Towing limitations for boat

[Blk_Ravn_ST]

I am looking at finally pulling the trigger on a boat. I have a truck but I would like the ability to pull the bot behind the wife’s rig and possibly over the mountains camping so I can pull our travel trailer with our truck.

my concern is the weight limitations and pushing it to the bear max capacity. Wake/surf boats are heavy.

was looking at a Malibu wakesetter 247. Boat weighs in at about 4600 dry. As a trailer and it’s right at that 6000 pound mark. Add toys and additional stuff in boat and it’s heavy. I think I’d be fine flat surface but tugging up the pass might be a challenge. Have to tow haul and manual shift to hold the gear and keep rpm up

I’m not worried about going fast but more worried about safety. That’s a lot of weight and also the ability to brake.

i am just realizing the Durango’s can pull a considerable amount more. I would have thought they would have gotten the tow rating up a bit higher based on the power.

any opinions - has anybody towed and if so how much weight and what’s your take on how it does.

 

[Muddydogs]

To be legal and safe stay withing the manufacturers weight rating. It doesn't matter how much the vehicle can pull it matters how much weight it can stop in a safe manner. Not saying your wife can't do it but why push the limits and put her and anyone else in the vehicle at risk?

I've towed big stuff in all weather conditions all over the West, I've pushed the limits and had some dicey rides. I would never put anyone especially my wife in a marginal towing situation.

Another thing to think about is legal issues if something should happen and it comes to light that you exceeded specs and new about it but did it anyway.

The 3.0L ST is rated to tow 5600 so just with trailer and boat your 400 pounds over. Add stuff in the boat, passengers and stuff in the vehicle and you have exceeded the tow rating and GVWR.

 

[Blk_Ravn_ST]

To be legal and safe stay withing the manufacturers weight rating. It doesn't matter how much the vehicle can pull it matters how much weight it can stop in a safe manner. Not saying your wife can't do it but why push the limits and put her and anyone else in the vehicle at risk?

I've towed big stuff in all weather conditions all over the West, I've pushed the limits and had some dicey rides. I would never put anyone especially my wife in a marginal towing situation.

Another thing to think about is legal issues if something should happen and it comes to light that you exceeded specs and new about it but did it anyway.

The 3.0L ST is rated to tow 5600 so just with trailer and boat your 400 pounds over. Add stuff in the boat, passengers and stuff in the vehicle and you have exceeded the tow rating and GVWR.

Yeah that was just an example. Totally with you. Trying to put the feels out to see what people have towed so far and how it’s done. I already decided that boat was not the right fit. I think a 22 ft will be a better fit and weight less. Just gotta find the right one.

 

[Muddydogs]

I can't help with the actual towing since I haven't towed anything with the ST and most likely never will. Only thing I have that the ST could tow is a 5 x 10 utility trailer everything else needs a bit bigger vehicle.

 

[Blk_Ravn_ST]

I’ve seen some jeep srt8 pulling around some pretty big boats and we have another 600 pounds capacity surprisingly.

 

[GTP]

The ST is our first car that is setup to tow anything.

My question is about having a "bad day" at the track with my Mustang. A U-Haul auto trailer weighs 2100# and the Mustang is 3800# for a total of 5900#. So 900# over. Towing about 200 miles, all freeway, flat terrain.

So this is on an emergency basis. We don't know anyone willing to lend us their pickup, lol.

A tow dolly would be within limits, but I think it is not recommended to tow a Mustang that way. The trailer has surge brakes, the dolly does not.

Any advice?

 

[Blk_Ravn_ST]

It is rated for 6000 so I’m sure your fine. Put in the tow haul mode and drive in gingerly and you’ll be fine. Not like your tugging it over a pass or gonna hammer the pedal down.

 

[TMac]

Rated for 5600 lbs. But I'd agree with post above, take it easy in tow mode and you should be fine. But, if the Mustang is a manual, you could use the tow dolly and be under the weight limit.

 

[Brettz16]

I towed my friends baja and double axle trailer @ 5300lbs with probably another 300-500lbs of stuff on board. He said it towed much better than his V8 Grand Cherokee. Had to slam on the breaks on the highway and it stopped like it wasn't towing anything. Just be ready for your exhaust tips to be completely submerged everytime you launch

 

[Vango54]

Ok I was comparing the ST to the Aviator and saw that the Aviator towed 6800 lbs. the big difference I notice was the ST had the10R60 and the Aviator has the 10R80 transmission. Not sure if there is any other differences but the tranny is a big one.

 

[CrankyPants]

I am looking at finally pulling the trigger on a boat. I have a truck but I would like the ability to pull the bot behind the wife’s rig and possibly over the mountains camping so I can pull our travel trailer with our truck.

my concern is the weight limitations and pushing it to the bear max capacity. Wake/surf boats are heavy.

was looking at a Malibu wakesetter 247. Boat weighs in at about 4600 dry. As a trailer and it’s right at that 6000 pound mark. Add toys and additional stuff in boat and it’s heavy. I think I’d be fine flat surface but tugging up the pass might be a challenge. Have to tow haul and manual shift to hold the gear and keep rpm up

I’m not worried about going fast but more worried about safety. That’s a lot of weight and also the ability to brake.

i am just realizing the Durango’s can pull a considerable amount more. I would have thought they would have gotten the tow rating up a bit higher based on the power.

any opinions - has anybody towed and if so how much weight and what’s your take on how it does.

I tow a boat and all in all it's about 3.5k pounds.
No issues at all stopping or doing a hard acceleration from the light

 

[Lightning Struck]

You'll be able to stop, and pass just about everything except a gas station. I towed a 6x10 tall enclosed and averaged about 11mpg on the highway at 70-72mph.

My old 7.3 Powerstroke got 12mpg pulling a 28ft enclosed weighing roughly 12000lbs..lol

 

[solidhadriel]

As someone who used to tow a 26ft boat a hundred miles to the river each weekend in my 1500, and have made several trips to the local lake over hills in my 2003 Grand Cherokee I have some advice that others haven't mentioned.

1st: Tires. Tires make a huge difference in towing stability. Bumps in the road on thinner tires can cause bounce resulting in sway. Ensure the tires you're running (haven't looked up the pirelli scorpion load ratings) should have a higher load rating. I like LT tires. Duratracs are my favorite others like Coopers/AT3. Traction at the boat ramp is also important, even with AWD. Some ramps are slippery and having tires that aren't purpose built for light truck duty may be an issue.

2nd: Trailer brakes. Don't go max tow with no trailer brakes. Boat trailers usually have surge brakes (they feel a "bump" from car/truck braking and then kick in). I would NOT tow anything 'moderately weighty' without surge brakes for boats, or electronic brake controller for travel trailers.

3rd: Speed limit. Some guys like to brag about going 70-80 in their 3/4 tons. Even with my 1/2 ton pick up, I stick to 55 and 60 to pass. You get better gas mileage, and if you're anywhere windy any faster and sway can hit you.

4th: Weight distribution. Check out this youtube video...

5th: Wheelbase. General rule of thumb is: To pull 20ft of trailer, you should have at least a 110" wheel base. Every foot thereafter, your wheelbase should increase by 4 inches or so. Our Explorers have a 119" wheelbase, so a 22ft trailer would be the most comfortable safe length (not recommended for someone new to towing.)

Our trucks have the torque to pull more than it's tow rating, but the braking and safety factors are the main concern.

Anyway, these are guidelines and by no means an exact science. Do what is safe and responsible.

 

[Jshaffer3819]

As someone who used to tow a 26ft boat a hundred miles to the river each weekend in my 1500, and have made several trips to the local lake over hills in my 2003 Grand Cherokee I have some advice that others haven't mentioned.

1st: Tires. Tires make a huge difference in towing stability. Bumps in the road on thinner tires can cause bounce resulting in sway. Ensure the tires you're running (haven't looked up the pirelli scorpion load ratings) should have a higher load rating. I like LT tires. Duratracs are my favorite others like Coopers/AT3. Traction at the boat ramp is also important, even with AWD. Some ramps are slippery and having tires that aren't purpose built for light truck duty may be an issue.

2nd: Trailer brakes. Don't go max tow with no trailer brakes. Boat trailers usually have surge brakes (they feel a "bump" from car/truck braking and then kick in). I would NOT tow anything 'moderately weighty' without surge brakes for boats, or electronic brake controller for travel trailers.

3rd: Speed limit. Some guys like to brag about going 70-80 in their 3/4 tons. Even with my 1/2 ton pick up, I stick to 55 and 60 to pass. You get better gas mileage, and if you're anywhere windy any faster and sway can hit you.

4th: Weight distribution. Check out this youtube video...

5th: Wheelbase. General rule of thumb is: To pull 20ft of trailer, you should have at least a 110" wheel base. Every foot thereafter, your wheelbase should increase by 4 inches or so. Our Explorers have a 119" wheelbase, so a 22ft trailer would be the most comfortable safe length (not recommended for someone new to towing.)

Our trucks have the torque to pull more than it's tow rating, but the braking and safety factors are the main concern.

Anyway, these are guidelines and by no means an exact science. Do what is safe and responsible.

Great info and advice. Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jbcain]

The ST is our first car that is setup to tow anything.

My question is about having a "bad day" at the track with my Mustang. A U-Haul auto trailer weighs 2100# and the Mustang is 3800# for a total of 5900#. So 900# over. Towing about 200 miles, all freeway, flat terrain.

So this is on an emergency basis. We don't know anyone willing to lend us their pickup, lol.

A tow dolly would be within limits, but I think it is not recommended to tow a Mustang that way. The trailer has surge brakes, the dolly does not.

Any advice?

I tow my 2018 mustang on a 22' steel deck tandem axle trailer and it does just fine. Definitely above the 5600lb rating.