scott lewis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2002
- Messages
- 168
- Reaction score
- 0
19.5 foot skeeter tandem trailer about 2800lbs total
can i tow it with a f150 with a 6 1998-2003 model
can i tow it with a f150 with a 6 1998-2003 model
Help Support Nitro Owners Forum:
Scott Hammer TOXIC
Well-Known Member
Make sure it has a tranny cooler....a BIG tranny cooler (there are different sizes) and you should be ok. There are a lot of other factors....auto or manual, 4w or 2w drive, where are you towing to, meaning hilly or flat, ramp condition ?
TOXIC
TOXIC
Rich Stern
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2000
- Messages
- 2,618
- Reaction score
- 1
I tow 3000lbs with the Ford 4.0 V6 SOHC in the Sport Trac. Does a good job.
Larry Harp
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2002
- Messages
- 5,678
- Reaction score
- 0
Average 6 cyl has more horsepower than the big V-8's did 15 or 20 years ago and we used to haul all kinds of stuff around with them back then. For example my 2001 4.0 Jeep has 190 hp, back in 1986 when Ford started putting fuel injection on the 351 it raised the hp to 200 and everybody was amazed at that kind of output. IMHO if you not towing in the mountians or something like that you should be okay....you won't win any drag races but you'll get where you're going.
BTW Jim, I tow my PT-185 with my Jeep GC in OD all the time, no problemo. I asked my tranny mechinic and he said it's okay as long as I'm not in the hills and it's cycling back and forth. Sure will save a few gallons of that Texas Gold.
Harpo
BTW Jim, I tow my PT-185 with my Jeep GC in OD all the time, no problemo. I asked my tranny mechinic and he said it's okay as long as I'm not in the hills and it's cycling back and forth. Sure will save a few gallons of that Texas Gold.
Harpo
Mike Zechman
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Messages
- 917
- Reaction score
- 0
I wouldn't............My wife bought a new Chevy Equionox which is a V6, and I asked about towing an 18 foot fiberglass boat, it says its rated for 4800 lbs towing capacity, but the dealer warned me the v6 is not good for towing long distances, the Toyota and Ford dealers told me the same thing when we were looking at around, close its ok, but if your driving for long hours, not good for the tranny.............the V6's on any model have the HP but lack the tranny..................
TrepMan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2000
- Messages
- 9,215
- Reaction score
- 2
Mike - I wonder if the dealers (since the manufactures rated the Chevy for 4800lbs, and likewise I figure on the Ford/Toyota's you looked at) were just trying to Up Sell you into a larger/more expensive vehicle??
Slsail - I'd think that Skeeter will way MORE then 2800lbs when you add gear, gas and such.
Trep
Slsail - I'd think that Skeeter will way MORE then 2800lbs when you add gear, gas and such.
Trep
Mike Zechman
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Messages
- 917
- Reaction score
- 0
Could be, they knew what price range we were looking at, but it still would scare me though, Trepman......I don't have to worry, I have a 2001 Silverado 5.3L V8.....
TrepMan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2000
- Messages
- 9,215
- Reaction score
- 2
Mike - Cool on the 5.3L!!
I think it is great if you can afford (both gas, purchase and maintenance) an overkill on tow vehicle, you can NEVER have too much torque, brakes, length.... But if the manufacturers from a legal/lawsuit issue rate a vehicle at say 3500lb towing and your rig is 3000 or less, on most situations you are fine, just remember that 3000lb needs to include all gear and the passengers towards the total GVW.
I think it is great if you can afford (both gas, purchase and maintenance) an overkill on tow vehicle, you can NEVER have too much torque, brakes, length.... But if the manufacturers from a legal/lawsuit issue rate a vehicle at say 3500lb towing and your rig is 3000 or less, on most situations you are fine, just remember that 3000lb needs to include all gear and the passengers towards the total GVW.
I have a Ford explorer 2000 model with a big 6 they call it I pulled a 19 ft Javelin about 600 miles through the mountains in Arkansas and cooked the transmission fluid and I have the towing package with transmission cooler
JD
JD
Jim B
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2002
- Messages
- 4,257
- Reaction score
- 5
slsail i bet you would be fine. Like Toxic mentioned get a big tranny cooler and you should be fine. You wont win any drag races but it will pull it.
Trep, There is so much more to it then what the manufacturer puts on the vehicle for a rating. Presonally i dont think mikes silverado is "overkill" for towing something. The reaility is that front drive based cars/vans/suv's arent really designed with towing in mind. Take the Chevy Equinox as an example. Sure it can tow 4800# but can it tow a 3500# boat every weekend on trips for 5 years without problems? I seriously doubt it, unless you towing really short hauls to the nearest lake and no more. first the tranny isnt going to hold up because its not built for that type of work, the axles most likely wont handle it and the thing will be a rattle box in that time frame. But on the other hand a 1500 silverado, 5 years will be no problem for the motor, tranny, or axles and it wont be a rattle box because it has a full frame.
The type of towing i do that Equinox would never deal with. My dakota is just over 3 years old now and it has 95000 miles on it. About half of those miles are towing my 882 all over the place. I dont go on short haul trips very often mose of mine are over 150 miles each way and in mountians. i go just about every weekend in the spring and summer so i rack up the miles. That type of towing would rip apart any front drive based drivetrain. My Dakota hasent exactly been prefect either in those miles, i have had some issued directly related to pulling my boat but i have had zero problems with the driveline. It can and does take the beating i put it thru. im actually thinking of taking it up to the next leven and gettin a 3/4 ton for my next truck. Mainly for the simple reason it will be able to take the beating i put it thru ant then some. The beefier suspension,axles and frame make it worth it.
Trep, There is so much more to it then what the manufacturer puts on the vehicle for a rating. Presonally i dont think mikes silverado is "overkill" for towing something. The reaility is that front drive based cars/vans/suv's arent really designed with towing in mind. Take the Chevy Equinox as an example. Sure it can tow 4800# but can it tow a 3500# boat every weekend on trips for 5 years without problems? I seriously doubt it, unless you towing really short hauls to the nearest lake and no more. first the tranny isnt going to hold up because its not built for that type of work, the axles most likely wont handle it and the thing will be a rattle box in that time frame. But on the other hand a 1500 silverado, 5 years will be no problem for the motor, tranny, or axles and it wont be a rattle box because it has a full frame.
The type of towing i do that Equinox would never deal with. My dakota is just over 3 years old now and it has 95000 miles on it. About half of those miles are towing my 882 all over the place. I dont go on short haul trips very often mose of mine are over 150 miles each way and in mountians. i go just about every weekend in the spring and summer so i rack up the miles. That type of towing would rip apart any front drive based drivetrain. My Dakota hasent exactly been prefect either in those miles, i have had some issued directly related to pulling my boat but i have had zero problems with the driveline. It can and does take the beating i put it thru. im actually thinking of taking it up to the next leven and gettin a 3/4 ton for my next truck. Mainly for the simple reason it will be able to take the beating i put it thru ant then some. The beefier suspension,axles and frame make it worth it.
Mike Zechman
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Messages
- 917
- Reaction score
- 0
well said JIMB...........
Scott Hammer TOXIC
Well-Known Member
3/4 ton all the way for me.
Teddy cooked 4 trannies in a 1/2 ton before the shop finally put in oversized clutches. I cooked a tranny in this truck with 250 miles on it (not towing) but it was a factory recall that my dealer missed. It's got 25,000 on it now with no problems. You don't buy a tow vehicle for the mpg anyway. I even got 4.11 rears to be sure!!
TOXIC
Teddy cooked 4 trannies in a 1/2 ton before the shop finally put in oversized clutches. I cooked a tranny in this truck with 250 miles on it (not towing) but it was a factory recall that my dealer missed. It's got 25,000 on it now with no problems. You don't buy a tow vehicle for the mpg anyway. I even got 4.11 rears to be sure!!
TOXIC
Similar threads
