Buying a boat bigger than I need (shocker) and looking for real world experience

[abominablehoman]

I realize the towing topic has been beat to death so if you're going to stop by for the requisite "buy a F550 or risk imminent death if you tow more than a yard trailer with your raptor" and intend to beat me to death, that's fine and I'll accept the flogging but please try to also be helpful. I've included a photo of kids/friends fishing for attention and for purposes of eliciting sympathy of the would be gestapo. Currently towing a mid/low-end 22' WA boat and, although I've never stopped at a weigh station, my best guess is that the total weight including trailer, fuel, etc. is somewhere in the ball park of 5,500 lbs. (Dry weight = 3400, oat bird = 550, gas = 550, trailer = 1000) For anyone looking for info on that setup, I can tell you the truck tows it with absolute ease, as it should. Now the wrinkle...the wife wants a bigger boat (I know, I win!) but the one I'm shopping is really pushing the max capacity - as in landing at right around 8200 lbs - so I'm looking for first hand, real world experience and photos towing within lbs. of the max. For context and reading pleasure of the DOT police on here, I live in a coastal community and only tow my boat to the local ramp 3-5 miles away on flat ground, depending on which ramp I choose.

 

[Oldfart]

I think if you play around with placement of the boat and the axles to keep the tongue weight on the light side you will be fine. For several years I did the exact same as you are saying with a 25-foot Baja that was around 5500 lbs. I moved it back and forth a few flat miles from the lake to storage when I wasn't there. I towed it with my company car Plymouth MINI VAN! At the time, I had no other use for a truck, and I couldn't see buying one to go a few miles each way.

Obviously, it was wildly over capacity, but it was fine, and I ended up putting 220,000 miles on that car with no damage from doing it. The only issue I had was spinning the fronts like crazy the first 10 feet or so when pulling out. I would goose the boat engine while my ex was driving the van to give it some help to get rolling. No issues like that with your 4 wheel drive. It would be quite the show at the ramp, but it worked. Always made me laugh when people would have the shocked looks to see what the screeching tires on the ramp were from.

 

[ToadSmasher2K1]

 

[GCATX]

I would do it. If the trailer has surge brakes, I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

 

[jAKe47]

If I was only going 3-5 miles on flat ground I'd do it.

 

[Oldfart]

I would do it. If the trailer has surge brakes, I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

Yep, I forgot to mention to make sure you keep the brakes adjusted properly so they hit pretty quickly. Still makes me laugh picturing that big boat towering over my Voyager.

 

[MDJAK]

3-5 miles? Why not drive the boat to the ramp?