towing with 2wd

[Toomstone]

now i know its best to go 4wd and not worry... and i do have a 4wd but dont want to put the miles on it. so ive got a f-150 supercrew with the 5.4, 2wd, and limited slip differential. now is there anyone else out there towing 28 foot(magic deckboat in my case) or longer that has any information on towing pretty big with 2wd????

[MRS FLYIN VEE]

Originally posted by Toomstone
now i know its best to go 4wd and not worry... and i do have a 4wd but dont want to put the miles on it. so ive got a f-150 supercrew with the 5.4, 2wd, and limited slip differential. now is there anyone else out there towing 28 foot(magic deckboat in my case) or longer that has any information on towing pretty big with 2wd????
us.. we've never had a problem with our rig.. we have an allisons trany, a six inch lift with airbags, and I love it.. the only problem I've had would be site 6 at crazy horse it is to steep for the weight of the boat on it.
we also tow a 29'.. ;)

[Toomstone]

my f-150 is stock.... nothing at all. does the lift make a difference with 2wd???

[MRS FLYIN VEE]

Originally posted by Toomstone
my f-150 is stock.... nothing at all. does the lift make a difference with 2wd???
I'm not sure but with the boat we have it does with the kind of trailor and all I guess.. not too sure on that.. maybe one of the guys can answer it better then me.. sorry.;)

[welk2party]

I have 2wd and have no problems unless the ramps are steep and/ or slippery. I tow a 29' deckboat.

[Toomstone]

what kind of truck are you pulling with?? and do you get stuck or just spin as you go up the ramp???

[Cole]

seems like a lot of boat for a 1/2 ton!

[Charley]

2wd might be a bad idea.... Not for towing, but for launching! I was looking at the new F-150's also...and I was thinkin maybe 2wd and my wife (who always backs the trailer in/out) told me it was a bad idea... I was like right, these tires should grab...so We popped my F-250 4x4 w/ 35 x 12.50 BFG's into 2wd on the launch ramp in Needles and I'll be damned if she just spun the tires.... I may have been able to feather and baby her up the ramp, but It would not be how I would want to launch all the time. Granted My F29 w/ twins might be a little heavier than the Magic I would still attempt a real life 2wd test to be sure...Good Luck! ;)

[riverbound]

I used to tow with an expedition and sometimes on steep ramps I would have a problem, I ended up changing the tires and rims and after thatnever had a problem. I now tow with an f350 diesel 4X4 and have not had to use the 4X4 yet. But I amalso running all terrain tires.

[Toomstone]

2wd might be a bad idea.... Not for towing, but for launching! I was looking at the new F-150's also...and I was thinkin maybe 2wd and my wife (who always backs the trailer in/out) told me it was a bad idea... I was like right, these tires should grab...so We popped my F-250 4x4 w/ 35 x 12.50 BFG's into 2wd on the launch ramp in Needles and I'll be damned if she just spun the tires.... I may have been able to feather and baby her up the ramp, but It would not be how I would want to launch all the time. Granted My F29 w/ twins might be a little heavier than the Magic I would still attempt a real life 2wd test to be sure...Good Luck!
i dont think i can do a test with an all wheel drive denali. i dont think you can switch over to 2wd

[welk2party]

Originally posted by Toomstone
what kind of truck are you pulling with?? and do you get stuck or just spin as you go up the ramp???
2500HD Chevy with the 6.1 and 4:10 gears. Only had trouble at site 6 but my tires were bad. I think site 6 is trouble period so I don't count it.

[Toomstone]

windsor isnt considered a steep ramp though... right????

[MOBrien]

We've been on what I consider to be fairly steep ramps and haven't had any issues. Our boat is only a 24' and is about 4000 lbs loaded up. Our tow-truck is a '02 2wd Supercrew with the 5.4 & limited slip diff. K&N, throttle spacer, Magnaflow exh. & lowered 3front & 4rear. No issues so far with the 2wd unless the ramp is covered in silt. Even still, a slow roll on power eliminates any slip. How much more weight are you guys pulling with a 28'+ boat? I know we're not in the 28+ group, but hopefully this helps.
See ya.

[copperrat20]

I've got an F250 with the 5.4. I too have only had trouble pulling hte 28' out at site six. Oh yah it is 2wd. Windsor I have no problems. It pulls out just fine. You should be fine as long as you plan on pulling out at windsor only.

[welk2party]

I am pulling about 8000 lbs. total with my truck if that helps.

[Toomstone]

were lookin at 4200 dry, 1500 of trailer. 200 at least of crap in the boat, then almost full of gas this coming weekend so another 600 at least.

[LHC30Victory]

No problem (generally) with a Chevy 3500 crew cab p/u with good tires. Won't go to site 6 without a tractor ever again. Windsor, Marina (used to go there, sorry), Nautical are all good. I'm towing and launching a 30 Victory w/twins.

[Toomstone]

We've been on what I consider to be fairly steep ramps and haven't had any issues. Our boat is only a 24' and is about 4000 lbs loaded up. Our tow-truck is a '02 2wd Supercrew with the 5.4 & limited slip diff. K&N, throttle spacer, Magnaflow exh. & lowered 3front & 4rear. No issues so far with the 2wd unless the ramp is covered in silt. Even still, a slow roll on power eliminates any slip. How much more weight are you guys pulling with a 28'+ boat? I know we're not in the 28+ group, but hopefully this helps.
thanks for the help. can you feel the difference in acceleration and horsepower overall with the exhaust and k&n filter? and what is a throttle spacer

[FRENCHIE]

I tow a 25' which is about 4500lbs dry, not including trailer and gass so loaded up im close to 6000lbs. i have no probs towing, however on a steep ramp i have had to use the parking brake on about half way to give m traction to the back wheels, so no to spin...i also only have 2wd, f150 2002 with the 5.4 lit. No complaints...only next year will go 250 with diesel!;) :D

[cola]

Never a problem. Windsor, Park Moabi, The Marina & Site 6 with my 2 wd work truck.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/1268109_0923_WEB-med.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/1268chevboat-med.jpg

[Kilrtoy]

We had an2002 F150 Supercrew with a 5.4 373 gears. it was a great drive around town truck,
BUT
When it came time to go to work and tow the boat,
WHAT A PILE OF SHIT. We have gotten stuck, slid backwards into the water, needed help to get out a couple of times and got 7MPG towing and couldnt get about 70.
After one year of this crap I sold it and got a F250 V10 2WD.
God im in heavan.
NO PROBLEMS AT ALL......

[Toomstone]

WHAT A PILE OF SHIT. We have gotten stuck, slid backwards into the water, needed help to get out a couple of times and got 7MPG towing and couldnt get about 70.
where did you slide down into the water???

[Toomstone]

Never a problem. Windsor, Park Moabi, The Marina & Site 6 with my 2 wd work truck.
cola how big of a boat are you pulling there??? and am i correct when i say the harley davidson has a little more horsepower then a normal supercrew???

[Kilrtoy]

Originally posted by Toomstone
where did you slide down into the water???
Crazyhorse and Castaic

[Toomstone]

Crazyhorse and Castaic
ive heard crazy horse is steep and never been to castaic. but if we bring it then we will only launch and retrieve at windsor.

[cola]

Originally posted by Toomstone
cola how big of a boat are you pulling there??? and am i correct when i say the harley davidson has a little more horsepower then a normal supercrew???
The boat is a 29' Essex Alandra & it's not about HP on the launch ramps it's finesse. My wife never spins a tire. We launch @ Newport's back bay & at Davie's in Long Beach and have never had a problem.

[Toomstone]

The boat is a 29' Essex Alandra & it's not about HP on the launch ramps it's finesse. My wife never spins a tire. We launch @ Newport's back bay & at Davie's in Long Beach and have never had a problem.
that makes sense. now does the stock f150 and harley davidson have the same shocks because the big boat you have doesnt seem to drop the back of the truck very much?

[cola]

Originally posted by Toomstone
that makes sense. now does the stock f150 and harley davidson have the same shocks because the big boat you have doesnt seem to drop the back of the truck very much?
Your Magic w/ tripple axle won't have much tongue weight. I would guess 2-3 hundred lbs. The shocks don't support the weight, only the springs. I don't think they are any different then yours. The truck might have a little shorter spring then yours but I think the gvw is the same. You won't have any trouble launching with your truck anywhere in Havasu. (i never put in @ crazy horse). We have launched up & down on Parker strip without trouble also.
Late, Mike

[TRIMM MANN]

You are not going to have enough power to trail that big of a boat across the desert.
Around town it will be ok.
I have a 28 eliminator that I tow around Havasu with a 1/2 ton Chevy shortbed with no problem but would never tow it across the desert.

[Toomstone]

You are not going to have enough power to trail that big of a boat across the desert.
why wouldnt we have enough power??? we are towing from needles storage to havasu. is that ok???

[Toomstone]

bump.... hoping for some more info

[Ivan Dan]

Toomstone~ I also have a 28' Magic Deckboat and we towed it several times back and forth from Corona,CA with a 1/2 ton Yukon 2wd with no problems. We now store it in Havasu so it doesn't need to be towed back and forth but your 1/2 ton 2wd will do fine. We launch at Windsor with no problems at all.

[TrojanDan]

I tow our 29' Magic Wizard with my 2wd 94 C1500 long bed. It has 3.73 gears, old school 350, stock height, and 31" tires and I never have had a problem at Windsor or Cattail retrieving the boat. Both my boat and truck stay in Havasu and I know I would never tow the boat all the way back to CA with my 1/2 ton. :cool:

[Toomstone]

thanks for all the help. im going to take the truck this weekend and launch at windsor.