Truck for pulling a 228 Seafarrer

[MDRookie01]

Looks like there their have been a good amount of posts to see how big of a truck is needed to pull our boats.. Sorry to add to the list, but I have the same question.

I am looking to get a used truck to pull my Seafarrer.. Currently my buddy pulls it for me, since we always go fishing together and I just got the boat 2 months ago.. My wife's car died a month after I bought the boat, while I was looking for a truck, so I have to buy her a new car which delayed my purchase of a truck even further.) Now I also have to be careful with the price, since he car payment is a fair amount.

Specs:

'88 Seafarrer 22.5 ft.
225 Yamaha OX66
100 gallons of gas.
plus gear


I am looking at used Dodge Ram 1500s.. I like the HEMI 5.7, but wasnt sure if I needed a HEMI. I like the Fords F150s, but was told Ford prices are a lot higher then Dodge..

What are you guys pulling your boats with? Any one halling a Seafarrer similiar to mine?

Thanks Guys!

 

[Drifter80]

I pulled mine from Northern Michigan to Detroit with my trailblazer SS. A Ram would be better for towing that my truck so I would think a 5.7 RAM would have no problems towing a Seafarer.

How far and often are you trailering your boat? I keep mine in the water and only put it on the trailer over the winter or if I take a trip to the cottage.

 

[MDRookie01]

All depends on the season..

April to May - 75 mile one-way Tow

June - July - 35 mile one-way Tow

July - Sept - Local towing, 10 miles or less one way tow.


Towing once or twice a week..

 

[mjtyszki]

I have an 04 dodge 1500 with the 5.7 hemi and pull a 1990 Offshore 24 with no problems. My general tow is anywhere from 35 to 45 miles through the hills of Austin, TX. At a minimum I tow it 200 miles to the coast 6 times per year. When towing to the coast I pull with empty tanks but to the lakes I generally make a couple of tows with 145 gallons of gas.

I think you will be very pleased with the way the dodge will pull your boat.

Since this topic comes up so much, perhaps we should create a post dedicated to what rig you have and what you tow it with, along with the routine conditions people tow. That might be a good reference for people to quickly glance at what other people are towing comfortably or uncomfortably.

 

[CJBROWN]

You can get by with a half-ton as long as you don't have a lot of steep grades to go up or down. If you can find one with 3.73 gears, so much the better - you would be a lot happier. Just lock out the overdrive, don't push it.

Upgrades for towing with a half-ton:
make sure it has a towing package
3.73 gears highly recommended
trans cooler and synthetic ATF
trans temp guage
synthetic diff fluid
disc brakes on trailer that work good

I had a '02 Dodge Ram 1500 for a couple of years when they were new - they are good trucks. It had the 4.7 and it was a good motor. I think it was rated for about 7K lbs of towing. 2002 was the major update, you want that or newer. And yes, they cost less because they were less when new, Dodge discounts the crap out of everything to move new product, and they are not quite as nice riding or nicely finished as the Ford and Chev. The engines and diffs are as good as anything, the transmissions are weaker, and the body falls apart like they always have. But when Mercedes got involved their quality came up a whole bunch (about as much as Mercedes quality went down ) I wouldn't bother spending the money for a Dodge with a diesel, would just get a Duramax if I was going that route (I have a '03 Duramax crew-cab - they are the shiznit). But there are a lot of enthusiasts for Dodge and the Cummins motor is outstanding.

My preferrence for more than 5K lbs towing is a 3/4-ton truck. The axles are bigger, the diff is heavier duty, the trans is setup for more weight, and it has suspension to handle the bumps with the extra weight. I've been towing for 30 years and prefer over-built in lieu of under-built. It's just a lot less stressfull when you're out on the road.

If you need your tow-truck to be a 'driver' too, then the RAM is a good option. If it will be used little other than towing the boat or for recreation, then I would get a 3/4-ton with a big-block motor. They can be had cheap and do the job so much better. A Ford with a 460 or V10, a Chev with a 454 or 8.1, or a Dodge with 440 or cummins. They 440's go waaaay back. I've had those too, they were good motors. Another option that's cheap now-adays is a 3/4-ton Suburban. They can't give them things away because they're gas-hogs, but they make great tow rigs.

 

[VinMan]

I pull my 06 Seafarer with a 1/2 ton Ford F150 and all is fine. I pulled it from Louisianna where I bought it to S Florida where I live.

I was careful to buy a SuperCrew (4-door) which has the extended wheel base which increases towing capacity to 8500 lbs. It also has a towing package which gives you the high output alternator, tranny cooler, bigger battery, and trailer hitch, etc.

I did not get the 4X4 and do not think it's necessary with that boat. I purchased the limited slip rear end and have never spun a tire at a ramp. Not having the 4X4 is better on the highway mpg and provides a lower insurance bill.

1/2 tons are fine for that boat but get her equipped right...

 

[G8RDave]

I tow my 2004 228 with a 2003 F-150 Super Crew with the smaller 4.6 engine. No problems at all in three years. Mostly shorter tows but an occasional tow to Key West (400 miles each way).

 

[MDRookie01]

Thanks Everyone..

The HEMI would be my first options (just because that is what I like ), but it is good to know I do not need that much to be able to pull it.

CJBROWN,
I wish i could get just a Boat trailing truck, then I would go with a F250 or 2500, but having just bought the wife a new car, that is not in the picture. I will need my truck to be a 'driver' as well.. roughly 50 miles a day for work..

 

[blackgrady]

They're all hemi's as long as the cylinder heads are basically hemispherical and the spark plug is around dead center of the dome....A marketing ploy that has stuck for YEARS.

 

[MDRookie01]

So it is all about the liter size? 4.7 vs 5.7, etc. What is the F150 V8, 5.4?

 

[blackgrady]

more or less, until you get into efficiency of cylinder heads (cfms), cam duration, valve placement and size, lift and overlap, bore and stroke, compression, etc. My last race car was a 2.0L Eclipse that put down 624hp to all 4 wheels (had a turbo the size of a frizbee), so its not always the size of the motor. Good rule of thumb though is that more litres will usually yield more low end torque, which is essentially what you are after for towing...

 

[Tundra1]

I tow my 06 Seafarer with a 07 Tundra 5.7L. Hauls and stops it great, gets 11 mpg towing. Its a great truck

Jim

 

[Grouper Duper]

Check my signature, and you'll see I have the exact same boat/setup as you.

I've been towing it with my '01 Sequoia for eight years. The truck came stock with 4.10 gears and a tranny cooler, and I switched all of the fluids to synthetic right after break-in. I've replaced a hatch door latch and left rear axle seal as the only repairs on the truck ever. The original battery even made it nearly seven years!

I also agree with the 2WD drive comments. If your boat/trailer are set up properly, you should never have an issue at a ramp (I've never spun a wheel, and have done the steep, crappy ramp at low tide thing).

1/2 ton vehicles are much nicer to live with everyday than the bigger stuff, and just strain a little more when you do the towing. I think it's a fair trade. I've NEVER felt it was unsafe or wouldn't do it.

 

[okletsfish]

When I bought my boat I had a Chevy 1500 4X4 with a 305ci engine 373 rear and tow pk.It pulled it ok except for merging onto interstates and pulling steep hills.I install a pair of airbags on the rear which was a big help in leveling and stability.When I retired I treated myself to a new truck
Chevy 2500 Duramax and it is night and day over my old truck.

 

[Strikezone]

When I purchased my '00 Seafarer in FL I trailered it back to SC using a '99 Chevy Tahoe with towing package. While I made the trip OK I experienced the same issues that Okletsfish did. Merging into the interstate took some time and once I was back in Charleston I did struggle to cross one of the very steep bridges. I did have about 125 gallons of fuel in the boat so I'm sure this added to the problem.

This hasn't been a problem for me since I keep the boat in drystack but I wouldn't want to tow it very far.

 

[MDRookie01]

I have a chance to buy a '04 Dodge 1500 SLT Hemi, single cab in great shape with 70K miles for $7,000 from a friend who just wants the payoff amount because he is buying a house and has a kid on the way. Its been in a couple truck pulls and such.. Debating if I should do it..

Main reason is I just dont want another huge car payment since I just bought the wife a new car, but want something that can pull the boat..

 

[mjtyszki]

I personally would hold off for one with the quad cab, you get more room for your family as well as the added wheel base for more stable towing...

 

[JiminGA]

You don't HAVE to buy a "truck" to pull the 228. We pull ours with a 2002 Chevy Tahoe Z-71 with a trailering package. Engine is the 5.3 and the rear-end is a 3.73. It tows fine, but I don't push it. It does slow some on hills at highway speed (I tow at 65 mph on interstates), but otherwise, no issues. I try if at all possible to not fuel-up the Grady until we get to our destination. BTW, many of our tows are 200-plus miles each way.

Having said the above, if money and garage space wasn't an issue I'd love a 2500HD crewcab as my tow vehicle - but the current one gets the job done. I say all this just to let you know that there might be another alternative. Oh, by the way, we consistently get 10mpg towing.

One other point, Parthery (another poster on this site) used a GMC Yukon with a 6.0 for his Seafarer and loved it.

 

[ronnie 228]

seafarer towing

1999 seafarer with 200hp, no problems with 2003 expedition with 5.8 liter. also tow with f250 diesel and cant feel it behind the truck

 

[Parthery]

To JiminGA's point, I pulled both my 226 and 228 with the following tow vehicles on a regular basis:

'02 Tahoe / 5.3 / 3.73
'05 Yukon Denali / 6.0 / 3.42
'05 Durango / 5.7 Hemi

All towed without any trouble at highway speeds to and from the coast. The Durango got the best mileage, both towing and non-towing. The two GM trucks get between 8-9 mpg at 65 mph. The Durango got around 11. On the highway at 70+ non-towing, the Durango would get about 19.