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Old 02-17-12, 02:43 AM   #1
james86
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Default Towing capability

I was recently thinking about getting a bigger truck in the next year or so for when I get my boat. Then while looking through the paperwork for my current truck I remembered mine came with the tow package option. According to my manual my 2008 Tacoma V6 can tow a max of 6500lbs. How close do you think I would be to that number if I had a 18-21ft fiberglass boat? The tow package on my truck includes the transmission and oil cooler, larger alternator, larger battery, and a class IV hitch.
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Old 02-17-12, 03:23 AM   #2
Dogmatic
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I have a '02, and was wondering this same thing. Has no problem towing a 17' Tracker, but how much more do those big glass boats weigh?
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Old 02-17-12, 07:22 AM   #3
kennethdaysale
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For reference a new Ranger Z521 with a Mercury 225 weighs about 2500 lbs not including the trailer (@700+) and gear.
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Old 02-17-12, 08:46 AM   #4
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I've been meaning to weigh my boat just to see exactly how much it weighs, for curiosity's sake, more than anything. It's a 21 foot, and from what I figure, trailer and all is somewhere in the 3000-3500 lb range. That's well under your tow rating, so you probably won't have much to worry about there. The only thing I'd caution you on is stopping.....your truck is fairly light, so a heavy boat and trailer would have a tendency to push it around. Ifyou get a trailer with brakes, that will help a lot. Just remember to leave yourself plenty of room to stop, and keep your distance behind other cars, and you should be fine.
Kenneth, boat weights are often listed as hull weight.....that includes nothing but the actual boat itself.....no engine, gas, gear, etc. I'm not sure if that figure you posted is a hull weight or what.....seems awfully heavy to me if it is. My boat's hull weight is 1400-1450 lbs. Add 400-500 for motor, about 400 for fuel (49 gallons), couple hundred for batteries, then all the fishing gear, anchor, etc, and then the trailer itself.....
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Old 02-17-12, 09:13 AM   #5
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hull weight is 1900 +++
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Old 02-17-12, 09:20 AM   #6
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I have an '05 Tacoma PreRunner V6/5-spd auto that I tow my '98 TR20 with. (19'6") Rig weighs over 4000lb loaded with gas/gear and I've never had a bit of trouble with the truck.
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Old 02-17-12, 10:06 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kennethdaysale View Post
hull weight is 1900 +++
Roger that.
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Old 02-17-12, 10:26 AM   #8
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Average BB of say 21 ft weighs about 1400-1800 pds,motor gear your looking at around 3,000 well within the tow capabilities.Curious as to rating is or if of tongue weight not real weight,tongue weight is less.
So unless you plan on taking 30 ft inboard cruisers up pilot mtn(8 miles of 5 deg slope) no problems.Your good to go,stopping however is a different matter,heavier dual wheels and or brakes are nice.
My lil 20 ft allison 1060,single axle trailer,motor jp 500 lbs,with gear 2000,with everything i own in the fishing world inside,tow with a v6 like it isnt even behind me.
Did recently upgrade to a dodge truck with a 5.1,but not due to towing problems,still have the suv v6 as still under warranty 34k miles,needed something to haul firewood etc instead of using the suv like a truck have one now.

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Old 02-17-12, 11:42 AM   #9
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You should be ok, after all Florida is FLAT, no pulling long hills. Braking would be a concern for me, be sure the trailer has brakes - most new ones will. My other concern, and it's purely a personal opinion, is towing with a vehicle with a short wheel base, especially with a larger boat. I don't feel they are as stable when towing at highway speeds as with a full size truck with a longer wheel base. I felt a lot more sway when I tried towing my 21' boat with a Jeep Cherokee than with my truck. With the Jeep I knew the boat was back there, with the truck I almost forget it's back there. I have towed long distances, up to Canada and down to Alabama, and I don't think I'd do that kind of towing without a full size truck. But if you're going to be doing mostly local fishing in Florida, you should be OK.
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Old 02-17-12, 01:34 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bassboogieman View Post
You should be ok, after all Florida is FLAT, no pulling long hills. Braking would be a concern for me, be sure the trailer has brakes - most new ones will. My other concern, and it's purely a personal opinion, is towing with a vehicle with a short wheel base, especially with a larger boat. I don't feel they are as stable when towing at highway speeds as with a full size truck with a longer wheel base. I felt a lot more sway when I tried towing my 21' boat with a Jeep Cherokee than with my truck. With the Jeep I knew the boat was back there, with the truck I almost forget it's back there. I have towed long distances, up to Canada and down to Alabama, and I don't think I'd do that kind of towing without a full size truck. But if you're going to be doing mostly local fishing in Florida, you should be OK.
When I bought my Ranger (18ft. 200 Evinrude) I towed it back to NC with a 98 Tacoma 5sp. Had no issues until about Macon then the truck really started to labor. After getting up into the mountains, the short wheel base really became noticeable. Anyway, if you're going to be traveling south or not too far north, you should be OK. Otherwise, you'll be looking at a full size vehicle.
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Old 02-17-12, 02:00 PM   #11
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A weight of 3500-4000 lbs is a safe bet when fully loaded.

The towing rating is really just a weight that won't damage the truck structurally.

It really has nothing to do with performance.

Remember, it's not just the size of the truck or the engine. You should think about gearing as well. I ordered the 1:3.92 rear end option for my Ram. It pulls my boat like it's not even there.

Get something around a 1:4 and you should be loving it.
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Old 02-18-12, 07:06 AM   #12
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Thanks for all the info guys. Sounds like I'm good to go for now. I don't plan on any trips to mountainous areas any time soon. I've driven through Tennessee before so I know what you mean.
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