In need of 1/2 ton truck towing advise.

[Biglue]

I have a new boat I just in January. It is a 26ft commander that I'm towing around with a 1/2 ton F150. The truck is rated to tow 8000 lbs. The boat onthe trailer weighs under 6000lbs. I want to know if anyone out there is doing the same thing and :confused: has any advise or experience to share. I was considering a bigger truck but with the gas prices being what they are, I don't need that much truck as a daily driver. I'm wondering if towing that much of towing capacity on a regular basis will kill the truck sooner than later.

[RidinRed]

IMO, it is under-rated for the boat. This being said, I too haul around our 25 to and from the lakes within say 1hr drive. I may go further but, I have a 1ton should I desire. If you have any towing experiance you should be fine also. Just know that you shouldn't be road racing while in tow, and leave plenty of room to react. Otherwise have fun. I am sure somebody will chime in with a differant view and even a couple of horror stories, and the are valid concerns.

[Biglue]

Yeah, I consider myself a safe driver. I have to be since I have my family with me on boating trips. I have done some upgrading to the brakes since Ford sucks beyond belief as far as brakes go. Since then it's a lot less tense while towing. I just heard a lot of horror stories from people saying that the truck would not be up to towing that much weight out of the water and so forth. The truck does pretty good actually but it doesn't like uphills, even then it isn't quite a dog.

[Havasu Hangin']

It's all about tradeoffs.
I used to tow 6,000lbs w/ a 1/2 ton, and it did fine. Of course, it wasn't as fast up the hills, but that's the tradeoff....a few extra minutes on the tow versus getting worse mileage (from a 3/4 or 1 ton) ALL the time.
As for the brakes, the trailer brakes are more important than the truck brakes- just make sure they work fine, and the trailer will (at a minimum) stop itself.
Don't let these guys tell you "go big or go home" on a daily driver/tow vehicle...they probably just don't have an extra 15 minutes of patience to spare...

[Mandelon]

Making the truck work towards the upper end of, or exceeding its capacity for towing or hauling will indeed wear it out faster. It does not have the same carrying or braking capacity as a bigger 3/4 or 1 ton truck.
But you knew that..... :p Like you, I would continue use it as well, and consider upgrading on your next purchase to a larger size. Just allow longer distances for braking and don't push it too hard. Shift down going up hills and take it slow and steady. Watch the temp guages and change the differential and tranny fluids accordingly.
Don't worry, us Duramax owners will just go around you :D

[Biglue]

Dude I did a trip to Laughlin and Havasu a couple weeks ago and coming back up the 40 towards the 15 was a bitch. Then you get the grandmas who have to kill your momentum. That is when I saw one of the diesel trucks hauling a boat a little bigger than mine. He wasn't sweating shit. That is the first time I witnessed the ability of those trucks because he got my attention.

[slingingsmoke]

Don't worry, us Duramax owners will just go around you :D
....and us PSD guys will be going around YOU :jawdrop: :)

[Biglue]

Yeah there was a couple guys whose patience was less than there, What can i say? I still was able to do 50-55 and under 4000RPM. Dude how did you get the name mandelon? What kind of boat and motor package is in it?

[DUECE'SDAD]

Should be fine if you said you addressed the crappy brakes already, you might go a little lower on the ring a pinion, There is a radio station here where i live that advertises for a trans and diff shop that the commercial actually says, "pulling a 25ft or larger boat w/ that half ton truck of yours, let us change your ring and pinoin to get it back in that working rpm and still get better gas milage than a 3/4 ton when your not pulling the boat! " A few hundred for a ring and pinion a install if you dont know how to set one up is better than 10k - 20K for a used 3/4ton. If you know your motor and trans is good keep using what you got ! ! ! just my .02

[dave186]

yah, change the gearing. depending on your tire size i would go at least 4.10s. i have 4.10s with 29" tall tires on my lightning, its perfect for my engine, i have plenty of power and torque to tow more than the truck itself ever could.

[Mandelon]

Yeah there was a couple guys whose patience was less than there, What can i say? I still was able to do 50-55 and under 4000RPM. Dude how did you get the name mandelon? What kind of boat and motor package is in it?
The Mandelon name was given to me by some of my Mexican workers when the wife called and I had to go.... :redface: I have a Laveycraft 21 with a 496HO. I tow with an 04 Silverado CC SRW Longbed and I'm amazed how well it pulls.
Still waiting for the POSD owners to pass..... :D :hammer2:

[Biglue]

It's definitely a cool name. I was just wondering if you spoke spanish and new what it meant. The coolest boat name I've seen is will work for food. Laveycraft, huh? cool stuff. 21 ft with a 496HO, sounds quick. Mine is a 26ft with the same motor package.

[purrfecttremor]

i towed a 25 with a f150 for a year abd agree with hh just dont get in a hurry.

[Jordy]

Still waiting for the POSD owners to pass..... :D :hammer2:
Me too. Hasn't happened yet. ;)

[slingingsmoke]

Me too. Hasn't happened yet. ;)
I'll be on I-40 Eastbound to havasu this weekend....LOL

[Mandelon]

It's definitely a cool name. I was just wondering if you spoke spanish and new what it meant. The coolest boat name I've seen is will work for food. Laveycraft, huh? cool stuff. 21 ft with a 496HO, sounds quick. Mine is a 26ft with the same motor package.
Yah, yo se! I know what it means....its pretty ironic for the boat name. This is the fourth boat that I've bought without the wife seeing it... :D
I saw a boat at Havasu called "Counter Fitter" Thought that was good one. :D

[Racer277]

Yah, yo se! I know what it means....its pretty ironic for the boat name. This is the fourth boat that I've bought without the wife seeing it... :D
I saw a boat at Havasu called "Counter Fitter" Thought that was good one. :D
Last weekend we hung out with Trojan Dan and his boat "El Chingon".
Very cool name. And boat. Good people all around that weekend.
Also, Dusty Times' Anger Management is one of the best.
sorry for the jack.... :rollside:

[Essex502]

Towing with a 1/2 ton at the upper end of it's rated capacity can be challenging on the I-40 leaving Needles and heading to Barstow. The I-15 going to Vegas is worse at the Baker grade. Yes, the brakes will wear out faster. You'll be slower but the trade-off is having a nice all round truck when you are not towing. Having said that, I just acquired a 3/4 diesel for our next boat so as to not have the trade-off holding me back. Since this new truck is not a primary driver and stays in Havasu 11 months of the year it isn't a problem. Rides like a truck. Is noisy. Smells bad. But boy can it pull a load.

[riverroyal]

just leave early