if you were found to be exceeding the capacities of your tow vehicle. A couple years ago here in PA, a contractor was towing a wood chipper and the wood chipper came detached from the tow vehicle. The wood chipper went across the road and struck an oncoming vehicle. Two persons were killed in the vehicle that was struck. The driver of the tow vehicle neglected to attach the safety changes. He was charged with manslaughter.

I'm a fan of the Jeep 4.0 vehicles that gw204 mentioned, but I do not believe that vehicle is rated for towing a boat that large.

 

[Grog]

If all you want to tow it is to the ramp and for service (1 mile each way) any 150/1500 series truck will suffice. I'm assuming the only hill you'll see is the ramp and the boat doesn't weigh that much at a little over 6K and there isn't a width problem.

Why not get some beater 150/1500 truck (or full size Jimmy or Bronco) and only use it for towing the boat. Depending upon the ramp and trailer style you might want to look for 4wd.

If you were to tow the rig to a long distance I'd get the 3/4 ton truck for the added safety.

 

[Drifter80]

I'm a fan of the Jeep 4.0 vehicles that gw204 mentioned, but I do not believe that vehicle is rated for towing a boat that large.

with tow package they can tow 5K so its border line depending on the trailer weight.

 

[rorkin]

I am having some weight distribution issues with my 228 with bracket...
Can any of you guys give me a ball to bow stop and ball to centerline of tandems measurement .. I would really appreciate it

2005 228/ 225 Hp With Hard Top
Venture 5400/23 roller trailer

Thanks

 

[Brad1]

I'm a fan of the Jeep 4.0 vehicles that gw204 mentioned, but I do not believe that vehicle is rated for towing a boat that large.

with tow package they can tow 5K so its border line depending on the trailer weight.

I disagree. It won't be borderline with that vehicle.

Hull + motor + full tank of fuel and your talking 4,600 lbs. Now tack on hardtop, dual batteries, fishing gear, accessories, full coolers, full holding tank, and your well over that 5k limit even before the trailer.

I haven't had my 226 officially weighed, but going by manufactors listed weights for hull (3,400 lbs), motor (600 lbs), trailer (1,500 lbs) and with full tank of fuel (600 lbs) and allowing 500 lbs for batteries, gear, cooler contents and accessories, I come up with a weight of about 6,600 lbs. And I don't have a hardtop. My trailer is a galvanized EZ Loader 5,800 lb capacity. So I could probably shave about 500 lbs by switching to aluminum. But I don't need to.

 

[VinMan]

I thought about buying a beater 4x4 but the additional registration and insurance on a 4x4. I was hoping to buy a 2wd F150 that was enough to pull the 228 and yet good elsewhere. It sounds like most agree that a base F150 supercab will do it. I'll just be careful and know that there is not a great deal of room to spare. thanks

 

[rorkin]

[with full tank of fuel (600 lbs) and allowing 500 lbs for batteries, gear, cooler contents and accessories, I come up with a weight of about 6,600 lbs. And I don't have a hardtop. My trailer is a galvanized EZ Loader 5,800 lb capacity. So I could probably shave about 500 lbs by switching to aluminum. But I don't need to.[/quote]

I spoke to Grady White and they came up with a figure of 6,300#
To use as a figure with hard top, loaded boat and steel trailer..
There is some safety margin built into the hitch and tow ratings

 

[rorkin]

I thought about buying a beater 4x4 but the additional registration and insurance on a 4x4. I was hoping to buy a 2wd F150 that was enough to pull the 228 and yet good elsewhere. It sounds like most agree that a base F150 supercab will do it. I'll just be careful and know that there is not a great deal of room to spare. thanks

I pull with a silverado 1500 8 cyl (forget what size but not huge).
FIne on flat for power.. The weight is within the rating in the manual.

 

[capt chris]

Future Owner,
I pull my 2008 Tournament 225 with a 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab 4X4. It has the 5.3 Liter V-8 w/ factory towing pkg, 3.42 rear end, and automatic transmission. I encourage you to buy the 4X4. I am in Louisville, Ky and tow to south central KY in the foothills of the Appalachians. Our ramps @ Lake Cumberland are very steep and long. I also towed the boat back over 365 miles from the dealer on Lake Erie where I bought it this Memorial Day. I would not want any less truck with this boat. The Tournament should be very similar in weight to your Seafarer. It is my best estimate that it weighs ~ 5000 lbs on the galvanized trailer full of fuel. You will never be sorry with a little too much truck, but you will forever regret too little truck. I got ~ 12 MPG on the trip back from Lake Erie @ 65 MPH. Good Luck with your decision and have fun with your new boat!

 

[drseth]

I guess what to tow the boat with depends on the distance to be towed, the terrain (hilly vs. flat), and the boat ramp.

I have towed a GW 22' Center Console with a 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood with the LT1 V8 and rear leveling suspension. I towed the boat about 200 miles round trip on the interstate at 65mph, and they guy in the back seat fell asleep!!!! It surprised the guy who owned the boat. His suburban had engine problems, so it was either tow it with the Caddy or not go fishing. I have towed my 1985 Seafarer 227 with my 1985 El Camino, and it also did fine. I just took it easy and it pulled like a charm.

The terrain can cause problems with the tow vehicle and boat on the trailer straining to go up a grade. I once had a Ford F150 Ext Cab Long Bed with a 302 V8 pulling a 1987 24' Albemarle that could only go 45 miles an hour crossing the Bay Bridge tunnel with a 25mph headwind. Having a tailwind driving back I did not have any problem doing 55 or 60mph.

The ramp can be a challenge to any truck, even a 4x4, if the ramp is wet and has slime on the pavement. This is especially bad on low tide. The pitch of the boat ramp is also a consideration, with a steep ramp being more diffiult to retrieve the boat. If you have a 2wd truck, there may not be enough weight to provide traction to pull the boat out of the water. Once I was at Lake Lanier and noticed a truck smoking one of the rear tires trying to pull his bass boat out. I walked over there and got his wife and me in the bed and the truck pulled it out with no trouble. The guy thought I was a genius!!!!

I have found it very entertaining to watch the weekend warriors struggle at the boat ramp getting the boat in and out of the water. Some folks are idiots!!!!

Dr. Seth Anderson
1985 22' GW Seafarer 227