HEAVY load towing experiences?

[GJarrett]

First off, I know the safety police will arrest me, but I'm still considering hauling a very big boat with my Explorer. Maybe.

I've already logged a lot of experience hauling this for several summers a few years ago:

That boat weighed 4,300lbs dry. I estimate that loaded with fuel/fluids and the trailer added, it had to weigh at least 3 tons. IIRC my '99 Explorer 4x4 with tow package was rated at 5,680lbs (?) so I was a little over the rating.

We are shopping for a bigger cruiser for this summer and really want to go up to a 25 footer (classic two-footitis, for you fellow boaters that know what that is LOL). The dry weight of the model we are looking at is 5,100lbs. That means I'm probably looking at a 7,000lb+ haul. Towing would be short range; our favorite lake is a 40 mile drive.

The boat I towed before felt at the very top of what my Explorer could handle. I stayed out of overdrive, drove very conservatively with long following distances from vehicles in front of me, never exceeded 60 mph, etc; and always made sure the boat was nearly empty of fluids (a full gas tank would add another 400lbs weight).... and seemed to do "okay".

To go bigger I know that brakes/cooling/transmission/etc will have to be upgraded - but at some point it won't matter; if I actually got in an emergency traffic situation, I am fully aware that the load will totally take over the much smaller Explorer. However a 3/4 ton or one ton pickup can haul HUGE loads much bigger than the truck, so the physics are similar and people do that all the time.

My question: does anyone have any experience towing a 7,000lb+ load with their Explorer? Has anyone even tried it?

PS: comments on my sanity are also welcomed, but please keep it civil I will probably forego doing this after more thought, but do wonder if anyone has tried it before.

 

[Jumpjets]

That boat looks like a fat guy in a little coat! Such a big boat wearing a little explorer. Between the lift and heavy boat, your transmission is a hand grenade with the pin pulled.

I have a 2002 xploder, and I pull a 5000lb boat/trailer combo. My xploder feels like it's on it's limits for acceleration, and I want to trade it for an F-150. I have an additional trans cooler, a trans temp gauge, and aftermarket brake rotors and pads.

I wouldn't tow your monster boat anywhere at more than 5mph.

 

[Anime]

The tow rating is for a stock Explorer. LT-rated tires in the stock size and a weight-distributing hitch ups the tow rating a bit more. However, lifting the vehicle, using larger than stock tires, and other such modifications actually affects the tow rating negatively. It also affects how the vehicle handles when towing, and when towing a heavy load at or over capacity.

It will pull the boat all day long, that's not the issue. The thing about towing is in having the tow vehicle in control of the load, not the tow vehicle at the mercy of what it's towing, especially on a public road. When the tail is wagging the dog, you want a bigger dog for the tail.

I've towed heavy loads, some long distance, and the base Explorer seems fine up to 2 tons or so, the later models as you've found out seem ok to 3 tons or so, but that's really at the limit and for people who are into taking the risk and can deal with monitoring the load all the time and driving really, really carefully.

Most people I know who towed heavy stuff with their Explorer eventually bought an Expedition to tow with and never looked back.

I look at it this way, if you've got the extra money to blow on a huge boat, you have the money to blow on a bigger vehicle to tow it with. Otherwise, you're putting the cart before the horse, or trying to use your smaller previous horse to tow your much bigger cart.

 

[GJarrett]

Well, money for a boat doesn't mean we have twice the money to figure in a truck too. We're by no means loaded with money and don't have enought to blow on more than we can afford.

I agonized over this because I have found that I can get the 2 ft bigger cruiser for about the same price as the smaller one. The more I think about it there really is no way to add another half ton load onto the one I already hauled before.... that really was at the top of what the Explorer can do. I have a very beefy build on my tranny but it's still a 5r55e, and nothing changes the fact of the size difference between the boat and the Explorer.

I'll settle down, get some sense, and shop for the smaller cruiser. I didn't really need the extra burner in the galley and shower in the head anyway LOL.

 

[Anime]

If you don't have the money for the vehicle needed to tow it and everything else to go along with it, you can't afford it. Plenty of people could "afford" a boat if only they could tow it with their existing vehicle, had a place to put it, didn't have to register it, license the trailer, pay for the maintenance, etc. etc.

Why not get an even smaller boat that's the right size for what you're doing with it, instead of just getting the biggest possible one? If your intended use is trailering it to your favorite lake 40 miles away, launching, going out on the lake for the day, then putting it back on the trailer and trailering it home each time you decide to take a trip, it sounds like you're going overboard with a giant cruiser. Those are the kinds of boats that you launch once a year, have sit at the marina or moored at your private beach, then put back on the trailer and put into storage at the end of the season. There are plenty of lighter boats that are almost as long and fit plenty of people comfortably, but just don't have a kitchen, bathroom, living room, and several closets, as if you need that on a boat you'll be on for just a few hours at a time. In addition to the benefits of a lighter boat when towing, it also makes a lot of sense to get a boat that's of a size you can handle yourself at the boat launch, unless you have a dedicated crew every time you go out.

 

[GJarrett]

I apologize for being unclear; it is my fault. You are very right that if one does not have the money to properly afford everything concerning the boat, they cannot afford it. We are trying to stay below that line precisely because we know that fact.

You misunderstand our use for a boat. I've spent a lot of time on the water and the boat in the photo above gave us many sweet memories spent on the hook for many days at a time before landing ashore. I don't trailer a boat, launch it, and then pull it back out the same day - it's usually three days at the least; usually much more. The haul to the lake may be short but the time spent on the water is not. The boat you see in the photo above was never retrieved back to the trailer until after she spent at least two days on the water once we launched her, and most of the time it was longer than that.

I didn't feel the need to explain everything in my original post but it is obvious I should have; we hope to enjoy it in more places than our local lake. We plan for the next boat we buy to keep us for a couple of weeks vacation on the ICW; and sooner or later will probably join a flotilla crossing to the Bahamas enroute to the Abacos and/or Bimini.

The difference between our former '93 Sea Ray 230 Sundancer and a late 90's 250 Sundancer is enormous when you contemplate the comfort factor on that voyage. My current focus is now steering towards a 1996-1999 240 Sundancer that weighs basically the same as our former 230 Sundancer, and I'll go back to this original plan now that I'm second guessing the extra half ton of the extra foot in length of the 250. I found a GREAT deal on a 250 which is what triggered this thread... I could keep it at my local lake, but never be able to haul it to the other places we want to go without buying a truck. The choice is between a bigger boat with the amenities that we need on a voyage that we cannot haul it to go enjoy there, or back off a foot and live with what we can afford to take where we want to and enjoy the other 90% of the time.

Thanks for the food for thought. Both of you are right - I suppose I just needed to get that twofootitis out of my system over the weekend.

 

[tdavis]

No reason for the hauling part you could not always rent the truck from Home Depot.. Just kidding.

 

[Anime]

You're still over the load rating even if it's 3 tons. The tail is still wagging the dog.

The deal on a 250 seems like the perfect excuse to get a dedicated tow vehicle to do the things you want to do with the boat you want. The ease of towing, the lack of frazzled nerves, the luxury of going ALL the places you want to go because you don't have to make compromises, the sheer comfort of getting in and hauling the boat without worry, that's gotta be worth the cost of a bigger tow rig.

Think about it this way - What is your life worth? What is the life of your passengers worth? If something happens, will you look back and be glad you saved that money, or will you look back and regret how foolish it was to try and tow with a smaller, lighter vehicle, when you knew you were over the rating and pushing your luck towing something so big with it?

At some point, at some steep boat launch, at the right angle, you might want to have that V8 and the extra weight and torque:

I'm not suggesting you take out a loan and buy a new SUV you can't afford. There are plenty of older vehicles out there for a few thousand. Even less if you get something with say, a busted trans and have it rebuilt or put in another. You might be able to have your cake AND eat it too, and have something else to drive when working on the Explorer.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Please say you have e-brakes. Too many people get wrapped up in what they can pull without thinking about what they can stop, going downhill, when someone in front them panic stops...

 

[thebrakeman]

Seems like I've been on your past thread, but I don't feel like spending time looking it up.

You are overloaded now. If you have some money now, you need to upgrade your tow vehicle with at least 8000 lbs tow rating. In Ford speak, that's an Expedition, F250, or an F150 with the MAX tow package. Find something older and make it a decidated tow vehicle. Then you can keep the jacked-up Explorer for rock-crawling or whatever else you do.

Then save your pennies and get the bigger boat later.

 

[GJarrett]

Thanks for the replies. I've slept on it and will let the great deal go. Those of you with boat owning experience know that the cost of the boat is just a small part of what it takes to keep one. While we can budget enough for owning and keeping a boat, we cannot at this time add the expense of another vehicle on top of that - not to mention nowhere to park three vehicles and a boat that size (no marina slips are currently available and there is a waiting list). I'll wait until I buy an Expedition or other similar vehicle before thinking about another boat.

 

[Albino 94LTD]

Smart move Gerald.

Boat deals do come around fairly frequently and you may be in a better position to afford it and all the accouterments when it does.

 

[Stic-o]

I would suggest buying an old f350 for a couple grand just to tow one.

 

[blue_goose]

This post is old so i doubt anyones reading it anymore but I was in a similar situation, not with a boat but a giant trailer to move with. You can find a 1970-80+ 3/4 or 1 ton truck that runs well for dirt cheap. I was looking at running 4x4's for $800. That would handle the boat no problem although many would consider it an eyesore!! Just a thought....

 

[GJarrett]

Well, judging from former replies to this thread I suppose a few will still be concerned about my sanity and safety on the road, but I'll fess up and write this post. We don't have a place in our driveway to put a fourth vehicle and I'm already pushing the HOA neighborhood rules with what I already have, so unless I'm willing to sell my Explorer I cannot buy a tow truck.

I did find a compromise of sorts and scored a rare find that provides the best of both worlds as well as possible.

In post #6 I described the '96-'99 Sea Ray 240 Sundancer model which is basically the same weight as the boat we owned before. The head (that's the bathroom, for you landlubbers) of these boats still had the same design as our old 230 of being a VERY small closet with a porta-potti in it and nothing more. One major reason we wanted to go up to a 250 model was because the head was larger and included a vanity, sink, and shower.

You can look up archives of past models on Sea Ray's websight. Way at the bottom of the '99 240DA brochure there is an added note in the options section "Enclosed Fiberglass Shower w/Hot Water Heater & Upgraded Pressure Water System (Includes Transom Shower) Note: This option will be available later in the model year...date TBD." I've never seen one - and no one on the Sea Ray owner's forum I am a member of had ever seen one either. I was informed that the '99 1/2 model option never occurred.

Well, it did. I found one in Norfolk/Virginia Beach. It has spent its entire life in temperature controlled Boatel storage and the gelcoat finish still looks almost new. This is a fourteen year old boat that looks about three years old both inside and out. On top of that, in late 2009 the owner swapped in a new 5.0MPI engine.

Please say you have e-brakes. Too many people get wrapped up in what they can pull without thinking about what they can stop, going downhill, when someone in front them panic stops...

E-brakes aren't used on boat trailers (except in extremely rare circumstances) because of the issue of submerging their electric systems into water each time you use it. Surge brake systems are used. I bought a brand new 2013 trailer with custom-order dual disk surge brakes for this boat and they worked fabulously on the way back to South Carolina. I played with them at the start of my trip back - making test panic stops at increasingly abrupt/strong levels – and was extremely impressed with how well the system behaved. Coupled with my Explorer, eight disk brakes carry a lot of stopping power.

I set up my Explorer with a heavy duty hitch receiver rated at 750 / 7,500 lbs with a weight distribution hitch so I was good to go all the way up to my max tow rating. Norfolk is 450 miles from me and the pull was actually much easier than I remember the pull that the old boat gave me… that weight distribution system really works . With a tranny cooler installed + the stock tow package tranny cooler + synthetic fluid I wasn't worried about the tranny. Even if I wore it out I still have Herc's heavy duty tranny sitting in the garage waiting for the install into this Explorer anyway .

I weighed at a truck scale on the way home. The boat, on the trailer, with 100lbs of fuel onboard + three batteries + another 150lbs of boat stuff the owner gave me, weighed 6,020 lbs. So I nearly managed to sneak it under max but that put it about 300lbs over the stock max rating. I kept speeds down driving conservatively and never felt I was particularly unsafe or a danger to others on the road around me.

I found an enclosed storage facility only two miles from the boat ramp so the only time I’ll ever be towing it again more than a couple of miles will be an annual trip to somewhere else… we pretty much stay on the same lake because it is one of the most beautiful lakes in the country - no need to go anywhere else (except the Bahamas next year ) .

 

[blue_goose]

Yea, I guess not everybody likes the look of a old 1 ton sitting in their yard!! Very impressive boat, do you have a pic of it hooked to the Explorer? How did the suspension do? And what speed did you tow it at?

 

[GJarrett]

Sorry I don’t have a pic yet, but a photo would look similar to the one in post #1; the "new" boat is one foot longer but the trailer is 3ft shorter.

The suspension actually did better than what my vehicle feels like under normal use. My Explorer normally has a very truck-like ride but with the trailer attached it rode like a car. We set the tongue weight at 420 lbs (7% of 3 tons) while mating the boat to the trailer. I set the 600# weight distribution hitch system lightly and it transferred the load of the trailer well.

My Explorer has 4.10 gears rolling 33” tires which translates into a close match to stock 3.73 gearing. I kept the speed to a 60mph average which worked fine. Keeping the tranny out of OD I cruised at 60mph allowing a downhill gain to 65 mph and maintaining 55 mph uphill. Staying out of OD, downshifts were rare unless the hill was steep, and I am confident the two tranny coolers did their job.

 

[blue_goose]

Sounds good- I'm suprised it didn't downshift too much. I guess thats the beauty of the 2nd gen- my 3rd gen would ahve shifted all over the place with that kind of load!! 420 lbs isn't too bad either for the hitch. Enjoy your new toy!

 

[GJarrett]

I played with the speeds and anticipated the hills to minimize the shifting. I'd let the speed go up to 65 or so going down a hill so I'd be a little faster hitting the bottom when starting up the next hill. Then I'd advance the throttle just enough that it would not downshift while going up the next hill, bleeding off the excess speed down to 55mph or so before punching the throttle to keep it at 55mph. The vast majority of the hills were not steep enough to bleed off my speed down low enough to require the downshift, keeping them to a minimum.

 

[thebrakeman]

You're overweight big-time. But I guess you've simply accepted that risk.

Never seen a WDH system for a pole-tongue boat trailer.
"What'you talkin' 'bout, Willis?"
Got any pics of the hitch setup?