Ok I'm new here and have what might be a dumb question. I have a03 f150 screw and tow a 240 sundancer boat. The "boat people" tell me it weighs 5300 to5700 lbs dry. Add 20 gal of freash water and 70 gal of gas can anyone tell me if i'm overloading my truck? Any help would be great.

 

well, I don't know what your owner's manual says for rated towing capacity (fleet ford site doesnt have that particular one, it looks like). But you can plan on 8.1 lbs per gallon on the water (162 lbs) and about 6.5 lbs per gallon on the gas (455 lbs) for a grand total of 5917 to 6317 lbs. This of course may or may not include the trailer, depending on what "the boat people" took into account.



EDIT: Just looking up on Edmunds, it says that if it is a 4wd, your rated capacity is 7700 lbs, and 8000 lbs for 2wd.

 

Thanks for the help my manual says GCWR is 13500 but i don't know how much my truck weighs? it is a 4x4 5.4l. I've tried to find a scale to weigh them both but haven't had any luck.

 

Well, assuming a 6500 lb boat, and 13500 GCVW, your truck would have to be over 7000 lbs to go over. I only have an extended cab, but my truck weighs 5200. Your screw would be hard pressed to be 1800 lbs heavier than mine. I wouldnt worry about it. I personally have towed almost 7000 lbs on a 5000 mile trip with no major issues.

 

Thanks muchly

 

Whatever your rating is, I will say this. Chances are nothing will happen but if you are involved in a wreck and you are over the limit of that vehicle, you are putting yourself in serious legal risk if blame needs to be placed on someone. Believe me, lawyers will bring it up that you were knowingly overloading the vehicle.

 

At least a boat is aerodynamic.
I'd fill those tanks when I got to where the heck I was going.

 

Tom here is what I tow with mine. It tows it fine with my family of 4. It was a bit heavy for my 02 4x4 with a 4.6 and 3.55 gears though.
My boat weights 4500lbs dry, plus the trailer 1,100lbs plus the fuel, water and gear it's at 6,500lbs plus the family. I can't see you being over weight with what you have but your closer to it than I am.
Wellcraft Martinique 2400

 

Whitecrystal nice boat I've got a quickload trailer identical to yours. Did you put air bags to level your truck and do you have a weight distribution kit for yours? If you do how does that work or hook-up?

 

Thanks, I bet yours is pretty sweet too. I like SeaRay boats but my pocket isn't deep enough to own one right now.
No airbags yet. I might do them later but with the boat hooked up to the truck right now sits level. The only reason I may do them later is if I do a level kit up front I'll need them so it will stay level when it's hook up. No weight distribution kit either. My truck tows it really well, absolutely no problems and I don't see a need for it. I don't know why you would need it either. Is your boat sitting on the trailer where it needs to so that you have 8-15% tongue weight?

By the way have you checked out or are you already a member http://www.boated.com/default.asp

 

no i haven't checked out that site but i will. my truck sags in the back a little but my boat has to be sitting in the right spot. My trailer is identical to yours so once you hit the winch point it's all the way on. Correct? This is my first boat and I've had it about three years, granted we have only got 150hrs on it. My wife wanted the sea ray it is a nice boat but did have a few quality issues when we bought it new. 60k for the boat and trailer. But atleast I can write off the interest on my taxes.

 

The winch bracket should be adjustable so the boat can be shifted forwards or backwards on the trailer bunkers. You would need to loosen the U bolts on the winch bracket to do this and then you can slide the bracket where it may need to be. Did the dealer set the trailer up for you?
One way (and there may be an easier way to do this) to see what your tongue weight ratio is, is to weigh the boat and trailer to see exactly what it weighs. Then weigh the tongue so you can calculate the percentage. You need to weigh the tongue at the same hight it is when it's hooked up to the truck. Measure what that hight is and after you get that you can use the wheel on the tongue jack to adjust it to that hight and use the scale under the wheel.

Ditto that

 

The winch bracket should be adjustable so the boat can be shifted forwards or backwards on the trailer bunkers. You would need to loosen the U bolts on the winch bracket to do this and then you can slide the bracket where it may need to be. Did the dealer set the trailer up for you?
One way (and there may be an easier way to do this) to see what your tongue weight ratio is, is to weigh the boat and trailer to see exactly what it weighs. Then weigh the tongue so you can calculate the percentage. You need to weigh the tongue at the same hight it is when it's hooked up to the truck. Measure what that hight is and after you get that you can use the wheel on the tongue jack to adjust it to that hight and use the scale under the wheel.

Ditto that

Damn server busy problem

 

You might check into super springs to help with the sag http://www.supersprings.com/

 

Thanks i'll have to do that when i get the boat out of storage. The dealer did set up the trailer, I think? I just went in and said i want that boat and a trailer and they said ok you can pick it up this weekend the captain took us out gave us a little 45 min speel and i was a boat owner. learned the hard way not to go into shallow water on the mississippi. 400 bucks to straiten out the props and two cases of beer to have the skeg welded on.