Truck Size To Tow A 28 Footer

[walleyes]

As stated a 2500 or 3/4 ton will pull it but you will need air bags. I just sold my Wellcraft and it trailered around 7500 lbs loaded. I towed it last year with my 2500 HD Duramax lots of power that wasn’t the deal but unless you want everybody you meet in the dark to be giving you the brights as buckethead obviously does then you would definitely need air bags in it to level it off. I put air bags in the Duramax and had to run 85 PSI in them to level it off.

 

[Buckethead905]

Geez, man! Sharphooks was happy getting experienced forum member's advice then you come along, the expert, and no one else knows what they are talking about? Then I looked at your picture: look at the squat on that poor, overloaded truck, the wheels, the tires. You should have bought

It actually sits a 1/2” higher in the back, the truck in that pic is sitting on an incline with the tires on the asphalt. But I will bow out of this conversation, you googans seem to know better. Sharphooks, it looks like you’re going to need a 21 speed, 18 wheeler, quad turbo big rig, with upgraded radiators and transmission coolers to tow a boat that’s 2000lbs more than your half ton can currently pull. Keep in mind all mind all manufactures have a safety margin built in their posted weights, so even if you’re at the maximum you’re good to go, but what do I know

 

[TipUp]

It actually sits a 1/2” higher in the back, the truck in that pic is sitting on an incline with the tires on the asphalt. But I will bow out of this conversation, you googans seem to know better. Sharphooks, it looks like you’re going to need a 21 speed, 18 wheeler, quad turbo big rig, with upgraded radiators and transmission coolers to tow a boat that’s 2000lbs more than your half ton can currently pull. Keep in mind all mind all manufactures have a safety margin built in their posted weights, so even if you’re at the maximum you’re good to go, but what do I know

Nice to have the bigger truck to tow your 2470 pursuit. We tow our pursuit with an F-150 and it's a little under gunned

 

[ReelSlim]

Like has been mentioned by several already a newer 1 ton diesel will do what you are looking for. Obviously you want a good brake system on the trailer as well. I have been through the 1/2 ton....3/4 ton and 1 ton scenarios over the years and can tell you there is no comparison for having the right tool for the job and that includes trucks. I should have listened to all the “old” guys I worked with over the years and just skipped to a 1 ton diesel that I have now...apparently they were right...lol. I pull my new boat around on a new trailer and honestly it pulls better than my old 21’ boat that had surge brakes. I don’t even know it’s there unless you look in the rear view mirror. Towing and launching is simple even solo with proper set up. However everyone is different in their skill sets as I’m sure we have all witnessed either driving down the road or at the launch. Buy a newer 1 ton diesel and don’t look back....imo

 

[Pineapple Express]

Wanted to respond to numerous member responses on here but I‘ll do my best to remain calm. Once again, there are guys on here offering advice on a subject they know nothing about, he didn’t ask how nice it was to tow your 18 foot Hourston or how it’d be better to just hire a guide? Did you guys read the original post? He currently has a 24ft boat that he manages perfectly fine with, he’s interested in UPGRADING to a boat and would need to upgrade his tow rig too. As stated by Saanauk, the only real difference in 1 Ton and 3/4 Ton trucks is the payload, they are usually rated to TOW the same amount. For those of you who don’t know, payload is the amount of weight that is placed inside the cab, in the bed, and on the hitch. He’s trying to tow 14,000lbs, not place it on his roof. He does NOT need a dually F450 or a 5500, a 3/4 Ton modern diesel would be absolutely fine. My assumption is that a boat of that caliber would have a suitable trailer under it with EOH brakes.

I have a 17 ram 3500, which is rated to tow around 18,000lbs. My boat fully loaded with fuel, gear, twins, and trailer is around 8500lbs. In addition I throw our fully loaded Arctic Fox 811 in the back and then hook up the boat. I tow it up to hardy and back all the time, the truck does it with ease.

View attachment 55078

@Buckethead905 you're definitely right that payload capacity is going to dictate the towing capacity, not the max towing number that all the brands advertise. However, it's interesting that you state that and then go on to describe and show a picture of your truck well over the allowable payload. It doesn't matter if you've added airbags or anything else from a legal standpoint...if you're over you're over.

On page 3 here it looks like your truck has a payload capacity of approx 4000lbs
https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towing_guide/pdf/2017_ram_3500_towing_charts.pdf

The Arctic Fox 811 seems to have a bare minimum dry weight of 2900lbs.
https://northwoodmfg.com/truck-campers/arctic-fox-camper/af-camper-811/
Other sites report closer to 3500lbs. This is before all your gear and beer of course

Your boat is 8500lbs approx, so with 10% tongue weight you're at 850lbs on the truck.

Now you've gotta put fuel in the truck. 100L of diesel weighs 183lbs.

Driver of the truck let's say 200lbs.

So the absolute bare minimums here are:
camper 2900lbs
tongue weight 850lbs
diesel 183
driver 200

total 4130lbs.

It's easy to overload pickup trucks!

 

[Aces]

I’ve hesitated to step up for a bigger boat partly due to the continual drum beat of diminishing fishing opportunities but also there’s the towing dilemmas: do you get rid of a perfectly good tow rig because you want a bigger boat?

So I’m looking at the boat of my dreams. It’s 28 feet and weighs in (with trailer) at just under 14,000 lbs

No way will my 1/2 ton tow that boat safely .

I spent the morning looking at one ton rigs.....I never particularly wanted a diesel but I’m guessing at this point, a diesel makes sense and a one ton is probably the best tool for the job

But the question is: is there a 3/4 TON out there one could safely tow a boat of that size?

I know nothing about diesels and which trucks out there I should be focusing on to tow a boat of that size.

Thanks for any help out there from the truck guys who tow the bigger boats

Sometimes under reflection the status quo seems the way to go?

 

[disco]

Ever notice how the USA guys usually have a real truck pulling their boat while us Canucks try to pull with a Tonka? They need to to be able to run the Interstates at 75mph and that takes HP and suspension. Get a real truck or you'll be the dipstick holding up traffic, wobbling down hills and pissing everyone off.

 

[Drink]

Wanted to respond to numerous member responses on here but I‘ll do my best to remain calm. Once again, there are guys on here offering advice on a subject they know nothing about, he didn’t ask how nice it was to tow your 18 foot Hourston or how it’d be better to just hire a guide? Did you guys read the original post? He currently has a 24ft boat that he manages perfectly fine with, he’s interested in UPGRADING to a boat and would need to upgrade his tow rig too. As stated by Saanauk, the only real difference in 1 Ton and 3/4 Ton trucks is the payload, they are usually rated to TOW the same amount. For those of you who don’t know, payload is the amount of weight that is placed inside the cab, in the bed, and on the hitch. He’s trying to tow 14,000lbs, not place it on his roof. He does NOT need a dually F450 or a 5500, a 3/4 Ton modern diesel would be absolutely fine. My assumption is that a boat of that caliber would have a suitable trailer under it with EOH brakes.

I have a 17 ram 3500, which is rated to tow around 18,000lbs. My boat fully loaded with fuel, gear, twins, and trailer is around 8500lbs. In addition I throw our fully loaded Arctic Fox 811 in the back and then hook up the boat. I tow it up to hardy and back all the time, the truck does it with ease.

View attachment 55078

Nice set up, similar to mine but with a Northern Lite 8'11 camper ,7000 lb boat and a 2004 F350 diesel. Curious on your hitch set up with 3' extension on your Short Box truck. Can't exactly tell from the picture but did you upgraded to a Torklift SuperHitch receiver and a SuperTruss extension.Sorry to get sidetracked on the post.

 

[leaseman]

My $0.02 worth.... have sold/leased more trucks that I can remember in my 40+ year career.

When towing something, whatever you are towing (big items) will have the braking capability, trailer in this instance, required.

Now it comes down the pin/receiver weight....add this on to the truck weight AND all the stuff you have packed into the truck, including the wife and dog.

for a comparison....2020 GMC SLT crew

Max truck payload....2419.5kg

Gross combined weight rating 13,471.92kg

5th wheel pin max 907.0kg

3660.1 curb weight

So many trucks are running over loaded.....an accident waiting to happen, then the insurance issues!

Also need to remember if you have a one ton diesel and do use it for work too, your weight pushes you over to the point you need a national safety code....

 

[kingblazer84]

At the end of the day its your decision, and it doesn't matter what I say or anyone else. BUT that being said please take everything into consideration nothing worse then paying money for a nice truck and boat etc then go down the road and roast the brakes, front end, trans etc just because some people choose to do it with a 2500 or 3500 series truck doesn't always mean its the RIGHT way.

As a Automotive Tech, day in and day out I see tons of these trucks (and I own a 3500hd duramax) and people that load the absolute hell out of their rigs to the MAX PAYLOAD or damn close to it and just destroy the vehicle in the process. Just because it says it on the sticker doesnt mean you put it to its max, I think to get a over capable rig (Kodiak or F450 F550 etc) its a safer bet, will pay dividends in the long run but like I said its your money and your choice either way good luck and be safe out there.

 

[kaelc]

Wanted to respond to numerous member responses on here but I‘ll do my best to remain calm. Once again, there are guys on here offering advice on a subject they know nothing about, he didn’t ask how nice it was to tow your 18 foot Hourston or how it’d be better to just hire a guide? Did you guys read the original post? He currently has a 24ft boat that he manages perfectly fine with, he’s interested in UPGRADING to a boat and would need to upgrade his tow rig too. As stated by Saanauk, the only real difference in 1 Ton and 3/4 Ton trucks is the payload, they are usually rated to TOW the same amount. For those of you who don’t know, payload is the amount of weight that is placed inside the cab, in the bed, and on the hitch. He’s trying to tow 14,000lbs, not place it on his roof. He does NOT need a dually F450 or a 5500, a 3/4 Ton modern diesel would be absolutely fine. My assumption is that a boat of that caliber would have a suitable trailer under it with EOH brakes.

I have a 17 ram 3500, which is rated to tow around 18,000lbs. My boat fully loaded with fuel, gear, twins, and trailer is around 8500lbs. In addition I throw our fully loaded Arctic Fox 811 in the back and then hook up the boat. I tow it up to hardy and back all the time, the truck does it with ease.

View attachment 55078

Agree a modern 2017 and up 1 or 3/4 ton should be good. Are you using a super hitch? I have a lance and it has about 24inches of overhang over the rear bumper. Haven't got up the guts to tow and carry the camper yet!

 

[Buckethead905]

Nice set up, similar to mine but with a Northern Lite 8'11 camper ,7000 lb boat and a 2004 F350 diesel. Curious on your hitch set up with 3' extension on your Short Box truck. Can't exactly tell from the picture but did you upgraded to a Torklift SuperHitch receiver and a SuperTruss extension.Sorry to get sidetracked on the post.

Hey Drink, it is a Reese hitch extension, cut down to 41”, with a husky weight distribution setup. Truck has a factory class 5 receiver (2.5”) The weight distribution setup increases the weight rating of the extension pretty substantially. Additionally, it actually helps distribute some weight onto the front axle of the truck. I did a lot of research on the whole 10% tongue weight and found some literature from two different boat trailer manufactures that stated 5% was adequate with tandem axle trailers. I adjusted the boat and axles, ended up with a tongue weight of 475lbs, which is around 6-7%, I try not to load the boat up to the tits. As far as camper weight goes, I only fill one of the 30lbs propane tanks and all water tanks are empty. Spent a lot of time at the Parksville scales and I am within all of the legal parameters and it tows great. Truck payload is 4230lbs. @Pineapple Express

@kingblazer84, if the sticker lists a max payload, I can assure you that you will not destroy your truck, that’s what they’re built for. The manufactures wouldn’t remotely consider putting a GCWR number on a truck without a safety factor of 1.5. You think he needs an F550 or Kodiak to tow a boat that weighs only 2000lbs more than a modern half ton can tow? How do you come up with this ****?

 

[Drink]

Hey Drink, it is a Reese hitch extension, cut down to 41”, with a husky weight distribution setup. Truck has a factory class 5 receiver (2.5”) The weight distribution setup increases the weight rating of the extension pretty substantially. Additionally, it actually helps distribute some weight onto the front axle of the truck. I did a lot of research on the whole 10% tongue weight and found some literature from two different boat trailer manufactures that stated 5% was adequate with tandem axle trailers. I adjusted the boat and axles, ended up with a tongue weight of 475lbs, which is around 6-7%, I try not to load the boat up to the tits. As far as camper weight goes, I only fill one of the 30lbs propane tanks and all water tanks are empty. Spent a lot of time at the Parksville scales and I am within all of the legal parameters and it tows great. @Pineapple Express

@kingblazer84, if the sticker lists a max payload, I can assure you that you will not destroy your truck, that’s what they’re built for. The manufactures wouldn’t remotely consider putting a GCWR number on a truck without a safety factor of 1.5. You think he needs an F550 or Kodiak to tow a boat that weighs only 2000lbs more than a modern half ton can tow? How do you come up with this ****?

Thanks BH, will do some research on your set up as you know the Torklift Super Hitch and extension dials in at about $2k. Worth looking into alternative in that your tongue weight is less than 500 lbs. Nice to see you have done the due diligence on the scale. Since I moved to a short box truck I had been reluctant to load the camper and boat together.

 

[kingblazer84]

@kingblazer84, if the sticker lists a max payload, I can assure you that you will not destroy your truck, that’s what they’re built for. The manufactures wouldn’t remotely consider putting a GCWR number on a truck without a safety factor of 1.5. You think he needs an F550 or Kodiak to tow a boat that weighs only 2000lbs more than a modern half ton can tow? How do you come up with this ****?[/QUOTE]

lol.. somebody's got their pink panties on today. Take some of those anger meds over there and calm down, im just saying its better to be over prepared then run everything to its absolute max, but thats fine run what you brung and roll on.

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

This thread really went sideways.....some funny **** though.
Ok I'll throw in my 2cents.
Newish one ton will pull that boat no prob sharphooks.....you see the **** these hot shot truckers pull everyday? 40' seacans on a goose neck. Yes I realize it's a goose neck but man......newer diesels are impressive. Lots of you tube videos. I enjoy watching pd diesel videos from time to time as he runs the same trucks that I currently have and some good honest info.
Good luck!
Darin

 

[NDT]

I started with a half ton, then a 3/4 ton gas, ended on a 1ton duramax.
With the camper and boat in tow, the exhaust brake is my favourite option. I travel over Kootenay pass often and it works great. Camper, boat and trailer weigh about 8500lbs combined, not quite what you are hauling.
180000km and still on original brakes.

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

@Buckethead905 you're definitely right that payload capacity is going to dictate the towing capacity, not the max towing number that all the brands advertise. However, it's interesting that you state that and then go on to describe and show a picture of your truck well over the allowable payload. It doesn't matter if you've added airbags or anything else from a legal standpoint...if you're over you're over.

On page 3 here it looks like your truck has a payload capacity of approx 4000lbs
https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/towing_guide/pdf/2017_ram_3500_towing_charts.pdf

The Arctic Fox 811 seems to have a bare minimum dry weight of 2900lbs.
https://northwoodmfg.com/truck-campers/arctic-fox-camper/af-camper-811/
Other sites report closer to 3500lbs. This is before all your gear and beer of course

Your boat is 8500lbs approx, so with 10% tongue weight you're at 850lbs on the truck.

Now you've gotta put fuel in the truck. 100L of diesel weighs 183lbs.

Driver of the truck let's say 200lbs.

So the absolute bare minimums here are:
camper 2900lbs
tongue weight 850lbs
diesel 183
driver 200

total 4130lbs.

It's easy to overload pickup trucks!

Make sure you stop at the sani dump before you leave the camp site!!!

@kingblazer84, if the sticker lists a max payload, I can assure you that you will not destroy your truck, that’s what they’re built for. The manufactures wouldn’t remotely consider putting a GCWR number on a truck without a safety factor of 1.5. You think he needs an F550 or Kodiak to tow a boat that weighs only 2000lbs more than a modern half ton can tow? How do you come up with this ****?

lol.. somebody's got their pink panties on today. Take some of those anger meds over there and calm down, im just saying its better to be over prepared then run everything to its absolute max, but thats fine run what you brung and roll on.[/QUOTE]

I totally agree with you. If he buys the 3/4 ton it will blow up in 2 years and then he will have to buy bigger.

 

[adrian1991]

Make sure you stop at the sani dump before you leave the camp site!!!


lol.. somebody's got their pink panties on today. Take some of those anger meds over there and calm down, im just saying its better to be over prepared then run everything to its absolute max, but thats fine run what you brung and roll on.

I totally agree with you. If he buys the 3/4 ton it will blow up in 2 years and then he will have to buy bigger.[/QUOTE]


Agree any ford or gm will blow up in 2 years

Best go dodge the 2020s make over 1000 ftlb of torque stock

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

I totally agree with you. If he buys the 3/4 ton it will blow up in 2 years and then he will have to buy bigger.

Agree any ford or gm will blow up in 2 years


LOL!!!!

 

[NDT]

Agree any ford or gm will blow up in 2 years


LOL!!!!

Haha sure. Guess that’s what warranty is for?