BFifer

I'm trying to figure out if I have the capability to tow a 27ft boat on a 3 axle aluminum magic trail with the following stats for my 2006 150 fx4 short bed crew cab. Specifically, I wanted to get feedback on any precautionary steps I should take to ensure I'm not only ok but that I've done what I can to mitigate risks. Any thoughts... is this ok, shouldn't add anything to complement the "tow package" I have on the truck?

5659 weight per specs
14,500 gcwr per manual
8841 net
Then about 470lbs in the truck= 8,371lbs

5000 approx dry wt on boat
+1500 approx trailer wt
+1200 motors
7700 total

Difference- 671lb / 6lb per gal = 111gallons max of 375 boat fuel capacity. I can manage to this with what I'm doing.

acadianbob

You biggest issue will be the tongue weight of the trailer. Unless you are using a weight distribution hitch, the maximum tongue weight on your truck hitch is 500 pounds. I suspect that the boat and trailer tongue weigst is far in excess of that number.

brulaz

I was surprised to learn that many boat trailers are only running 5-10% tongue weight with no WDH. And they do this without any sway problems, apparently because the boat sits low in the trailer and the wheels are spaced rather far apart.

7% of a 7700# boat+trailer is only 539#.

Never done this myself, just what I've heard on this forum.

Ford recommends 10% TW min however which with your rig would probably require a WDH.

ADM1953

8,000 – 10,000 pound boat and trailer rigs on the highway are dime a dozen in Florida. In the 30 years that I have lived here and trailered boats, I think I've seen 2 boats equipped with weight distributing hitches.

I've towed my approximately 8000 pound boat and trailer thousands of miles without a weight distributing hitch with approximately 450 pounds of tongue weight and had no sway problems of any significance. The only times where sway has been an issue was when I was passed by large semi tractor trailers moving in excess of 70 mph and I was in the right hand, slower lying traveling 60 – 62 mph. There is a very small degree of movement away from the tractor-trailer rig as it approaches and then the tow vehicle and boat are pulled slightly towards the tractor-trailer as it passes and creates a low-pressure zone.

I think boat trailers are much less susceptible to sway, even without weight disturbing hitches, because their shape is aerodynamic and they provide much less drag at highway speeds, in contrast to RV travel trailers with that big flat front surface behind the tow vehicle.

I'm approaching 1000 miles on my 2015 F 150 and will start towing my boat in the next week. The F150 is replacing a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe, which towed my boat without difficulty on our flat Florida highways without a weight distributing hitch. I expect the much more tow capable F150 to pull 8000 pounds without difficulty. When I start telling my boat, I will take a picture from the front of the tow vehicle with the boat attached to show how little area on the boat is flat surface.

smokeywren

Yes, you need a weight-distributing hitch. Your receiver is limited to 500 pounds tongue weight without a WD hitch. Your hitch weight should be closer to 800 pounds. Ignore those who claim you cannot add a WD hitch to a boat trailer that has surge brakes or a pole tongue. Not cheap, but an Equal-I-Zer hitch can be used on a trailer that has surge brakes. And adapters are available to mount an Equal-I-Zer hitch on a pole tongue trailer if that's what you have.
http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distr...EQ37100ET.html


http://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-...5-01-5950.html

Also, move the boat forward on the trailer, and move any weight in the boat to the front of the boat, to achieve close to 10% tongue weight. If necessary, dismount an outboard motor and lay it in the front of the boat when traveling.


Tongue weight is critical. Invest in a tongue weight scale to be sure you have the trailer loaded properly.
http://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Sherline/5780.html



Your Ford GCWR is very close to the actual max weight your rig can gross without overheating anything in a well-maintained drivetrain, and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic when climbing grades.


6,000 truck plus 8,000 trailer = 14.000 GCW, so if you maintain the weight of the wet and loaded truck at no more than 6,000 pounds and the trailer at no more than 8,000 pounds, you'll be a bit less than the 14,500 GCWR, so you should be fine as far as power and torque to pull the load.


Your problem will probably be payload capacity of your F-150. With truck weight (including the weight of your WD hitch) at 6,000 pounds plus tongue weight of 800 pounds, that's 6,800 pounds gross vehicle weight. That doesn't leave much payload capacity for hauling more people or pets or cargo in the bed.


So add an Equal-I-Zer hitch, move things around on the trailer to get to about 10% tongue weight, watch how much weight you haul in the truck, and you should be fine.

ADM1953

Tell me you were joking. Many of the boats in the 8000 pound range will have two, 500 – 600 pound outboard motors. My boat has twin 200 hp motors that weigh about 510 pounds each as they sit on the transom. Because the lower two motor bracket bolts are under the deck in the transom, inspection plates have to be removed and a long handle wrench used to remove the lower four bolts. It's about an hour and a half per engine to remove them and then you have to have a motor lift to deal with the 500 pounds. To suggest that you should just lay two, 500+ pound motors on the front deck of a boat for trailering – well I just don't know how to describe that suggestion.

brulaz

European "caravans" typically have low tongue weights as well and no WDH.
But many also have electronic or friction anti-sway devices installed.

5.0GN tow

Boats with 5% tounge weight are no problem in most cases. I have towed boats big and small all over the eastern US and never have I pulled one with 10% tounge weight. I think you will be close but ok with your set up.

smokeywren

In that case you need a boat trailer that will allow you to pull the boat forward enough that the motors are over the axles of the trailer.

Most boat trailers that come with a boat are cheap trailers that are not necessarily designed to safely haul that boat. If your trailer doesn't allow you to position the boat on the trailer to achieve 10% tongue weight, then you need a different trailer.

ADM1953

First you tell people to unrig the motors and put them in the bow areas to increase tongue weight, now "pull the boat forward enough that the motors are over the axles of the trailer." I have NEVER seen an outboard boat sitting on a trailer with the motors positioned over the axles. Do you actuality tow a boat that weighs anything near 8K lbs?

The trailers put under boats that weigh 8,000 and up are usually very well made and are hardly cheap- try $6,000 and up for a dual axle trailer rated for 10K lbs. People don't usually pay $80-120K for a boat and put a cheap trailer under it.