So,

Came to cabin to take 18' fish/ski boat back to Il. to trade in. Hooked it up today and pulled around lake to make sure all is well.

I was pleasantly surprised that I did not even know it was there. I used to joke about that with the 6.0, but i did feel it somewhat. With the new truck I did not feel it. This trailer does not have brakes.

Will see what it is like on Monday when I do the 4 hours trip to Il. So far so good...... Can't wait until summer to pull the 31' TT. (and pulling the new boat back up to cabin)....

Edit with pic....The pup's pic is just for me......

 

Can't wait to pull with mine. I've had it for 3 months now and haven't hauled anything yet. I have a 38' fifth wheel that weighs around 18k. I almost want to pull it out of storage just to see how she hauls! Oh well, I'll get my chance soon enough .

 

I felt the same way. Even though this "pull" was pretty weak, I was glad to do it and experience it.

 

You'll enjoy it even more with the drive to IL.
The only time I know when my equipment trailer is behind me is when it's empty under 40 MPH.
It tends to bounce quite a bit but that's heavy axles and high PSI tires for you.

 

You are so right. The only time I feel it is with the bounce. Off to the store to get some grease for the wheels. This thing has sat mostly for the last 5 years.

This is a Tracker fish/ski. The new one is a Star craft deck boat. Can't wait for the season. Link here if you care to take a peek..

Starcraft Marine: Showroom - Deckboat - Star Step I/O Series - Model 221 IO - Specifications

 

Nice. Only thing is that low speed idle steering is nearly impossible on those I/O drives! It will take you a while to learn how to get it on the trailer at the ramp!

 

Nice. Only thing is that low speed idle steering is nearly impossible on those I/O drives! It will take you a while to learn how to get it on the trailer at the ramp![/QUOTE]

Great, thanks...Something else to over think. . I was all wacked out about launching/trailering the last one (first boat). Eventually (when trailering) I would put the trailer in and just walk the boat up to the trailer and then crank it in. Got me wet, but it was easy.

With the new one, I am not sure I can do that as it is heavier. I have heard some folks put on tabs that are supposed to help at idle speeds. Will see. I will wait for mid-week sometime when the ramp is empty to figure it out. Don't need to provide entertainment for the weekend crowd....

Fun problems to have.......

 

Well I did not mean to pull you down so hard! I used to have a bass boat with the outboard and could drive that thing backwards with great precision and my dad had a deck boat like you are getting and I could not handle that thing to save my life! When I was a kid we used to goof off on Fox Lake and run through the channels and locks, I would be scared to do that with that I/O deck boat but I'm sure it gets better with experience.

Honestly, I just wanted to throw that out that they are hard to steer......have fun with it.

 

No worries, get your point. Have read the same on boat forums. I tend to get all wackey and over-think with new toys. Have read there is a product called "smart tabs" that may help.

Hopefully experience helps or I am going to embarase myself. Would not be the first time though.

Back to forum.......Can't wait to drive back tomorrow with boat. Should be fun.

 

jack_pine - I see you are in N IL - I live in Grayslake. You will really enjoy towing with this truck. I've had my F250 since Jan 3rd and have been towing 2 diff size snowmobile trailers back-n-forth to the UP mostly to follow the snow. One trailer is a 2 place 14ft plus v-nose hard side all aluminum enclosed and the other a steel frame 20 ft plus v-nose enclosed, so there is a lot of difference in unloaded weight.

I've made 4 trips so far - about 2800 miles total towing and the towing ability of the truck amazes me - especially coming from an anemic 2003 5.4 F150 - which always did the job for me but witha heck of a lot of noise and drama.

This past weekend we used my truck again to tow the heavier trailer which belongs to my buddy to Muninising up in the UP. My buddy who owns a 2010 Dodge Cummins took over driving at Escanaba and after a while he told his son and I - "I thought you were kidding about not feeling the trailer behind you, but I can't even tell there is a trailer hooked up". We were looded with 5 sleds - so around 2500lbs in tare, plus the trailer weight of about 3000lbs for around 5500 total.

The only think I do not like is the bounce you get with these trucks from the spacing of expansion joints on some concrete freeways.

 

Just got home. Was like driving without a tow. Granted only 18' boat. I did not feel any bounce but may have been the roads.

All good.

 

Nice to hear you got back alright Jack_Pine...

I can't wait to put a load on mine and hit the mountains either, I am @ 560 miles so I could tow but do not have a reason to...maybe I should go fishing and give it an easy tow to start with.

 

This was surely an easy tow. Like I said, in the 6.0 I used to feel this boat. Not in this truck. Drove slow as the trailer has not moved in awhile.

Drove 55 whole way and average went from 16.3 to 17.1. There is surely a sweet spot as far as mileage goes. Just not sure I could drive that slow to get it....

 

It is hard to keep the speed down when all you want to do is get there

The previous truck was a 2500HD Chevy 6.0 gasser and it did OK as I originally bought it to tow a 3500lb Stratos bass boat.

Then came the 3000lb slide in Bigfoot camper.

And of course the upgrade on the boat to a 4000lb boat hanging off of a 2+ foot extension.

Then it became a bit off a chore, being my first diesel I am itching to see how this one handles the load.

P.S. - I did tow the bigger boat with a Ford 7.3 F350 once to Lake Powell (300 miles away) over the moutains in Flagstaff and it pulled like a dream...

 

Fishingnut...

Prob off topic, what is you boat? I am trading a 18' tracker fish/ski for a starcraft 22 i/0.