towing a boat

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spanishmak

Member
hey everyone.I have a 2001 blazer suv with a 4.3 vortec motor.is it safe to tow my 1978 20' wellcraft center console with just the bumper hitch the ramp is 2 miles away with just a normal slope,but dont know if it is safe.Can anyone help?
 
Blazer should be fine. Check the owners manual to be sure there may be restrictions like brakes on trailer above a certain weight or not using overdrive. My Chrysler minivan tows mine fine its rated up to 5000# I think would have to check my book to be exact but it does require brakes on trailer for any load above 2000#
 
The vehicle will be fine to tow with, but if it's a single axle trailer I wouldn't use the bumper but get a receiver hitch. Single axle trailers tend to shift more weight during breaking, and I've seen what happens when you bumper pull on a S-10 with too much tongue weight(GM's infamous bending frames). You can pick-up a receiver style hitch for $200 or so and then be safe to tow it with no questions.
 
Yes dual axle trailer,Im not gonna go towing this around on a bumper hitch just wanted to try the boat right now And dont have a hitch mounted right now!Just dont know if it will work!!:head:I'm not worried about towing it down the road but rather how good it will pull the boat back out of the water with the bumper hitch.
 
spanishmak said:
Yes dual axle trailer,Im not gonna go towing this around on a bumper hitch just wanted to try the boat right now And dont have a hitch mounted right now!Just dont know if it will work!!:head:I'm not worried about towing it down the road but rather how good it will pull the boat back out of the water with the bumper hitch.
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2 miles?...hell, I'd pull mine that bit of distance w/a good golf cart...my normal tow is 150 miles round trip mostly interstate complete w/HILLS...No kiddin', I wouldn't worry about a receiver or tryin to get real fancy about a two mile tow...it's just not gonna have the opportunity to much of a strain on anything...take it easy...no hurry; it's a short haul...keep your speed down and don't follow anybody too closely...2 miles of FL flatland really shouldn't present any problems for your Blazer...check your max tongue weight and don't exceed it and you oughtta be OK...
 
I gotta agree with Ferm. The Blazer is more than capable of towing that load, engine and tranny wise, but the bumper is a whole different animal. Todays bumpers are made of tissue paper IMHO. Buy a good frame hitch and you'll be fine to go. :head:
 
had a 1994 S10 4.3 towed v20 great! but you need a reciver if its going to be a all the time thing
 
Back in the good old days when bumpers were steel and mounted solid to the frame....no problemo....but todays bumpers are mounted on shocks that will pull apart or bend with very little pressure.
 
randlemanboater said:
Back in the good old days when bumpers were steel and mounted solid to the frame....no problemo....but todays bumpers are mounted on shocks that will pull apart or bend with very little pressure.
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I would have to agree about the crappy bumpers. The one on my 07' F150 is F'n plastic!!!!! You kiddin me guys!!! For what I paid for that thing?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I was in a head on collision in my old Dodge with a rock hard bumper and totaled the other car and the cops didn't believe this truck and that car were in the same wreck. I don't miss the SOB one bit but then again I haven't "tested" the Ford.

BTW, a Blazer and S-10 have the exact same frame but I am with the guys on the fact you do need a hitch. So many things could go wrong when trailering a boat, why improve your odds of that happening......
 
bumper

I nearly pulled the bumper off my nissan 4x4 truck a few years back, & it was up the ramp that caused it. I'm sure you are fine for a one time deal, but I'd agree with those that say put a receiver on it. Or you could build a new steel bumper, which is what I did.
 
reelapeelin said:
Man...I didn't know truck bumpers had become so flimsy lately...I guess I shoulda asked if it had a tow-pkg?...
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Reel, it's a crime. They have to withstand a 5 MPH(?) impact, and some of them just barely do. I swear, I think my kids old Radio Flyer wagon was made of thicker steel.
 
Need estimate of boat and trailer weight.

Hello folks, I am seriously considering the purchase of the Wellcraft V20 pictured below. I am concerned whether I have the towing capacity for it.

It is an 85 Wellcraft V20 with a 4 cylinder Merc Cruiser Inboard/Outboard 170HP motor on a dual axle trailer. Even the owner is not sure of the combined weight of the boat and trailer. Would anybody want to venture an educated guess of the weight of the boat + trailer ?

My vehicle is a 2008 Toyota Tacoma with 2.7 Liter I4 engine. And a Heavy Duty U-Haul Transmission Cooler. Towing capacity ? 3500-6500 lbs depending on who you believe.
 

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The distance and severity of terrain are my concerns...if you have a two mile trip to a good ramp w/flat road all the way, then yer probably good to go...if you have a hilly route and takes two hours to get there, then I would say not...
Can you describe your typical tow...AND the worst trip you anticipate...for instance...if your typical trip is the two miler as described above and your worst trip is a 10 hour through the mountains vacation trip twice a year...

I estimate the weight loaded boat on trailer around 4600-4800 lbs depending on how loaded you generally tow it...full/empty gas tank, lots/little gear...fat girlfriend in back kept separate from wife to insure more pleasant ride...those kind of variables...
 
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CB has the same truck with V
6 and that will tow my 23 footer, don't know about 4 banger but truck will work!!
 
sea-biscuit said:
Hello folks, I am seriously considering the purchase of the Wellcraft V20 pictured below. I am concerned whether I have the towing capacity for it.

It is an 85 Wellcraft V20 with a 4 cylinder Merc Cruiser Inboard/Outboard 170HP motor on a dual axle trailer. Even the owner is not sure of the combined weight of the boat and trailer. Would anybody want to venture an educated guess of the weight of the boat + trailer ?

My vehicle is a 2008 Toyota Tacoma with 2.7 Liter I4 engine. And a Heavy Duty U-Haul Transmission Cooler. Towing capacity ? 3500-6500 lbs depending on who you believe.
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Your total weight is probably between 3000-3500 lbs.

I don't think your truck will pull anything close to 6500 lbs, but will probably pull the V. You should look for the owners manual to find the towing capacity.

I towed mine 50 miles roundtrip last weekend in my wifes GMC Acadia (V6, 3.6 L). I was concerned about it, but it felt fine back there. The Acadia claims 3500 lb towing capacity.
 
Towing a Wellcraft V20

Guys I thank you for your estimates. My Tacoma is equipped with a U-Haul Class 3 hitch which is rated for something like 5000 or 6000 lbs, but that's just the hitch. When I bought the truck, I also had U-haul install one of their heavy-duty transmission coolers.

Don't know if any of you have experience with transmission coolers. Am also considering an oil cooler just to gain a little extra edge. I think they are simpler to install.

Awthacker, I'm hoping your estimate is most accurate, and if so I just might buy the boat. But if it turns out Realapeelin is most correct at 4600 4800 lbs, I just might hesitate.

I guess the only way to know for sure is to weigh it. I wonder if one of those many truck weigh stations you see on the interstates might help us?

A guy named Ruben who sells boats online down in Marerro (sp?) Louisiana tells me that if you are talking trailers for a 20' boat that a single axle trailer generally goes 600-700 lbs, but a dual axle trailer you are looking at 1000 lbs by itself.
 
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