saubouin

Boat: Baja 242 Islander Weight 4,400 with no fuel or equipment.

Trailer: 2 axle Load Rite

Home Base for the Boat is Lake Anna in Mineral, VA.

Problem: My current tow vehicle is a 2004 Buick Rainer (MIDSIZE) with 5.3 V8. Powertrain not a problem but short wheelbase and long distance towing is exciting to say the least. The tow rating on the Buick is 6,500lbs and I'm pushing my luck as it is.

I would like to be able to safely tow my boat up to Deep Creek Lake in Cumberland MD. The lake is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and their are many grades of 6% or more. I also visit Nags Head North Carolina on a regular basis. Last year I took the boat their for a week and it was simply incredible boating with dolphins around your boat.

I towed my boat to the Nags Head with my dad's Chevy Avalanche (non 2500) with 5.3. Ride was incredibly more stable than my Buick. But after a while I realized I could have used a little more suspension up front. Also I encountered a couple of small hills and steep bridges which I could have used a little more oomph than the 5.3 provided.

So HOW MUCH truck do I need. I don't want to get a dually unless I really have to. Would a 2500 HD with a 6.0 cut it? The Allison tranny also seems really nice. I would love to be able to get a TAHOE, DENALI or ESCALADE but I don't know if their cut out for this.

TIA!

VIPER7

A 2500 HD with the Allison transmission should do fine.

articfriends

My boats a 272 baja,around 4400 pounds plus trailer,fuel and gear. Total weight is over 7000 lbs. First 2 years I towed it with 99 dodge 1/2 ton quad cab w/5.9, got 5mpg towing and it was a slug. I re-geared truck from 3.55's to 4.11s and it did a pretty good job for most part,got between 7.5 and 10 mpg depening on terrain and speed. Right before I re-geared it I blew the transmission up on a trip and had to tow it home 250 miles with a buddies 01 silverado 1/2 ton ext cab (with 4 people in it plus all our gear with) 5.3l,3.73 gears and towing package. It was KILLING this truck,going down into 2nd gear and throwing it around on the highway at 70 mph. Your boat is slightly smaller but sounds like it might be close in actual weight. If you tow alot (I do) the get a 3/4 ton hd,I know its over kill but at least it will tow good. If your tows are short then get something in the 1/2 ton range but 6% grades and mountains will be miserable. My buddies have 3/4 ton gassers with 6.0 litres,I have towed my boat a few times with one of them and it towed great. I didn't want the 10-12 mpg empty plus they have bad resale around here (the 6.0 3/4 tons) so I been buying Duramaxes,first a 02 then a 04 and now a 06. Obviously it would be waaay overkill for what your doing but I can get 18-22 mpg empty when driving the speed limit and can tow my boat at any speed I want,Smitty

Sydwayz

You would be in great shape with any of the 3/4 ton truck offerings. Don't buy anything less than such.

A diesel would be nice, but not 100% necessary. DON'T get the 6.0L GM. Its not a bad engine, it just has a slight bit more HP than the 5.3, and it sucks almost as much gas doing it as the 8.1L.

You would also do just fine with a 2500 Avalanche, Suburban, or Yukon XL; but ONLY with an 8.1L. (Can't get Allison on this platform though.)

Wobble

A 2007 Tahoe, Yukon/Escalade will pull that combination with ease. Assuming you are looking to stay in an SUV.

Sydwayz

No, none of them will; out of the box. This particular thread based on the boat in question while light, is still long, with a lot of weight in the tail.

The Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade all have coil rear springs. Coil rear springs SUCK ASS for towing. Ask Madcow... he rolled his Avalanche while towing do to poor coil spring towing performance.

You can help this issue by installing rear airbags, but the powertrain is going to be maxed out on tow capacity as well. I would only want to tow such described boat/weight with a minimum 3/4 ton vehicle with leaf spring rear suspension. A 2500 GM SUV would get by, but a 3/4 truck would be better.

Sydwayz

BTW, there is nothing wrong with taking your boat with you on the test drive. If you are purpose buying a vehicle to tow, you need to know exactly what it will do when towing. If they don't want to rag a brand new vehicle, ask to take a demo or slightly used example for a test tow.

I have taken the boat to the dealership before, and also take a truck home on a test drive for a test tow.

Wobble

Tahoes have rear sway bars and have had since they came out with the new shape in 2000. This load is well within their towing ability. Most of the models have or have the option of self leveling rear suspension if you can afford it.

I have personally towed everthing from a haulmark race trailer/ low boy trailer with midsive tractor, to my 29' boat on a triple axle for about a total of 20k miles of towing on my 2000 Tahoe. I have 130K on it now and my wife drives it since I got my Duramax.

I will say that the original Firestone's sucked as did the Michelin's I tried. Found that Yokohama Geolanders work great for towing on that model.

My neighbor pulled a 30' haulmark race trailer with his 07 Yukon and reported that it was very stable and with 325hp? not lacking in power. I'm sure the 20" wheels helped.

BTW, No offense intended, but I think Madcow's towing accident was due to more than the rear suspension design.

offshoredrillin

2001 ford ranger edge 4x4...perfect..with firestone tires

t500hps

Sydways is right about the 3/4 chevy and the 6.0 motor. (I have one) A 3/4 is overkill, but you'll want a bigger boat and this will fit the bill. The 6.0 gets about .7 less gas mileage than the 8.1 and has 95 lbs less torque. (The 8.1 has roughly the same amount of torque as some of the late 90's diesels!) If I had know that when I bought my 3/4 6.0 Burb I would have certainly gotten the 8.1!!!