Towing a 1990 seafarer 228g

[Jacktrop99]

I was wondering if a 2000 Toyota landcruiser with a 6500 towing capacity could tow a 1990 Grady white seafarer 228g on an aluminum trailer with no breakers on the trailer I only need to go a few miles and the boat has a 80 gallon tank

 

[DennisG01]

I think you should be "OK", but you should double check your weights. And, really, this is something you should do yourself - don't rely on what someone else says. Go to Grady's website and you can download the owner's manual or brochure for your boat or model year. That's going to be your "dry" weight - so add your motor, batteries, gas, etc, etc. Also add the weight of the trailer - which can typically be found on the VIN plate, but sometimes that is hard to read. In that case, figure about 900-1,100 pounds.

However, this is more about can your vehicle STOP the rig, than pull it. Especially since you have no "breakers" (I assume you mean "brakes"?). If you're just going on back roads, just be extra cautious and don't let your speed get away from you.

 

[luckydude]

I was wondering if a 2000 Toyota landcruiser with a 6500 towing capacity could tow a 1990 Grady white seafarer 228g on an aluminum trailer with no breakers on the trailer I only need to go a few miles and the boat has a 80 gallon tank

My 228 is a 2020 so it might be different. My boat with a 114 gallon tank, gear, trailer, is right about 6500 pounds. Your truck will tow it just fine but will really struggle to stop it. It is *always* about the stopping power. I tow a 12,000 pound excavator, my duramax is fine, but I absolutely need the trailer brakes.

If you are going to tow that, with that truck, you need to be on flat land and I wouldn't go much over 35mph.

 

[Jacktrop99]

I think you should be "OK", but you should double check your weights. And, really, this is something you should do yourself - don't rely on what someone else says. Go to Grady's website and you can download the owner's manual or brochure for your boat or model year. That's going to be your "dry" weight - so add your motor, batteries, gas, etc, etc. Also add the weight of the trailer - which can typically be found on the VIN plate, but sometimes that is hard to read. In that case, figure about 900-1,100 pounds.

However, this is more about can your vehicle STOP the rig, than pull it. Especially since you have no "breakers" (I assume you mean "brakes"?). If you're just going on back roads, just be extra cautious and don't let your speed get away from you.

I meant no working brakes on the trailer the dry weigh on the boat is 3000 so I think I should be fine I also have a low gear on the truck if I need more power out of it, it has a 4.7 liter v8 in it so should work

 

[luckydude]

I meant no working brakes on the trailer the dry weigh on the boat is 3000 so I think I should be fine I also have a low gear on the truck if I need more power out of it, it has a 4.7 liter v8 in it so should work

Here is my data when I was looking at the same thing.

Boat - dry weight = 3510
Motor - 250HP = 562
Fuel/water = 772
Hard top w/canvas = 225
Electronics = 50
Downriggers, balls = 85
Gear = 100
Total = 5304

You want brakes on the trailer or you are going to get pushed around. I tow a 12K excavator and I've been pushed, it will make you look in your underwear.

You want brakes.

 

[DennisG01]

I meant no working brakes on the trailer the dry weigh on the boat is 3000 so I think I should be fine I also have a low gear on the truck if I need more power out of it, it has a 4.7 liter v8 in it so should work

Don't assume. Do the math.

But, you kinda missed the main point we were making. It's much more about braking ability than getting going. To think anything else is a recipe for disaster.

FYI, low gear won't help you - unless your truck is different from every other 4WD I've driven, you can't shift out of 4-low once you're at speed.

If you prefer to have someone else do the math for you, look at Lucky's numbers. You still need to add the trailer to that, though.

 

[HTHM]

Not without trailer brakes, period, end of discussion.
Don't put your, and others, lives at risk by doing otherwise. As Luckydude says it's the stopping not the pulling that is important.
Regarding, it's only a few miles, most accidents happen within only a few feet.

 

[Jacktrop99]

Not without trailer brakes, period, end of discussion.
Don't put your, and others, lives at risk by doing otherwise. As Luckydude says it's the stopping not the pulling that is important.
Regarding, it's only a few miles, most accidents happen within only a few feet.

I Do fully understand your concern but I only need to go maybe 1.5 miles and I was planning on going through a backroad at 15 mph

 

[luckydude]

I Do fully understand your concern but I only need to go maybe 1.5 miles and I was planning on going through a backroad at 15 mph

Hey, I'm not your mom or anything but can't you get the trailer brakes fixed? Lots of things can go wrong really fast. My tow vehicle is a 10,000 pound dually flatbed with a duramax diesel and I've been pushed around, it's not fun at all. Your tow vehicle weighs about the same as your trailer+boat, that's more than enough to push you off the road.

Like I said, not my place to tell you what to do but I'd be looking hard at getting those brakes fixed. And I've been on the other end of this conversation, a buddy of mine who did heavy equipment for his career thinks I'm bat sh*t crazy for towing 16,000 (12K excavator and 4K trailer) behind my flatbed and that's with working trailer brakes on both axles. It's just not that smart to have a heavier load behind you than your tow vehicle. I do it, he yells at me, I go slow. I think he'd take my keys away if I didn't have trailer brakes.

Be careful, us Grady folks tend to like each other, nobody wants anyone to get in a pickle.

 

[Trout Poison]

Like mentioned above - NO. it is not a safe idea, period.

If you choose to, it will "probably" be ok. If something happens, you will be liable.

You asked and didn't like the answers. It seems like you are fishing for approval, but you know deep down that it is not right.

It's all about the braking - get the brakes working before risking it.

 

[magicalbill]

Jacktrop:

One other aspect that has not been discussed.

The Future:

Plans change; Life throws curves at you. Different opportunities open up. 1.5 miles on a back road may turn into hundreds of miles on I-95 as the future unveils itself. I was in Indiana; all of a sudden, bang, I'm in Florida. It happens.

You may be looking at trailering your boat all over the place later on. Get the brakes, as others have said, and get it road-ready so it will be in fighting shape for you when all of a sudden you're wanting to take it to distant destinations.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

towing is easy. stopping is the hard part. you can call Owens Brothers in St. Pete and order yourself kodiak stainless brakes and rotors and get a coupler (surge piston) suitable for disc trailer brakes and probable get all 4 wheels done and the coupler for $1,500 or so? am guessing here . I took off the junk tie down and swapped to kodiak on 4 wheels using my existing surge coupler a couple years ago for $975. putting new running gear on an old trailer is like putting a new motor on an older boat. If you love your passengers , your fellow motorist and your boat get brakes on that trailer. Your insurance company will really love you should you get in an accident with new brakes versus none at all. F=mass x acceleration. brakes really help with the acceleration part of the equation in reducing the force .

 

[Jacktrop99]

Don't assume. Do the math.

But, you kinda missed the main point we were making. It's much more about braking ability than getting going. To think anything else is a recipe for disaster.

FYI, low gear won't help you - unless your truck is different from every other 4WD I've driven, you can't shift out of 4-low once you're at speed.

If you prefer to have someone else do the math for you, look at Lucky's numbers. You still need to add the trailer to that, though.

I’m talking about low gear on the tranny it locks it in 1st and I have a lot more low end torque and I’m probably going to get the trailer brakes fixed I can tow it without breaks but without a boat on the trailer

 

[Jacktrop99]

Like mentioned above - NO. it is not a safe idea, period.

If you choose to, it will "probably" be ok. If something happens, you will be liable.

You asked and didn't like the answers. It seems like you are fishing for approval, but you know deep down that it is not right.

It's all about the braking - get the brakes working before risking it.

I understand the concerns about it but I’m either going to get them fixed or try it cause I’m kinda a nut

 

[Jacktrop99]

towing is easy. stopping is the hard part. you can call Owens Brothers in St. Pete and order yourself kodiak stainless brakes and rotors and get a coupler (surge piston) suitable for disc trailer brakes and probable get all 4 wheels done and the coupler for $1,500 or so? am guessing here . I took off the junk tie down and swapped to kodiak on 4 wheels using my existing surge coupler a couple years ago for $975. putting new running gear on an old trailer is like putting a new motor on an older boat. If you love your passengers , your fellow motorist and your boat get brakes on that trailer. Your insurance company will really love you should you get in an accident with new brakes versus none at all. F=mass x acceleration. brakes really help with the acceleration part of the equation in reducing the force .

The trailer is aluminum and is like new it’s a 2004 I think but it has good brakes they just have a problem with them that they don’t engage I am probably going to take it to my buddy he does a lot of work on cars so I’m thinking he might be able to get something done

 

[Jacktrop99]

Hey, I'm not your mom or anything but can't you get the trailer brakes fixed? Lots of things can go wrong really fast. My tow vehicle is a 10,000 pound dually flatbed with a duramax diesel and I've been pushed around, it's not fun at all. Your tow vehicle weighs about the same as your trailer+boat, that's more than enough to push you off the road.

Like I said, not my place to tell you what to do but I'd be looking hard at getting those brakes fixed. And I've been on the other end of this conversation, a buddy of mine who did heavy equipment for his career thinks I'm bat sh*t crazy for towing 16,000 (12K excavator and 4K trailer) behind my flatbed and that's with working trailer brakes on both axles. It's just not that smart to have a heavier load behind you than your tow vehicle. I do it, he yells at me, I go slow. I think he'd take my keys away if I didn't have trailer brakes.

Be careful, us Grady folks tend to like each other, nobody wants anyone to get in a pickle.

Yeah I’m probably going to take it to my buddy he works on cars and knows a lot more then I do about breaks I only understand how they work but not the full equation I was just only going to tow a mile cause my boat is at a marina but in a year or so I’m going to be towing a lot more so I might get them fixed

 

[magicalbill]

in a year or so I’m going to be towing a lot more so I might get them fixed

I recall mentioning this....

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Yeah I’m probably going to take it to my buddy he works on cars and knows a lot more then I do about breaks I only understand how they work but not the full equation I was just only going to tow a mile cause my boat is at a marina but in a year or so I’m going to be towing a lot more so I might get them fixed

Hi Jack,
I have had a lot of brake troubles. a big thing is no stainless calipers get hung up. The pistons seize and worse sometimes they drag causing excessive heat build up which gets transferred to the hubs and bearings. If the heat build up is beyond the wheel bearing grease drop point, the grease fails and then your wheel bearings fail on I-26 near Spartanburg,SC on a hot July day towing a Grady White 228. Ask me how I know . lol.

My gut without looking or having a single bit of data here, total spitball in the wind as keyboard cowboy that worse case scenario you might need new calipers to bring her back to life. Some calipers can be rebuilt with ease but by the time labor is factored in you might be better off replacing . if you go that route, kodiak stainless is your friend! good luck. I love my 228.

 

[wrxhoon]

+1 for Kodiak S/S nut I'll go one further full S/S , calipers, rotors , brackets and pad backing plates. I wouldn't use anything else, maybe all S/S deemax . Your brakes will work for at least 5 years, maybe replace the pads depending on mileage .
Three times the price to start with but much cheaper in the long run especially if you pay for labour.

 

[RussGW270]

Oh for the love of all that is holy... for a bunch of people that do not want to tell him how to live, that is all I hear... lol

Look, your towing capacity is 6500. The boat easily weighs close enough to that. 2 things you need to consider, besides getting the brakes fixed is this:

1 - If you can tow 6500.. and if it weighs 6500... then any bump, hiccup, extra ice chest etc.... and the torque of that will exceed the 6500. I have to go pick up my truck today that had service on it and I asked them to check the transmission because I wanted to make sure it was doing what it is supposed to do. They can tell every bump on the load the truck has within seconds. If you tow and that thing exceeds the range and the transmission is hurt, I can guarantee they will be able to tell and will deny any claim so....keep that in mind. I suspect you will end up replacing that transmission in the toyota within a year.... a hell of a lot more expensive than brakes or a new vehicle.

2 - You should have a minimum of 10% of your max towing left after all said and done....on a good day... with brakes. No way you have that.. so... consider that.

Lastly... do what you feel comfortable with... at the end of the day, if you are alone.. no-one else around.. then no-one else pays the cost of repairs heh.. I have seen trucks tow crap they would/should never have been able to tow.. does not mean they should, just is what it is.

Make friends with someone that has a bigger truck and ... "you have the boat, he has the truck"... great symbiotic relationship and always have a fishing partner

Or, trade the toyota in and get a Ford.. lol

one boat I bought...I had a corolla... wife asked, "how do you plan to tow the boat?"....."Funny you should ask that..." took me a week before I could look her in the eye again

GL!
Russ