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Old 11-24-2010, 11:53 PM   #1
malibut
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My big Tow

With my old truck. So I recently got a boat from from a family friend, but I only have a two wheel drive truck. First of all the boat is a 24 ft Trophy with a dual axle trailer. He says it weighs 6k lbs with fuel, so I think my truck might be able to pull it out of the water, minimal distance towing. I have a Dodge Ram 1500 V8 single cab 2wd. My other bet is to sell the truck and buy a used work horse tow truck, this will strictly be towing, I have another car I drive. Any input out there would be much appreciated.
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Old 11-25-2010, 10:11 AM   #2
Johnoly
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Re: My big Tow

You'll need to check your rear end, but I think it's a standard 3.55 with no limited slip. The dealer can run your VIN and tell you what's in the rear if you don't know. Usually only the 3.92's had LS. If you are trying to pull a 6K dbl axle boat out of a wet ramp with only 1 wheel spinning, it's not going to work even with an aggressive tire tread.

There are aftermarket options available from places like 4 wheel parts, etc. But you'll need to decide if the costs is worth keeping or dumping the truck.
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Old 11-25-2010, 10:35 AM   #3
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Re: My big Tow

Nothing like trying out the ramp. Take your boat over to the ramp and launch. Generally speaking, if your boat is on a float-on type trailer, you should have no problem getting it out of the water. The secret is to load the boat on the trailer and at that point the most of the weight is being supported by the water. Then, with your truck in gear, move forward without hesitation and by the time the boat is fully loaded on the trailer, you should be well on your way out of the ramp. I have personally towed the same load, 6,000 pounds, up and out of the ramp with a much smaller truck.
Good luck.

Last edited by diverlen; 11-25-2010 at 11:22 AM. Reason: spelling
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Old 11-25-2010, 11:12 AM   #4
rojodiablo
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Re: My big Tow

A lot to do with the tires. John and Len are both 100% correct. You can get a limited slip diff and drop it in the rear pretty easily. The gearing might make it an issue over the long run. For an initial test, bring a buddy with another truck, and a tow strap. If you struggle, get him to combo with you and get the truck and boat up the ramp. That's all it would take to test it out.
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Old 11-25-2010, 11:55 PM   #5
malibut
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Re: My big Tow

Thanks for the input guys. I will definitely have the rear end looked at before I plan on pulling it out of the water. Limited slip diff dropped in huh. Any idea on how much that costs? I would love to keep her since she's got sentimental value to me, but I guess depends how much it will be to get her all ready to tow. Do you think I need to do anything to the shocks in the rear? Thanks again for all the help!
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Old 11-26-2010, 11:06 AM   #6
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Re: My big Tow

Quote:
Originally Posted by malibut View Post
Thanks for the input guys. I will definitely have the rear end looked at before I plan on pulling it out of the water. Limited slip diff dropped in huh. Any idea on how much that costs? I would love to keep her since she's got sentimental value to me, but I guess depends how much it will be to get her all ready to tow. Do you think I need to do anything to the shocks in the rear? Thanks again for all the help!
Just make sure the shocks are good; they mean nothing as far as load capacity. As for the load?? If the boat overloads the rear springs, add a leaf to your leaf pack; a load helper spring. Don't get an Add-a-leaf for ride height; they are not the answer.
As for the rear end, that truck had a LSD rear end in many applications. Look to the vin, the dealer can tell you, or look it up online. If you have to buy and drop in?? The diff is about $300-400 for an Eaton LSD. There might be many more available for that rear end; it's been around for 40 years, with MILLIONS on the road. Very successful rear end.
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