Tow A 5,000lb Boat With My 4.8l 4x4 Silverado Ex Cab, Sport Box?

TedH · May 17, 2007

I have a 25' cruiser in Florida. It is costing me $300 per month to keep it in high-and-dry storage. Dry weight is 5,000 lbs. I'm guessing another 500-1,000lbs in fuel/oils (about 1/4 tank of fuel) and misc items. A tandem axle trailer is probably close to 1,000 lbs.

Now that I live in Ohio, I am considering moving it to Ohio to either keep it on the trailer on my property or in a facility on Lake Erie.

Keeping it on a trailer means I'd have to haul FL-to-OH and then back and forth to the lake; a heavy load to move. It would sit outdoors; the boat would be subject to the elements and associated aging.

Transport to a Lake Erie facility from FL on a commercial carrier is about $2,500-3,000 depending on whether the price of fuel continues to climb. But, it would be hauled by a commercial tractor trailer rig well up to the task, stored indoors and moved to the water by personnel at my request.

There is also an option to have it transported to a slip in a covered dock at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; may have to pay monthly rent and winter storage is questionable.

I'm leaning to having it commercially prepped/moved to Lake Erie to a high and dry facility as my first choice. If I trailered it from FL to OH, I'm looking at some very steep grades coming through the mountains from northern Georgia, through Tenn and Kentucky; not sure the 4.8L and driveline are up to the challenge even with the stock tow rating of my 2003 Silverado Ex Cab, Sport Side, Z71 4x4 with 4.8L and 3.73 gearing.

racerx55 · May 18, 2007

i think it would pull it, the worst run would be the 7 mile hill on 77 through the mountains, im sure you know where i mean. ivge overheated a few things on that hill coming back to OH from FL

ive seen similar stuff towed with less farther. 5,000 Lbs isnt much more than hauling a 4x4 ford exploder on a car trailer & my 1/2 ton 92 w/ 350 would pull one decent.

it'll just be a slow & steady pace long drive but im sure it could handle it, you got a long wheel base so it wouldnt be too crazy

for the right price we'll take my 2500HD down and go get it , lol

Reeper27 · May 21, 2007

Ok First off, not to second guess you but you sure you have a Z71 with the 4.8L, I am pretty sure that Chevy only made the Z71 with just the 5.3L, so if you do have the 4.8L with Z71 stickers on the bed they were probably put on their just for looks,

Now it don't matter which engine you have, cause pulling that boat is to easy for either one, but that 7m hill on 77 will take a little time, so you don't heat up the tranny, if you do plan to two that boat alot, or if you decide to pull it from FL I would recomend putting another tranny cooler on, besides the one it the radiator and in front of the radiator, and mount it somewhere where it will get a lot of cool air, I put mine behind the front bumper were that plastic skid plate was, and it gets plenty of air, also a transmission temp gauge is a good investment, if you don't want to have just one gauge laying around inside your truck, go to www.jpcustoms.com, they have a esclade gauge kit with tranny temp gauge in the factory spot and it looks really cool.

asilverblazer · May 21, 2007

Run it in 3rd gear and keep speeds under 65mph and you'll be fine. The tuff part would be pulling it out of the water on the ramp, but then you could always use 4 low and not have any problem.