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How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
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How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
Currently pull my 23 Contender with a 2000 Tahoe 4wd. Company is hinting at company car idea. I would then sell the Tahoe and get another tow vehicle. Most likely a truck. With it being pretty evident that I will eventually get a bigger boat (2 ft idis ). Probably looking at Ford and Chevy, but was thinking about a 2500 or F-250. Gas or diesal? Most likely move to a 25 or 27 ft boat. Thanks
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
The 23' mark can be a cross over point as the weight and fuel mileage between Gas and Diesel....
I know ther will be as many ansewers and there are question's but 23-25' mark the change ...Good luck ...John
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
The question you ask is really too complex to answer with a simple size.. You must take into account the terrain (hilly or flat), the type of boat (which you mentioned), motor(s) and their weight, trailer (single/tandem/triple) and it's tongue weight, altitude when applicable, etc... You get the idea. You can take a 23 foot bay boat and tow it with a 1/2 ton with relative ease, but I wouldn't take a 23 foot Grady with a T-Top and attempt to tow it for any significant distance.. The wind resistance and weight combined make it like night and day compared to that bay boat...
I think you see where I am going.
To Answer your question though based on your post of towing with a Tahoe and probably going to a longer/bigger boat, then a diesel might be the way to go.. You failed to mention how far you tow, but assuming it's from your signature, Mt. P, I believe you are on the water or very close to it.. A 1/2 ton might be adequate.
Do you make any long road trips? If so, then get a diesel..
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
When it comes to towing bigger is better. Get a diesel with an automatic and you will never go back to gas. Ford ,GM,Dodge are all good. I currently have a Dodge and love it.
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
Bandit,
The diesel package will cost you about $4500 more than the gas engine. It takes a lot of miles to make that up with just fuel savings. However, if you're going to tow then get the diesel. Hands down the diesel will give you better towing performance, especially in hills. If you tow in hills, remember the diesel does not have very good engine braking. You'll need an exhaust brake.
I have a '99 F-350 diesel. Just for towing and hauling, love it. Not towing, 18mpg hwy, 15mpg in town. Towing 5K boat, 13mpg, 12K fver 9mpg.
I don't really care about fuel mileage, just towing performance. If I want fuel mileage then I'll use my '03 Jetta Turbo diesel. 800 miles per 15.74 gallons. Tampa to New Orleans in one tankful in a real car. Hybrid, shmybrid!
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
I had a 2002 Eddie Bauer Expedition. When I loaded it with 4 guys, all of our gear, and pulled HOT SPOT fully loaded to Chesapeake from Sanford, I thought I was going to kill that 5.4 gas V8. Terrible gas mileage also.
After I returned from Chesapeake, I told the Admiral I was going to go see "Tom Smith" about a Super Duty. If you are from NC, you know who I am talking about.
Anyway, like someone else said in this thread, I will never go back. To this truck, HOT SPOT is like a flea on a ROTTWEILER's ass.
2003 F250 SuperDuty 4Dr FX4 Lariat Trim
22mpg Hwy, 15mpg city, 14mpg haulin' ass with HOT SPOT.
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How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
there is only one real answer and that is get the diesel...ford or chevy equally good, dodge eats trannies and the whole country will tell you this, don't let anyone tell you otherwise
they tow much better than gas...i go to horseshows quite often, 75 percent of trucks are diesel and it makes the ladies believers as they do most the towing
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
What RealWork said. It depends on a lot of factors. It is much deeper than a gas vs. diesel debate. I do a fair amount of towing (268 miles 1 way) year round but get rid of my trucks at around 75K miles. The diesel does not pay for me. I have owned both.
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
No one can really answer this question for you but I can give you my experience. Before I bought my Grady White 248 Voyager (with twin Yamaha F115's) I checked the listed weight of the boat and then looked for a truck which was supposed to be able to pull it. After the usual mental gymnastics one goes through in the gas vs diesel debate, I bought a GMC 2500 HD Crew Cab witht he 6.0L motor. Although the truck handled great pulling the boat the gas mileage was terrible when pulling (7-8 mpg). And, I couldn't use the cruise control when there hills around or all the shifting would drive me crazy. Therefore, after three years I traded the truck in for the exact same model except with the Duramax diesel.
Another thing to consider is that the actual weight you lug around is normally far greater than you would expect based on what the manufacturer tells you the boat weighs. After another post here on THT I took the old truck with the boat attached and had it weighed at a State Trooper check point. The entire rig without much gas in the boat weighed just under 14,000 pounds!
"But, he thought, I keep them with precision. Only I have no luck any more. But who knows? Maybe today? Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready."
The Old Man and the Sea
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
I'm in the "it depends" club. As noted, the diesel option will run you $4000-5000 extra. That is a lot of cabbage and unless you tow a long, LONG way, you will never make up the difference in fuel costs/economy.
Towing anything over 5000 lbs or in hilly terrain and you will wish you had a diesel. Don't forget to add in passangers and other cargo.
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
Dodge's eat trannies?? The earlier automatic ones pre 99 did -- they could not handle the torque from the Cummins (we had problems with them then).
We have several newer (1999s and newer) 3500s and 2500s in our fleet - all diesel, all automatic, all towing loads never less than 7,000# for setting equipment - no problems. My personal work truck is a '99 3500. 93k miles, virtually all towing, not a single problem. A Pyro guage, boost gauge and regular service is a must for a dedicated tow vehicle . . . .
When towing heavy loads, 5000#s plus, diesel is the only way to go.
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
The diesel option is $5000+ MSRP. Anyone here pay MSRP for their truck? I didn't think so. It's a LOT less when you look at it at dealer invoice pricing, and you get much of that back when you sell or trade. So it isn't really about how much you save in fuel. It's about being able to tow up a hill at a relaxed rpm vs having to listen to a gas engine screaming at twice the rpm.
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
Have to disagree on how long it takes to make up the differents in cost. I have a 2003 F350 with the 6.0 diesel I am getting 16mpg around town just driving. I have friends with the V8 and the V10 super dutys getting a whole lot less mileage than that, so the moral of the story is that it does not matter if you are towing are not the diesel will pay for it self a lot quicker that you think. Yes, I do pull a 31 Contender with it and really do not relize it is there.
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
You do not NEED a diesel engine in a truck unless you plan on towing more than 11,000 lbs or so. The only difference between the two is mileage. With a gas engine towing a heavy load expect below 10 mpg. A friend of mine had an Excursion with the V-10 and got 6 MPG when towing his boat. He now owns a Dodge Ram 2500 with a Cummins Diesel and gets around 14, I think.) 12,000 miles per year it will cost you around $1200 per year extra in fuel. Drive both, the diesel is different, and make your own decision.
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle??
Well, I'd say anything over 6500lbs or so, go for the diesel. I tow a lot with different trailers. I love the Sierra but on the big grades (4000'+) I get tired of downshifting and revving so much. If you DO get a gas engine, even the V10s or the 8.1 GM, still get the 4.10 gears. My ride:
How big a boat do you have to have to require diesal tow vehicle?? 
). Probably looking at Ford and Chevy, but was thinking about a 2500 or F-250. Gas or diesal? Most likely move to a 25 or 27 ft boat. Thanks 
The only better looking truck than your 250 is my 350 Ford diiesel automatic 
going down hill" 
