My new boat is currently being built, but I obviously cannot tow it with a sunfire so sometime before I take delivery in mid may I need to get better outfitted.
Boat weights roughly 2850lbs with a 35gal fuel tank (210lbs @6lbs/gal) and with trailer I rounded it up to 3500 with gear. I need something that will be reliable with high miles and this is going to be the only way I can afford anything to tow it. For example I am not looking to spend more than $12k on a new DD/Tow vehicle.
Here is what I have been looking at...
00+ GMC/Chevy Sierra/Silverado 1500 extended or quad cab 4x4 and will not take a regular cab.
00+ Chevy Tahoe
03+ Avalanche
Chevy Colorado with Z71 off road package. (not sure if this could do it)
Trail Blazer LT w/V8 ( Agentomega has a trail blazer with 6 cylinder and struggled pulling his sunfire on a dolly)
2nd Gen Jeep Grand Cherokee V8
Toyota 4 Runner
Toyota Tacoma/Tunda
Nissan Frontier/Titan
So far from other conversations with people they are telling me to stick with the Tahoe or GM 1500 trucks. This is going to have to last me well into the 150+k mark so I want something thats going to last quite some time till I can pay it off.
Open to other ideas.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:24 PM
02 chevy 2500 with 8.1l
/end thread
I don't know if you're anti-ford but our 99 F250 tows pretty much whatever we throw at it. And they can be had for a decent price, with fairly low miles.
2002 z24 Coupe
Pretty bad when a V8 trailblazer struggles to tow a sunfire. I towed my moms 95 grand am (think it was a 95) with a uhaul dual axle trailer and the only problems i had was stopping because the uhauls electronic brakes were shot, so brake distance had to be adjusted so I didnt burn my brakes out. But it didnt groan one bit. The dual axle trailer weighs in at like 2000lbs according to the trailer weight sticker. The grand am was at least 3500lbs.
I would stick to a Tahoe or something though. 5.3L V8 should do the trick. Just gotta make sure you have the right gearing in the rear end because that matters a lot too
duramax for sure. or if you have to, id say the titan. VERY strong built truck. will be hard pressed to find either for that price range. you might be able to find a higher mileage diesel for a good price.
i always liked the older 1999 silverados in quad cabs..
check out a F250 or F350
We put a hell of alot of stuff in my uncles F350 and it still kep going some how i don't know..
dodge ram, 3/4 ton. those things are beast's, my old man's got a 2000 and the gas mileage is'nt all that wonderful but it'll pull your damn house down the street. he picked it up fairly cheap and has had only pretty minor issues with it since picking it up.
plus, dodge trucks just look so @!#$in badass
My dad has a 04 GMC 2500 with the 6.3, and its more then enough for towing. Pulls there 15ft boat like nothing ( I know its small compared to yours), you don't even know there is a load on it. He also pulls a 27ft 5th wheel camper, and it is hardly a strain for the truck.
Pretty much anything with a diesel and your set.
M62, 42's, ZZP 3", ZZP S3 H/E
214whp 190wtq
Since you're looking for a gas motor I' go with the silverado. 5.3 is a great motor, but if you're doing a lot of towing you can also get a 2500/3500 with the 6.0. My friend had a 00 z71 with over 300,000 miles on it with the original drive train in it an never had any problems with it.
If you've toyed with the idea of a diesel an older ford with a 7.3 powerstroke or an older dodge with a cummins would be ideal. I'd opt to get a manual behind the cummins because the autos suck and are weak.
4runner ftmfw!!!!
Not unintentionally accelerating since 2009!!!!
slvrblit wrote:My dad has a 04 GMC 2500 with the 6.3, and its more then enough for towing. Pulls there 15ft boat like nothing ( I know its small compared to yours), you don't even know there is a load on it. He also pulls a 27ft 5th wheel camper, and it is hardly a strain for the truck.
Pretty much anything with a diesel and your set.
Just noticed my typo....its the 6.6 TD with Alliston Trans, not a 6.3 lol
M62, 42's, ZZP 3", ZZP S3 H/E
214whp 190wtq
BUY MY DAMN JEEP!!!! i'll even lower the price to compensate for having to buy the hitch. It's a fair deal, take it
a mini truck, my 91 mitz(that only weighs 2550lb) has a payload rating higher then a '10 GM 1500 and gets 30mpg with a dirtbike in the back.
out of that list i say 4runner/yota or hardbody/frontier/pathfinder
jeeps are way more than 3500 here.... cj5s are 5000+ and there the cheapest ones
unless your talking about XJs
i am gone from this forum
I want to stay away from diesel, and the small chevy V8 would be sufficient enough which is why I don't need to go into the 1/2 ton trucks. I am steering far clear from dodge.
I wish I could just stick with a V6 but just don't know how it would be towing my boat and thats what i am worried about. Summer is the only season I would be towing like every weekend.
for what it's worth, my rents have a 97 dodge ram ss/t (5.9, 2wd) and have towed a boat behind it for most of it's 120K+ odometer reading.
old boat was a 17' glass bass boat with a 90 on the back and the new (3+ years old) boat is a 21' stratos with a 250 vmax. usually towing 4+ hours one way to lake ontario and only recently had any kind of transmission problems.
Cody @ RD Fabs wrote:I want to stay away from diesel, and the small chevy V8 would be sufficient enough which is why I don't need to go into the 1/2 ton trucks. I am steering far clear from dodge.
I wish I could just stick with a V6 but just don't know how it would be towing my boat and thats what i am worried about. Summer is the only season I would be towing like every weekend.
Im sure Ryan can help you out in the power department with a V-6...
"Project 69'"
1969 Chevrolet C/10, 1/2 ton, 2wd
-Boosted LS1?
-Richmond ROD 6-speed(will get sometime)
-Posi 12-bolt(built w/eaton posi unit and richmond 3.73 gears)
-Disc brake and 5 lug swap
+little extras
Uh, seriously guys. It's a 3500 pound boat.
He doesn't need a 3/4 ton truck to pull it.
Ranger, Explorer, Tacoma, most minivans could pull it. S-10 too.
Hell, I pulled 6k with my Ranger for 1300 miles.
O noes!
Look into Nissans..that Frontier can pull a LOT of weight for it's size.
tacoma 4x4 ftw. I had one that my dad bought brand new, made me give it up when it hit 200k, damn thing still ran like it was new! It had the 2.7 four, factory fullsize truck brakes and could pull a decent trailer with no problems. Well, dad put a cheap clutch in it,so that smoked a bit. Toyota builds a damn good truck.
I miss my Sunfire, I want it back!
MMMM, HIDs
You will be missed.
holy hell why are people recommending larger trucks for a 3500 pound boat?
I would look into older silverados..or fords for that matter.
I see 05-06 silverados, EXT cab, z71 package, v8 go for 13-15k with only 50k miles on them. You can def find one in your price range..
Rosario wrote:holy hell why are people recommending larger trucks for a 3500 pound boat?
I would look into older silverados..or fords for that matter.
I see 05-06 silverados, EXT cab, z71 package, v8 go for 13-15k with only 50k miles on them. You can def find one in your price range..
the reason i recommended a bigger truck was, it makes pulling anything no issue. sure it starts with a boat, or a friends trailer or anything else. plus most diesels just pull all around smooth and better. id rather pull easy than hard. also recommended a bigger truck to fit more people comfortably, depending on how many are going, and how much stuff they are hauling. i cant see fitting 5 people comfortably into a canyon. been there, done that... not fun.
if it were me id go with a diesel for sure.
but if it was a gasser, id go with a suburban for people and supply hauling.
BuiltNBoosted wrote:Rosario wrote:holy hell why are people recommending larger trucks for a 3500 pound boat?
I would look into older silverados..or fords for that matter.
I see 05-06 silverados, EXT cab, z71 package, v8 go for 13-15k with only 50k miles on them. You can def find one in your price range..
the reason i recommended a bigger truck was, it makes pulling anything no issue. sure it starts with a boat, or a friends trailer or anything else. plus most diesels just pull all around smooth and better. id rather pull easy than hard. also recommended a bigger truck to fit more people comfortably, depending on how many are going, and how much stuff they are hauling. i cant see fitting 5 people comfortably into a canyon. been there, done that... not fun.
if it were me id go with a diesel for sure.
but if it was a gasser, id go with a suburban for people and supply hauling.
That's true and not true. I bought a Dakota with the 5.9L because I had the exact same mentality. Truck was a POS..not because it was in bad shape, but because it sucks driving a big vehicle everyday that gets @!#$ty mileage and is slow as fawk. I know it's more of a personal thing..but it got old fast for me.
4Runner for sure!
2010 Honda Fit LX
