S2 7.9 F-150 or F-250?

[Git-R-Done]

I'm about to purchase an S2 7.9, and I'm thinking about a towing vehicle for it. I currently own a Catalina 25, and the consensus of C-25 owners is that you need a really big truck--an F-250 or equivalent. However, the 7.9 is about 1,000 pounds lighter than the Catalina 25. I'm wondering if a F-150 is enough truck for the job. It would be great if the smaller truck would work since it's cheaper, gets better gas mileage, and is more useful overall.

The boat weighs about 4600 pounds (right?) and the trailer must weigh 750 ? (wild guess).

Cheers,
Bruce Baker
Falls Church, VA

 

[Eric M]

Bruce,

The short answer is that either option should work fine, it comes down to your personal preference.
My previous boat was a J-24 which is similar in size and weight to the S2 7.9. I towed 25K+ miles in the 5 years I had the boat with a Chevy 1500. I did opt for the larger option engine and tow package including transmission cooler. The boat sat on a tandem axle, with 4 wheel surge brakes trailer. I towed all over the Carolina's, Georgia, and Florida without an issue. I did use a friends Chevy 2500 HD diesel with the Allison transmission for one trip. No doubt the 2500 had more power to accelerate and stiffer suspension so the ride with the boat was smoother than with my 1500. For day to day driving without the boat the 1500 was a much smoother ride than the 2500 even though I have the 4x4 off road package.
Good Luck,
--Eric

 

[sailingdog]

I don't know where you got the idea that the S2 7.9 is 1,000 lbs. lighter than the Catalina 25. IIRC, the Catalina 25 is 4160 lbs. and the S2 7.9 is 4250 lbs. Either should be relatively manageable with an F-250, and both should be doable, but not as comfortably, with a properly equipped F-150. It really depends on which F150 you have and how it is equipped. What gear ratio does it have? What engine does it have?

I trailer my boat with an Explorer with no problems, and the boat and trailer are probably as heavy as the boat and trailer you're looking at or fairly close. But I wouldn't dare try it with my friend's Explorer. Mine is a V8-equipped with the factory-installed tow package, his is a V6 without the tow package.

Look in your owner's manual, as it should say what the maximum towing capacity for your truck is. If the weight of the boat and trailer are close to the maximum for your truck, it might be worth trying before making a decision one way or the other. If the weight of the boat and trailer are above what your truck is designed to handle... your decision is made for you. The 2009 F150 has a towing capacity range from 5400 lbs. for the 2WD to 11300 lbs. for the high-end 4WD version of the truck.

 

[JoeWhite]

This is a very good question. I spend many days trying to figure this out. Her is the story. I tried towing my 1984 Hunter 25.5 with Chevy G20 I believe this is a 1500 with a 5.0 engine. The manufacturere is not clear what its towing capacity is. The boat with the trailer is about 6200 lb. I believe that the truck was putting out 110% of its capability. So I bough a GMC V8, 2500. The engine is smaller, 4.8 , the gear ratio is higher and it has a towing package. I installed a towbar with 10000lb towing capablity. The trailer has surge brakes. If you are going to buy a truck to tow your sailboat - go with 2500 with 8 lug bolts on the wheels instead of 6 lug bolts. The gas milage is not that much different. You will be glad that you have the added power when need it. Buy the way my 1500 Chevy developed transmission problems at a cost of $ 3000.00 soon after the tow.
Good luck - see you on the water.

 

[George H260]

Most people don't know what their boat weighs - I would not rely completely on antodotial comments and you can't rely much on manufacturers published data. My suggestion is to require the seller to provide a certified weigh ticket as part of the deal. This usually costs $10 at a public scale.

Then the solution is simple:

Step 1: Weigh the boat

Step 2: Buy a truck that is certified to tow that weight. All vehicle manufacturers are required to provide load and towing certifications for the folllowing:

Gross Combination Weight (GCW) - Total weight of a fully equipped truck and trailer with cargo, driver, and passengers, fuel, coolant, equipment, etc.

Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) - Maximum allowable gross combination weight (GCW)

Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) - The weight of the trailer plus all the cargo in it. This is measured by putting a fully loaded trailer on a scale.

Gross Trailer Weight Rating (GTWR) - Maximum allowable weight of the trailer, plus its cargo.

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - The total weight of the tow vehicle, including driver, passengers, and any special equipment (options, accessories and upfitted equipment), cargo, fuel, collant, etc.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) - The maximum allowable total wieght of the tow vehicle, including driver, passengers, any special equipment (options, accessories and upfitted equipment), cargo, fuel, collant, etc.

If you want to explore this subject more go to this link. There is lots of info that should help.

http://h260.com/travel/travel.html

 

[Bob16841]

To find the true tow capacity of any vehicle, obtain the GCWR and subtract the weight of the tow vehicle when ready to tow. The answer is the max weight you can tow.

 

[sand sailor]

santana 27' #5000 +- no brakes yet, chevy 1/2 ton works hard every other day so why not on sunday too

 

[Git-R-Done]

I looked at towing capacity ratings online and determined that certain F-150's have the grunt to do the job. I ended up buying an '07 F-150 with the 5.4 litre motor, short bed, extended cab, factory installed towing package. Supposedly, this rig can tow 7,700 pounds.

Most of the time, I couldn't even tell that there was a boat back there. However, on the hills of Tennessee and SW Virginia, we slowed to 50mph. On the flats, I tried to keep her to 60, but ended up at 65 a lot of the time.

We averaged 18mpg on the way down and 12mpg on the way home.

Cheers,
Bruce

 

[Timo42]

My recommendation is 3/4 ton, i/2 ton just doesn't cut it in the long run. They just aren't as strong. The frame is lighter, the brakes are smaller, the axles are smaller, bearings, cooling system, charging system, tires, motor, and especially the transmission, did I mention the brakes? The ride on a one ton is too harsh w/o a load, imho and the difference in capacity is negligible, but the difference between 1/2 and 3/4 is substantial. I work at a Chevy store, and the trans guy is busy all day fixing 1/2 ton transmissions, he has done 1 Allison in the past 6 months. Getting up to speed isn't the problem, stopping is. Another thing, seriously consider 4wd, a steep launch ramp and low tide will make a believer of you, it did me. Rant off, Tim