Anyone got a clue what the towing limits are with my 1989 Ford F150 Pickup 2WD supercab (manual). It's only a V-6 and as far as I know came with no towing conversion kit. I am buying a boat soon, 22-25 ft range probably about 5000Ibs. Real test I imagine is the slipway, distances will be less than 100 miles towing.

 

i pull a 19' bowrider boat for a buddy . it is alot on my truck . i also have a freind with a 24' cabin cruiser he pulls it with a suburban . dont know if i would try it or not . alot of wieght

 

I pull a boat on average 10,000 miles a year and I would have to say that your truck should do fine pulling it. It's not going to be a speed demon taking out or on long hills but it will do the job. Remember, a four cylinder will pull one it's the stopping that's the problem. Just make sure your brakes are in good shape. BTW, make sure you don't pull in OD because you will smoke your tranny.

 

4 cyl pull a boat? like what he is talking about? gimmie a break . how long you want the motor to last? 10 minutes down the road?
trucks with v-6's werent designed to tow/haul anything . they were designed to be daily drivers . wanna be trucks . the v-6 isnt the old 4.9 I-6 . it is a torque monster. it was designed to pull. check the weight rating on that truck with the v-6 and whatever axle you have and i bet you'll be shocked that it isnt as much as you want to pull. of course there are always people that think they can pull more or something the truck wasnt designed to do . for example the new king ranch or supercrew trucks people think they can pull 5th wheel trailers with them . well sure they could but the truck wasnt designed to . the bed is to short and hitch manufactures do NOT suggest installing a 5th wheel hitch in them . but hey it is your truck do what you want with it . but mark my words when your having to have it rebuilt or get a new truck !!

 

5000# is a bit much for any 1/2 ton truck to pull on a real regular basis. It's not just the engine, its the entire driveline and running gear and even the vehicle weight. You CAN do it, the question is whether you SHOULD. The manufacturers grossly over rate the towing capacity of their trucks as a selling point confident that 99% of buyers will never come close to the "limit."

You need to look at the transmission and clutch assy. If you don't have a granny 1st and an HD clutch you'll burn the clutch up just getting that much load moving. What rear axle ratio do you have? With a v-6 it's probably a 3.08 or thereabouts. You need AT LEAST a 3.55, preferably more to pull that kind of load. Do you realy think the stock brakes on a 150 are up to the task? Even with electric brakes on the trailer and a weight distrubuting hitch, you're marginal. How much does your truck weigh? I'll bet it's a lightweight. In high winds and/or on slick roads that can help rhe tail to wag the dog. That's a bad thing.

There's a reason that most people who tow regularly buy 3/4 and 1 ton rigs, they're made for the abuse.

 

you got that right strange . one thing tho a boat trailer wont have electric brakes it'll have surge brakes if any at all . then with surge brakes you CAN'T use a w/d hitch . by using one it basicly makes the surge brakes inoperative . as i originally said . i wouldnt tow 5000# on my truck on a regular basis and i have overloads , a 5.0 an auto and 3.55:1 rear gears . i wouldnt even think about doing it at all if all i had was a 2 liter v-6 . forget that noise !!!......lol

 

Ummm... do you have a ranger? "1989 V6 2L F150 supercab 2WD". Still dont know whats wrong with this? Unless your truck blew its original motor and had a a "V6" put in your truck doesnt have a "V" anything if it is a 6 cylinder. The 4.9 is very strong, but all that stuff about brakes,trailer,weight,etc., is true. But then again you might have a ranger, not a f150. Not looking to make enemies (i'll need this place too much in the future), just helping clarify a situation.

 

Ford dropped the 3.8 (?) V-6 in some light-duty 150s during that era to help them meet CAFE standards. Not one of their better ideas.

 

Meant to attach this with my last post
http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/kw.kc.u...t&37&14;FT;D9&