Best Truck To Pull A Boat

[Zeb Ates]

Before too long I’d like to get the full setup, a good boat, and a good truck to pull it. Wondering what truck everyone uses to pull their boats and how they perform. I’ve seen trucks slide all the way down the ramp and all that saves them is the boat hitting the water, don’t want that to be me. Also planning on traveling long distances with the truck and boat, so how is the fuel mileage on the trucks yall use? If I were to get my dream boat it would be a Bass Cat Jaguar so that’s what I’d be pulling.

[PatriotAW4]

Ram or Ford 3/4 ton diesels do great.

[jjue1979]

I pull my 40 year old 18’ Skeeter fiberglass bass boat with 150HP Evinrude with 2007 Nissan Titan, although I have also pulled it with Pathfinders, Titan XDs, and Frontiers as part of my job. The XD is overkill, although I can still see my boat just fine, and even the Pathfinder does the job well.

[22RangerZ520R]

Ram or Ford 3/4 ton diesels do great.

+1

I'll never go back to gas for towing. (And yes I know a 3/4 ton is overkill for a bass boat and oil changes cost more, blah blah blah. I love having the power and not hearing it downshift up a mole hill)

[Zeb Ates]

+1

I'll never go back to gas for towing. (And yes I know a 3/4 ton is overkill for a bass boat and oil changes cost more, blah blah blah. I love having the power and not hearing it downshift up a mole hill)

Do you have any idea what kind of fuel mileage you get? What kind of motor do you have? I’ve seen Chevy 1500 slide all the way down a long ramp a couple times, does yours ever slide or spin on the ramp?

[apdriver]

I pull a Cougar with a 1/2 ton and the truck before was a 3/4 ton Ford diesel. Personally, I wouldn’t go back to the diesel. 1/2 ton pulls bass boat just fine, parts and labor aren’t as expensive when things go wrong. Ride is better on the 1/2 ton. Suspension on the 3/4 ton will be stiffer.

[TopgunZ521C]

2021 3/4 ton Ram 2500 pulling my 2014 z521c all day everyday cant beat the milage or the torque any of the big 3 Ram / Ford / Gm diesels are great vehicles only reason i chose Ram i love the straight 6 inline simple and steady

[TopgunZ521C]

I pull a Cougar with a 1/2 ton and the truck before was a 3/4 ton Ford diesel. Personally, I wouldn’t go back to the diesel. 1/2 ton pulls bass boat just fine, parts and labor aren’t as expensive when things go wrong. Ride is better on the 1/2 ton. Suspension on the 3/4 ton will be stiffer.

Only if your riding stock coils and 20 inch wheels my Ram has soft ride suspension from Thuren and Carli with Fox reservoir shocks rides like a half ton smooth on 37 inch tires 18 inch rims and if you live where there's big mountains like the west coast the diesel will shine

[TopgunZ521C]

Do you have any idea what kind of fuel mileage you get? What kind of motor do you have? I’ve seen Chevy 1500 slide all the way down a long ramp a couple times, does yours ever slide or spin on the ramp?

I get 23 mpg unloaded and 16 to 19 towing depending on the surface and incline but im deleted

[PatriotAW4]

I get 23 mpg unloaded and 16 to 19 towing depending on the surface and incline but im deleted

Is that hand calculated?

[Michael333]

Pull mine with a 2020 f250 with the 6.7. Get around 18mpg. Also pull it occasionally with a 2005 f150 with the 5.4 v8. The half ton pulls it fine and rides a little better but that diesel you don’t even know it’s behind you and you do with the v8

[MCIPinkie]

1500 Silverado High Country with 6.2 Gasoline.

Tows my 20' Skeeter with no issue.

I've been fishing almost 70 years and have owned or fished out of high performance bass boats for close to 50, and other than ice, or snot, I've never seen a truck slide down a ramp. Even if a real problem, I doubt a 3/4 ton would be better than a 1/2. I do put some weight in the back of the Silverado, so never have to use 4 wheel drive except in situations I probably shouldn't be in.

[lugbolt]

Had 1/2 ton's all my life. 2013 bought a used Ford F250 diesel.

I will never own another diesel. It's been a decent truck, but I do all my own maintenance and most of my own repairs. When it comes time for that, you will pay dearly. The new 1/2 ton turbo v6's pull just as good and in some ways better with the 10 speed automatics, compared to my old 4 speed auto.

just an example. My oil changes are $210, and I do it myself (don't pay anyone to do it). Rotella T6 and a FL1995 filter. 5 gallons of oil, usually have a little left over after an oil change. After 5 oil changes there's enough leftover for a "free" oil change. It uses zero oil between changes (so far...it's got 260 some odd thousand miles on it). Little stuff costs a lot more. Likes to eat tires every 30,000 miles (due to the weight of the truck, right around 8,000 lbs). EVERYTHING costs more on the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, especially the diesels. Keep that in mind.

I'm actually considering selling mine and going back to a 1/2 ton. I bought the 3/4 ton because I also was using it to pull the enclosed trailer w/race car in it all over this part of the country, and it did it just fine as long as I wasn't in a hurry.

also remember even though the diesels will get 17-22 mpg depending on which truck it is and how you drive it, you also have to consider the cost of DEF.

the nice thing about the 3/4 ton diesels, though, is that engine's additional weight over the nose. If you have 4wd (and I recommend it), the extra weight over the front really helps on a slick ramp, and in the snow, ice, and sometimes mud (although mine gets stuck VERY easily in the mud, due to weight, it just sinks).

[Zeb Ates]

Pull mine with a 2020 f250 with the 6.7. Get around 18mpg. Also pull it occasionally with a 2005 f150 with the 5.4 v8. The half ton pulls it fine and rides a little better but that diesel you don’t even know it’s behind you and you do with the v8

Does yours have the 6.7 high output or the 6.7 OHV?

[BroWhoop]

3/4 ton's will absolutely pull any bass boat you want. But a 1/2 ton will do very well. I see your in Louisiana, so you shouldn't have any mountains to worry about!

[Zeb Ates]

3/4 ton's will absolutely pull any bass boat you want. But a 1/2 ton will do very well. I see your in Louisiana, so you shouldn't have any mountains to worry about!

I don’t have any mountains. There are some hills but not enough to make any difference at all. The only problem is I plan on going all across part of the country in the future. Eventually I will go to areas with mountains. In Louisiana some of the rivers have really long and steep ramps, especially when the water level is low.

[Highcentered]

Just get a 1 ton dually and be done with it. That said, I'd have no problem pulling something as big as a Jag with my Ram 1500 and GOOD tires. That truck tows larger bass boats like a big Champion like a dream at 75mph. 2500 and 3500 trucks tow better but not a must unless you just have money burning a hole in your pocket. Sounds like you got a bon fire in your pocket so may as well get a big dually with an 8' bed.

[cg2fish]

I live in Florida and use a F150 with no problems. I pulled my boat to Kentucky lake also and could tell a difference in the mountains around Chattanooga. I get 22 mph without the boat and around 13 pulling the boat.

[PatriotAW4]

Had 1/2 ton's all my life. 2013 bought a used Ford F250 diesel.

I will never own another diesel. It's been a decent truck, but I do all my own maintenance and most of my own repairs. When it comes time for that, you will pay dearly. The new 1/2 ton turbo v6's pull just as good and in some ways better with the 10 speed automatics, compared to my old 4 speed auto.

just an example. My oil changes are $210, and I do it myself (don't pay anyone to do it). Rotella T6 and a FL1995 filter. 5 gallons of oil, usually have a little left over after an oil change. After 5 oil changes there's enough leftover for a "free" oil change. It uses zero oil between changes (so far...it's got 260 some odd thousand miles on it). Little stuff costs a lot more. Likes to eat tires every 30,000 miles (due to the weight of the truck, right around 8,000 lbs). EVERYTHING costs more on the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, especially the diesels. Keep that in mind.

I'm actually considering selling mine and going back to a 1/2 ton. I bought the 3/4 ton because I also was using it to pull the enclosed trailer w/race car in it all over this part of the country, and it did it just fine as long as I wasn't in a hurry.

also remember even though the diesels will get 17-22 mpg depending on which truck it is and how you drive it, you also have to consider the cost of DEF.

the nice thing about the 3/4 ton diesels, though, is that engine's additional weight over the nose. If you have 4wd (and I recommend it), the extra weight over the front really helps on a slick ramp, and in the snow, ice, and sometimes mud (although mine gets stuck VERY easily in the mud, due to weight, it just sinks).

Your oil changes cost that because you choose for them to. I can change the oil in my diesel trucks for half that.

[davidsa]

we have always been biased to the big SUV for some of the family hauling properties. I towed 1000 miles yesterday with a Gen2 Toyota Sequoia and I'd guess my average would be around 13.x mpg. I had one tank as low as 12.5 and two near 14.2. This is towing about 74mph on average on low to moderate wind day. The wind has a major impact. Same vehicle with no boat and same conditions will get about 18mpg. Wind and speed are huge factors in big vehicles. In december, I drove down to key west and back. While in the key's running 45mph with some stop lights, I averaged 22mpg on a tank. Just making the point that wind or effective wind on the vehicle makes a massive difference.