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How Heavy is my boat?


malibu3

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it is in the tech archives... under hull chart

3000lbs

So what do you think my total weight is with a tandem axle trailer when pulling my boat?

Talking about buying a different vehicle and an older truck for pulling the boat, just making some considerations, don't know what my total package weights in at?

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Bu3,

What vehicle are you looking at? I have been told that the "real" towing capacity is 80% of the manufacturer's number.

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Bu3,

What vehicle are you looking at? I have been told that the "real" towing capacity is 80% of the manufacturer's number.

Not so much the vehicle but the engine; looking at some of just the plain "work trucks" but alot of them have the V6 in them, so not sure how they will pull. I know Tony used to pull his VLX with a Envoy, it pulled it alright, just used lots and lots of gas.

Malibu3

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Yeah, as stated above the 04 VLX is 3000 pounds dry. Add 1200 for the t/a prestige trailer (be on the safe side) throw in another 300 for gas, 200 for goodies, 500 in your case for not draining the ballast tanks :) doh! I'd say any vehicle with a 5K towing rating would get the job done. I used to tow my 02/03 VLX (same weight) with the old body style GMC Jimmy. It had the 4.3 V6 and was rated at 5K. It would do it but it was def. at or near the limit.

The issue is not going to be power, the V6 will have plenty of power - at least if you don't want to pass much - the real issue is chassie and brakes. With trailer brakes the second is much less of a concern. The first you will be fine with if you get a full size truck even if it has the v6.

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Yeah, as stated above the 04 VLX is 3000 pounds dry. Add 1200 for the t/a prestige trailer (be on the safe side) throw in another 300 for gas, 200 for goodies, 500 in your case for not draining the ballast tanks :) doh! I'd say any vehicle with a 5K towing rating would get the job done. I used to tow my 02/03 VLX (same weight) with the old body style GMC Jimmy. It had the 4.3 V6 and was rated at 5K. It would do it but it was def. at or near the limit.

The issue is not going to be power, the V6 will have plenty of power - at least if you don't want to pass much - the real issue is chassie and brakes. With trailer brakes the second is much less of a concern. The first you will be fine with if you get a full size truck even if it has the v6.

That had to have been fun pulling down to LOTO!! Shocking.gif

Generally with a boat you can get by with a little more since they are far more aerodynamic than a box trailer.

However there is no substitute for a real truck when it comes to chassis and brakes. Let me give you an example, I pull my LSV with a Dodge Ram 2500 diesel. Yes, the diesel does an amazing job of pulling the boat, as well as just about anything else. But that is not the point. With the boat on the ball, the truck does not feel pushed around, it does not bounce excessivly and it has no problems controlling and stopping the load.

Converse that with my wife's Commander. It has HEMI and is rated at like 7500 lbs. It will pull it great, but the boat tends to push the Commander around, it bounces it hard, lots of shoving back and forth, they really don't get along well. The Commander does a good job stopping it, but the ride is not so comfortable.

So the moral of the story is that when it comes time to ride 4 hours to the lake, the wife leaves the plush, sateliet radio, DVD enteratianment system, duel zone automatic cooling Commander at home because she feels more "comfortable" riding in the truck.

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