Best Truck To Pull A Boat

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That's it! I'm trading my truck in for a Chevy Spark to pull my boat with. HOW BOUT NOW?

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That's it! I'm trading my truck in for a Chevy Spark to pull my boat with. HOW BOUT NOW?

OK, don't knock the Chevy Spark, cousin Louie is using it to tow his 12.5' Sear with 7.5hp gamefisher to the Erie canal or Silver lake during the summer with the "custom" hitch I fabbed for him.

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OK, don't knock the Chevy Spark, cousin Louie is using it to tow his 12.5' Sear with 7.5hp gamefisher to the Erie canal or Silver lake during the summer with the "custom" hitch I fabbed for him.

My boat is heavy for what it is so would leave a good black mark on the rampNow can y'all just agree to disagree on how well of a tow rig (or not) the X5 is? Grem likely hasn't had any accidents and his trailer probably has good working brakes unless I missed something. The brakes are still probably sufficient and at least as good as what most half ton trucks have. I'd love to see the X5 compared to all the half ton trucks in a panic stop on wet roads both unloaded and towing. I bet the X5 can hold its own as long as it has good tires on it. I do know my next truck won't be a fullsize because of price and parking it tight places. I like the Colorado with the Turbomax but my mechanic buddy said he would kick me in the nuts if I bought a GM. He drives a Ram because he couldn't afford a used Tundra with a reasonable amount of miles on it. Was the lesser of the three domestic evils from what him and his boss has seen in the shop.

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My boat is heavy for what it is so would leave a good black mark on the rampNow can y'all just agree to disagree on how well of a tow rig (or not) the X5 is? Grem likely hasn't had any accidents and his trailer probably has good working brakes unless I missed something. The brakes are still probably sufficient and at least as good as what most half ton trucks have. I'd love to see the X5 compared to all the half ton trucks in a panic stop on wet roads both unloaded and towing. I bet the X5 can hold its own as long as it has good tires on it. I do know my next truck won't be a fullsize because of price and parking it tight places. I like the Colorado with the Turbomax but my mechanic buddy said he would kick me in the nuts if I bought a GM. He drives a Ram because he couldn't afford a used Tundra with a reasonable amount of miles on it. Was the lesser of the three domestic evils from what him and his boss has seen in the shop.

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The brakes on the trailer are extremely important especially if you are towing anything over 1500# with a smaller vehicle. I sold my favorite towing vehicle to a family friend few yrs back, a 2003 3500HD ext cab 8.1L 4.10 rears dually which I used for personal and business. Currently, I have a 2013 GMC 1500 6.2L 4x4 3.73 rears towing/plowing package for lighter trailers and bass rig, and a 2023 3500HD 6.6L 4x4 quad cab 3.73 rears single wheels towing /plowing package for 30' RV @11.5K # and business 8 tons deckover for Bobcat mini and skidsteer. I ordered a 2500HD same set up, but I ended up getting a better deal on this 3500HD that a buyer backed out of deal. I always try to get the towing and plowing to get heavier suspension and bigger alternator.
I get a GM salary retiree discount, so it only cost me 60K with nearly 12K+ discounts, and kept GMC for lighter stuff and my wife to drive when she needs it cause she doesn't like the 3500HD being too stiff of a ride.

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The brakes on the trailer are extremely important especially if you are towing anything over 1500# with a smaller vehicle. I sold my favorite towing vehicle to a family friend few yrs back, a 2003 3500HD ext cab 8.1L 4.10 rears dually which I used for personal and business. Currently, I have a 2013 GMC 1500 6.2L 4x4 3.73 rears towing/plowing package for lighter trailers and bass rig, and a 2023 3500HD 6.6L 4x4 quad cab 3.73 rears single wheels towing /plowing package for 30' RV @11.5K # and business 8 tons deckover for Bobcat mini and skidsteer. I ordered a 2500HD same set up, but I ended up getting a better deal on this 3500HD that a buyer backed out of deal. I always try to get the towing and plowing to get heavier suspension and bigger alternator.
I get a GM salary retiree discount, so it only cost me 60K with nearly 12K+ discounts, and kept GMC for lighter stuff and my wife to drive when she needs it cause she doesn't like the 3500HD being too stiff of a ride.

I pull an 18' aluminum boat. The brakes on my Ram 1500 will throw me through the windshield while towing that boat. I can guarantee no one will be at risk if I decide to downsize to a midsize. It's not as big of a deal as many on here claim it is. A 2500 or 3500 truck makes zero sense to most of people who pull a bass boat. Yes they tow better but usually a waste of money and a stiffer ride. You're the exception and not the rule.

[JJohnSind]

I pull an 18' aluminum boat. The brakes on my Ram 1500 will throw me through the windshield while towing that boat. I can guarantee no one will be at risk if I decide to downsize to a midsize. It's not as big of a deal as many on here claim it is. A 2500 or 3500 truck makes zero sense to most of people who pull a bass boat. Yes they tow better but usually a waste of money and a stiffer ride. You're the exception and not the rule.

I skidded right through a stop light the first time I tried towing an 18ft boat with a midsized truck. It was in the rain, the extra weight of the boat simply overpowered the smaller truck (before brakes were required for boat trailers). As long as the trailer has brakes, it'd be safer, but I've always believed in "overkill" over "just enough". Not all brakes are equal as well - my Hummer (over 6,000 lb vehicle) does not stop anywhere near as well as my Grand Wagoneer (also an over 6,000lb vehicle). Difference is staggering, the Hummer probably would have issues if the trailer didn't have brakes.

Something else to consider - 3/4 ton trucks have a beefier suspension over 1/2 ton trucks. Towing takes a toll on your suspension parts.

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I skidded right through a stop light the first time I tried towing an 18ft boat with a midsized truck. It was in the rain, the extra weight of the boat simply overpowered the smaller truck (before brakes were required for boat trailers). As long as the trailer has brakes, it'd be safer, but I've always believed in "overkill" over "just enough". Not all brakes are equal as well - my Hummer (over 6,000 lb vehicle) does not stop anywhere near as well as my Grand Wagoneer (also an over 6,000lb vehicle). Difference is staggering, the Hummer probably would have issues if the trailer didn't have brakes.

Something else to consider - 3/4 ton trucks have a beefier suspension over 1/2 ton trucks. Towing takes a toll on your suspension parts.

The tires that replaced my factory tires are leaps and bounds better. That makes a big difference. I'll be going with another set of Falken Wildpeaks even though they wear out faster than a lot of other tires. The soft tread is amazing on wet roads AND WET RAMPS. If I go midsize the same tires will go on it probably sooner than needed. On the stopping my dad gave me a good lesson when I was a kid. When he had to borrow the '66 Chevy II Nova with manual brakes his parents had until the late 90's he knew he had to be more cautious with it because they didn't hold a candle to the modern power brakes he was used to. He also learned to drive in that car so he knew it well. He applied those same lessons towing a 19' Spectrum deep V with an '87 Ranger, '90 Ranger, and '97 Dakota. No brakes on that trailer either. Just had to be aware and expect the unexpected. He didn't want to spend the money on a fullsize truck and he worked in downtown Little Rock where parking was tight.