"Canuck57" wrote in message
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"Don White" wrote in message
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"Canuck57" wrote in message
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"Don White" wrote in message
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"Canuck57" wrote in message
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"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote in
message news Don White wrote:
"Armybob" u39716@uwe wrote in message news:7c59f72c211c6@uwe...
I just bought a 1981 Sey Ray 245 Sedan Bridge 25' Long, 8' Wide,
with a 350
V8 Engine. It sits on a EZ-Loader trailer dual axle, Now I need
something to
pull it with as I plan to go to different lakes and rivers with it.
(A friend
towed it to my house). Can anyone help me with the size truck I
need to pull
it. I have no idea what the boat with trailer weighs, And NO I
can't afford
my friends truck!!! PLEASE no math or how to figure it out just
the Approx.
weight of the boat or vehicle towing power required, 5000 lb, 7500
lb, Etc.

Hope someone can help.
Thank you in advance


Try to convince your friend to tow the rig to a 'highway weigh
scale'.
I did this in August. first we weighed the whole truck/boat/trailer
combo.. then shuttled over to the parking area to nload the
boat/trailer to weigh the truck by itself.
This would give you an accurate picture of the boat/trailer weight.
Then you can decide how capable a truck you need.
I was surprised to find out that my small cruising sailboat was 1730
lbs..rather than the 1200 listed in the manual.

Don, If the 1730 lbs was the weight of the sailboat stripped without
any of your gear or additional installed items, your fiberglass has
soaked up a lot of water. You can expect some variance from the
specs, but I would be very surprised if you would see more than 10%.

It is not unusual for boats to soak up water, but 500 lbs is a lot of
water and extra weight for a small sailboat.

Maybe not. The boat may have a motor not in the calculation, not
including the trailer, sails, added stuff including a spare tire.
Gets up there quick.


The motor, gas can and anchor were all in the truck bed.
On the boat as 'extras' were the sails, cushions, mast/boom, ladder and
a small amount of tools.
The Sandpiper is known for its flotation foam absorbing water.
http://sailquest.com/market/models/spipe.htm
The total boat/trailer combo was just over 2300 lbs...awfully close to
the 2450 tow rating for my Ford Ranger with auto and 3.0 V6.

Some other boaters can correct me if I am wrong, but total tow rating
includes fuel (boat and truck), all items you load in it be it in the
bed or the boat or the passenger compartment. Any additional passengers
beyond your average sized driver. So in fact, with say one 160 lb
passenger your over. More so if you think the load in the bed isn't
included.

Now if your just hauling it out of the lake up to the garage, no big.
But if you are flying down the Interstate you would be in my opinion,
overloaded.


Did a 4000 km round trip from the Atlantic Coast to central Ontario in
August.
Transmission fluid smelled burnt after arriving back but I blamed that on
the trailer suspension collapsing after hitting rough section causing the
fenders to rest on the tires at highway speed for a distance. (idiot
trailer builder had welded the suspension pivot points too close together
on the trailer frame, allowing the rear shackle to flip up against the
frams and the leaf spring bottoming out)

Or that you are overloaded. Springs don't cause transmission fluid to
burn, having too big a load does that. Get a F-150 with tow package, that
includes a transmission oil cooler and your transmission will last longer,
one that is rated at least 1000 lbs over your trailer weight. And lighten
up the load on the trailer and slow down on rough Ontario roads might help
the springs.

Number one cause of vehicle problems when towing is simple overloading.
The second is poor maintenance, tires and bearings. It is also unsafe.
Vehicle manufacturers have this as maximums and many take it as ideal
sizing. Plus, you get in an accident, they might weigh up your rig and
give you a dangerous driving ticket. Yep, they can and have been known to
do it.

What I plan to haul is a 1800 to 2600 lb boat with motor dry. Worst case
being 2800 lbs. So add 1000 pounds for fuel, gear, rigging, anchor, maybe
a bigger trolling motor later. And another say 800 lbs for people and
luggage. Puts me at 4600 lbs fully loaded.

So I bought a F150 Lariat 4x4 rated for 9600 lbs with all towing options
right from the factory, including the class IV hitch.

The last thing I want on vacation is to be holed up waiting to get a tire,
brake, bearing or work done when I could be catching fish.

Next item, trailer. Many trailers I have looked at seem minimal and
marginal. When I order the boat I am going to upgrade the trailer from
the minimum. Perhaps 2 axles with brakes. Why you ask when I might not
need to? I plan on this boat being on the road a lot. The trailer isn't
for dropping it in the spring, and hauling it out in the fall. I expect I
might put 10,000 mi/year on it. If I blow a tire and it keeps on the road
just once, it paid for itself.

I was just reading some guides at:

http://trailerboats.com/output.cfm?id=1199251
and
http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/c...oating/5_2.php

Have yet to find a good guide on bearing maintenance and bearing types for
the trailer.

A good read.


Worst problem with trailers in California is the crap interstates. broken
concrete, et. al. Knocks off bearing buddies that even have set screws
holding them on.