Best Truck To Pull A Boat

[drainplug]

As the OP information suggests, you could pull a vague boat with a vague truck, but he has already been given the "correct" BBC answers...

[Jbass123]

And any truck can slide down any ramp if all the variables are unfavorable. I’ve seen ramps totally covered in wet weeds/moss that made stopping backward progress extremely difficult, and I’ve also seen ramps totally covered in sand on top of smooth concrete that were slick as ice. Speaking of which, I’ve also seen ramps covered in ice. The tires, etc. make a big difference, and honestly if you’re worried about slipping 4 wheel drive is a must. That doesn’t help with braking or sliding going backward, but it sure helps if there’s any traction to be had going forward. Other than that, if money is no object go with a 3/4 ton diesel like they said. You can pull houses with that in your spare time.

[ECobb91]

Any 1/2ton is capable of towing a boat.

most bass boats could be towed with mid-full sized SUVs. I tow with a Jeep GC and have never had a problem, but I also don’t tow every week.

if someone has a problem towing a bass boat with a 1/2 ton Or larger pickup, it’s not the truck that’s inadequate

obviously bigger trucks will tow a boat easier but you sacrifice the ride for overcompensating power

[Vexus VX21]

I’m going with a guess here, BCB website shows the Jag hull at 2200lbs, I’m guessing the engine at 600lbs, trailer at 1200lbs, and you’re at 4k without fuel, tackle, trolling motor, electronics, power poles, batteries etc. It’s probably very close in weight to my Vexus which weighed 4900lbs ready to fish on Cat scales.
So, you chose one of the heaviest boats to tow and from my experience with my Vexus, a 1/2 ton will pull it comfortably on trips under say 50 miles and little traffic. If you want to travel comfortably on long trips and you will encounter stop and go traffic, then one of the 3 heavy duty versions is what you want, mainly for stopping power and trailer control. Any 1/2 ton truck will pull it, but 5k pound trailers can overpower any tow vehicle in the right situation.

[wingrider1800]

Just about everything covered here. I have a Skeeter FX21 that I pull with a 5.0 F150 or my F350 Powerstroke. There is no comparison in power but the F150 does just fine and there are several big hills between here and the lakes that I visit. I have also pulled the boat with mid size trucks. The full size trucks not only pull better but they handle the boat better all the way around. My suggestions is find the full size truck that you like and get the most powerful engine that's offered and also get the lowest gearing available. Lower gearing always pulls and performs better. My new F150 has the 10 speed so I figured with that many gears there was no reason to order it with the lower gears. Like I said earlier it pulls it fine and wouldn't think twice about pulling it anywhere with it but I still wish I had ordered it with the 3.73's instead of the stock gears. 10th gear is useless if there is any load at all unless the road is almost flat.

[davidsa]

Just about everything covered here. I have a Skeeter FX21 that I pull with a 5.0 F150 or my F350 Powerstroke. There is no comparison in power but the F150 does just fine and there are several big hills between here and the lakes that I visit. I have also pulled the boat with mid size trucks. The full size trucks not only pull better but they handle the boat better all the way around. My suggestions is find the full size truck that you like and get the most powerful engine that's offered and also get the lowest gearing available. Lower gearing always pulls and performs better. My new F150 has the 10 speed so I figured with that many gears there was no reason to order it with the lower gears. Like I said earlier it pulls it fine and wouldn't think twice about pulling it anywhere with it but I still wish I had ordered it with the 3.73's instead of the stock gears. 10th gear is useless if there is any load at all unless the road is almost flat.

The last three posts, including the one I quote, is a great example of trade offs. I'm certain around LA or FL that a v6 in say a Dodge Durango with 6500# towing capacity will take the owner and a buddy to the lake for a day but you can't haul any travel gear as the vehicle would be over loaded. a 1/2 ton truck will get it done but not the ultimate. The ultimate tow vehicle comes with a $$ and would not be what I'd want to drive in daily city traffic when I worked. The right BBC answer is to buy it all but the insurance, depreciation, maintenance, etc starts to add up very quickly

[SoonerFan]

I've done pretty well with a 15 year old Silverado 5.3 with over 235,000 miles. Just sayin'

[DaveBrabec]

Had my first 2500 diesel for 7+ years. Will never go back to gas. Don’t understand the thought for little trucks. Way more power. Better mpg than any truck I’ve owned towing or not and Maintenance is about the same.

[SGrem]

There isn't a bass boat made that any 1/2 ton truck or even medium size SUV can't pull very comfortably.

I am a full time guide on the coast. My 26ft center console weighs 6800 pounds on the scale. Been pulling it with a BMW x5 with the 3 liter diesel for 10 years now. Up and down the coast (flat ground) for about 15,000 miles a year or more daily trips up to 400 miles. Zero issues. Sold first one with 160,000 miles no issues. Wife tows her 7500 pound horse trailer with same vehicle. Sold her first one with 140,000 miles. I am on my second one with almost 90,000 miles. Wife went to an x7 gas and it too is a tow monster with about 75,000 miles. No issues at all.

That x5 diesel tows, handles, stops does everything better than the 3/4 crew cab 4x4 Chevy it replaced ever thought about.

Pulled a 7500 pound 26ft twin engine offshore boat from Minnesota to Galveston just fine.

Guys here are pulling 9000 pound or so twin engine offshore boats with 1/2 tons everywhere.

Even on hills unless you were towing way heavy every day i wouldn't go 3/4 ton or big diesel. These 3 liter diesels are the way to go.

I get 36 mpg gallon empty. I get 17-18 mpg pulling my 21 from bass boat....and 13mpg pulling my 26ft center console with iversize ttop. All hand calculated at 70-75 mph.

BMW doesn't make their diesel anymore. When I need to replace this BMW I am going to the Tahoe with the 3Liter diesel. Great platform for my towing up to about 7500 pounds.

[PatriotAW4]

There isn't a bass boat made that any 1/2 ton truck or even medium size SUV can't pull very comfortably.

Not true, 4.3 V6 Chevy 1500 did a horrible job towing the Ranger 520VX.

[DaveBrabec]

Not true, 4.3 V6 Chevy 1500 did a horrible job towing the Ranger 520VX.

My 4.8 v8 sucked towing a tandem axle 20 footer. Fine long as you didn’t have a hill.

[Highcentered]

My 4.8 v8 sucked towing a tandem axle 20 footer. Fine long as you didn’t have a hill.

My 01 Silverado with the 4.8 was OK with the 3.42 gears. My 06 Sierra with the 4.8 had 3.23 gears and couldn't find a gear in the power band to save its life. Still a great engine for how I drove in my early years. LS was the last really good engine GM made in my opinion.

[Highcentered]

Not true, 4.3 V6 Chevy 1500 did a horrible job towing the Ranger 520VX.

You had to be patient when towing with the 4.3. I liked that engine better than the 305 anyway.

[PatriotAW4]

You had to be patient when towing with the 4.3. I liked that engine better than the 305 anyway.

Yes, and the truck itself had trouble handling it, any wind or curvy roads were a chore.

[Highcentered]

Yes, and the truck itself had trouble handling it, any wind or curvy roads were a chore.

When it's all you have you make it work.

[SoonerFan]

There isn't a bass boat made that any 1/2 ton truck or even medium size SUV can't pull very comfortably.

When you start getting away from full size pickup trucks with V-8 engines, you need to start considering transmission life. I used to have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the old reliable 4.0 six. It towed my old Tracker PT-185 like it wasn't even back there...no prob. Traded the Tracker for a Nitro 591 18'8" fiberglass boat, weighing probably a 1000 lbs. more. The Jeep felt like the boat was driving it and in not too many months of towing the Nitro the transmission needed overhaul. The trans guy showed me the difference in the clutch plates and the overall beefiness of a transmission for a V-8 compared to my 6 cylinder transmission. He overhauled the transmission and within the year, the "new" transmission was starting to feel sick. That's when I switched to full size trucks.

[davidsa]

Not sure how much you towed but I've not had your experience with either a 2011 Durango, 2015 Highlander or 2022 Highlander on a similar size 18ft boat.

The Durango was actually advertised as a great tow vehicle and it lived to its name. That said, I maybe tow 3500 miles a year and 2000 of it are are all in 2 days. That said, the boat the OP is talking about is about 5000# and I would not tow that anywhere but maybe to my local ramp in Florida with my Highlander. Now the Durango I'd go a bit further in but a v6 based vehicle and a 21ft boat I don't think are a good mate. Certainly needs a vehicle with +7000# of tow capacity in my view if traveling long distances and or with people inside the vehicle

[cwilt]

I pull my boat with this...don't even know it's back there!

Screenshot_20250504_161141_Gallery.jpg

[Rangerdeepv]

I pull a Z119 Ranger with a Yukon equipped with the 1st gen baby Duramax. It has gotten over 30 mpg on the highway and usually 17-20 when pulling the boat.

[Mcjenson]

I don't understand the love of 3/4 ton rigs for boat pulling. In my opinion they are the worst of both world, a bit too light to handle a good sized truck camper, yet still the expensive upkeep and harsher ride of a full size truck. I'd either go the 1 ton / camper route or the 1/2 ton with the top of line engine (6.2, 3.5, etc). The new 1/2 ton engines make a bunch of power, towing a bass boat sized load you really won't miss the extra torque of a giant diesel.