Re: 2WD + Limited Slip Differential Enough for Pulling?
When towing anything over 3000 lbs., there's just no substitute for a full size pickup truck. I towed my 24' Starcraft pontoon boat 350 miles with a Ranger 4 cylinder automatic, and it was quite a handful.
A tow vehicle doesn't just need to pull the load at normal acceleration levels. It must also handle turns at highway speeds and especially have adequate braking capabilities. (Most smaller pleasure boats don't have trailer brakes.)
Pontoon boats (and many other boats) are relatively long loads, but not especially heavy. Wind resistance is absolutely awful on a pontoon. Any boat/trailer can sway badly--requiring a very heavy tow vehicle, like a 1/2 ton pickup truck or larger for stability.
I switched over to a Ford F250 Lariat Crew Cab 2 wheel drive pickup a few years ago, and it's spec'd out for up to 13,500 lb. trailers/fifth wheels. I see 20 mpg unloaded and 15 mpg pulling a boat. With an 80 hp econo ECU flash and 700+ ft. lbs. of torque, my truck runs from 60 mph to 80 mph in 4 seconds flat.
The new 3/4 ton-heavy duty trucks if purchased in gas version are close in price to their 1/2 ton brothers. With the cost of diesels @ $7800 extra and diesel fuel $.69 more, a 6 litre gas 3/4 ton truck is far less expensive to purchase and run (than a diesel)--and will realistically pull up to 10,000 lbs. load.
But, there's nothing wrong with a V-8 1/2 ton two wheel drive pickup, new or old, to pull your boats with. It will do the job for most boaters.
When towing anything over 3000 lbs., there's just no substitute for a full size pickup truck. I towed my 24' Starcraft pontoon boat 350 miles with a Ranger 4 cylinder automatic, and it was quite a handful.
A tow vehicle doesn't just need to pull the load at normal acceleration levels. It must also handle turns at highway speeds and especially have adequate braking capabilities. (Most smaller pleasure boats don't have trailer brakes.)
Pontoon boats (and many other boats) are relatively long loads, but not especially heavy. Wind resistance is absolutely awful on a pontoon. Any boat/trailer can sway badly--requiring a very heavy tow vehicle, like a 1/2 ton pickup truck or larger for stability.
I switched over to a Ford F250 Lariat Crew Cab 2 wheel drive pickup a few years ago, and it's spec'd out for up to 13,500 lb. trailers/fifth wheels. I see 20 mpg unloaded and 15 mpg pulling a boat. With an 80 hp econo ECU flash and 700+ ft. lbs. of torque, my truck runs from 60 mph to 80 mph in 4 seconds flat.
The new 3/4 ton-heavy duty trucks if purchased in gas version are close in price to their 1/2 ton brothers. With the cost of diesels @ $7800 extra and diesel fuel $.69 more, a 6 litre gas 3/4 ton truck is far less expensive to purchase and run (than a diesel)--and will realistically pull up to 10,000 lbs. load.
But, there's nothing wrong with a V-8 1/2 ton two wheel drive pickup, new or old, to pull your boats with. It will do the job for most boaters.
