Anyone Tow A Bass Boat

[Mudddawg]

HI ALL,

 

JUST WONDERING IF ANYNOE TOWS A BASS BOAT WITH YOUR TRUCK. MY TRUCK HAS 5.3 4SPEED AND 3.73 GEARS. I TOW(OR I TRY) AN 18' 188VX RANGER COMMANCHE. THE TRUCK REALLY SEEMS TO STRUGGLE WITH THIS. I FIGURE THE TOTAL WEIGHT TO BE ABOUT 3800 POUNDS. SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM, RIGHT? MY DAD HAS AN 07CLASSIC WITH THE 5.3 4SPEED AND 3.42 GEARS AND HIS TRUCK DOES A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN MINE TOWING THE SAME BOAT. IN FACT I OFTEN USE HIS TRUCK WHEN I HEAD TO THE LAKE. I AM TALKING RELATIVELY FLAT ROADS WITH NO MAJORS GRADES TO CLIMB. TOLD THE DEALER ABOUT THIS BUT OF COURSE HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE I JUST WANTED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING. HE ALSO DID NOT SEEM TO REALLY CARE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HERE HOW YOUR TRUCKS DO PULLING ABOUT THE SAME WEIGHT.

[importkiller76]

Well my 08 has the 4.8 and 3.42 gears and I tow that kinda weight most weekends during the summer with no issues. Occasionally I pull up to my tow rating of 7000lbs without issue. If you want a towing monster go buy a diesel!

[dsr611]

I just pulled my boat, a 17' Nitro bass boat, for the first time last Friday. The only way I could tell it was behind the truck was from the little bit of play in the receiver and hitch bar. It pulled it a lot better than my old truck

[Mudddawg]

Well my 08 has the 4.8 and 3.42 gears and I tow that kinda weight most weekends during the summer with no issues. Occasionally I pull up to my tow rating of 7000lbs without issue. If you want a towing monster go buy a diesel!

 

 

I HAVE ACESS TO ONE OF THOSE TOO. I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH MY TRUCK I WILL KNOW THE BOAT IS THERE. HOWEVER, IT SHOULD NOT FEEL LIKE I AM TOWING THE BOAT WITH A FULL SIZE PICKUP WITH A 6CYL. ENGINE. I DID NOT SAY IT WOULD NOT PULL IT, I JUST SAID IT STRUGGLES PRETTY BAD. IF I SLOW DOWN TO SAY 20-25MPH AND TRY TO ACCELERATE ON A LEVEL GRADE IT IS EITHER FLOOR IT TO GET THE TRUCK TO SHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR OR FORGET IT. THAT SEEMS LIKE IT IS TOO ROUGH ON THE TRUCK. AS FAR AS TOWING 7000LB WITH MY TRUCK, NO WAY, IT WOULD NOT DO THAT.

[nbscanuck]

Are you using tow/haul mode? Are you in O/D or third? I have NO issues with what I'm pulling, yes I know its there, but I'm happy.

[P71_CrownVic]

STOP YELLING AT US!!!!!

[Nick The Great]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "SEEMS TO STRUGGLE WITH THIS." ARE YOU REFERRING TO ENGINE POWER OR GENERAL STABILITY / HANDLING.

 

Sorry, my bad, I left my CAPSLOCK on. :nudge: :nudge:

 

My guess is if you're talking power, you're just experiencing all the nannies we always grumble on here about. You know, put the pedal down and it waits to move, loaded or unloaded. Your dad's truck would be tuned differently.

 

Maybe a tune is in order?

[asilverblazer]

I've noticed that some trailers pull 'heavier' than others, regardless of weight.

[jandersinc]

I just feel like someone was screaming in my face! I need a hug!

[music]

I just feel like someone was screaming in my face! I need a hug!

 

wrong place to ask...

[Mudddawg]

STOP YELLING AT US!!!!!

 

SORRY GUYS

 

THAT DID NOT COME OUT RIGHT!! DID NOT MEAN TO SOUND LIKE A SMARTA--. WHEN I SAY IT STRUGGLES I MEAN POWER WISE. THE HANDLING IS FINE, AS IS THE BRAKING. I TOW IN 3RD WITH T/H ENGAGED. I ALSO HAVE DRIVEN 07 AND 08 MODELS(BUDDIES TRUCKS) WITH THE SAME SET UP WITH MY BOAT BEHIND THE TRUCKS AND THEY DO GREAT. THEY SEEM TO HAVE BETTER SHIFT PATTERNS AS IN THEY DOWNSHIFT BEFORE THEY LOOSE A LOT OF MOMENTUM. AGAIN, NOT YELLING AT ANYONE HERE. I AM HOWEVER FRUSTRATED WITH THE PERFORMANCE AND NOW THE DEALER SEEMS TO HAVE NO CONCERN. THIS IS WHY I BUY HALF TON CHEVYS, TO PULL MY BOAT. I DO NOT TOW ANYTHING ANY HEAVIER WITH IT. IF I NEED TO TOW SOMETHING HEAVY I GET MY DAD'S 05 DURAMAX DUALLY.

[Mudddawg]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "SEEMS TO STRUGGLE WITH THIS." ARE YOU REFERRING TO ENGINE POWER OR GENERAL STABILITY / HANDLING.

 

Sorry, my bad, I left my CAPSLOCK on. :nudge: :nudge:

 

My guess is if you're talking power, you're just experiencing all the nannies we always grumble on here about. You know, put the pedal down and it waits to move, loaded or unloaded. Your dad's truck would be tuned differently.

 

Maybe a tune is in order?

 

Sorry about the caps. I would love to have a tune. I have a BB tune in an HD with the 6.0 and it is a big difference. But with problems I have had with this truck and only having 13k miles, do not know about risking the warranty.

[SavageNFS]

I read your post quickly and first thought that you had the same issue my buddy had with his bass boat. Then I reread what you wrote and dismissed that theory as you have pulled the same trailer with another truck and did not have an issue. His breakaway brakes were partially engaged on the trailer and it took him cooking them to figure out something was wrong (as a matter of fact, he is a moron, but I digress). I tow a 5000lbs trailer with my GMT900 2007 Silverado with the 5.3 and 3.73 gearing all the time. If you are noticing significant power issues, there is something wrong. A 3800 lbs trailer should not be any trouble at all. the 5.3/3.73 is a decent all around package. It isn't fast or super powerful, but it does the job. I would guess that there is something screwed up with the T/H programming. Have the dealer check it out and bring the boat in tow to prove it to them.

[Nick The Great]

I would love to have a tune. I have a BB tune in an HD with the 6.0 and it is a big difference. But with problems I have had with this truck and only having 13k miles, do not know about risking the warranty.

 

Well many of us would argue the warranty issue.

 

It sure sounds like it'd help though. I have a BB tune in my truck. It wouldn't even get out of its own way pre-tune. I don't tow a lot with mine, so I can't say about your trailer issue.

 

[P71_CrownVic]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "SEEMS TO STRUGGLE WITH THIS." ARE YOU REFERRING TO ENGINE POWER OR GENERAL STABILITY / HANDLING.

 

Sorry, my bad, I left my CAPSLOCK on. :nudge: :nudge:

 

My guess is if you're talking power, you're just experiencing all the nannies we always grumble on here about. You know, put the pedal down and it waits to move, loaded or unloaded. Your dad's truck would be tuned differently.

 

Maybe a tune is in order?

 

Sorry about the caps. I would love to have a tune. I have a BB tune in an HD with the 6.0 and it is a big difference. But with problems I have had with this truck and only having 13k miles, do not know about risking the warranty.

 

 

Better.

 

I can tell you from experience that you should not have any issues with that boat. I have towed the boat below with my truck (5.3/3.42/4-speed) and my grandma's Buick Rainier (5.3/3.73/4-speed) and the Rainier felt like a sports car compared to my truck. Granted it's lighter, but I thing the rear gears make a huge difference. Your case does not sound right.