boat weight

[wannagofishin]

As any of you who have read some of my earlier posts know, i'm considering a boat purchase - but have this issue...

With all the talk of pulling...

Wondering - how can you find out the weight of a boat. The boat I'm interested in is no longer in production (hasn't been for some time).

I just have a 2002 Ford Escape - V-6 - it says without the tow package the Max weight is 2000 pounds - with it - it's 3500 pounds - but I don't have the tow package. Now admittedly - I'm not sure if adding a hitch and such is considered a "tow package" - or if they do something with the engine....so I'm going to assume my max is 2000 pounds...

I'm looking at a 1983 Thunderbolt bass boat - 15 1/2 foot - 80 HP mercury, single axle trailer...

Just don't want to get something that's going to screw up my vehicle or not be able to be pulled....

Any help?

[kcslabs]

One thing to keep in mind when they say 2000 or 3500 lbs that includes the weight of people in the car along with any other items.

[hogster]

Wannago a tow package consists of a trailer hitch,heavier rear springs,and usually a transmission cooler.They don't do anything to the engine.Best way to get the wieght of the boat is to take it to the scales and have it wieghed.
You can have either helper springs installed or load assist shocks ie.(heavy duty shocks with assist springs around them) installed to help carry the load of the boat.Those two are the least expensive route to hualing a heavier boat.But will cuase your vehicle to ride like a lumber wagon when the boat isn't on the back.Or you could have air bags installed that you would just air up when towing and it wouldn't effect your ride when not.
Hope this helps.Im a mechanic for GM so i see this quite abit of this stuff when people try to tow bigger boats with small SUV's.The most important thing you could do though is have a transmission cooler installed.Your Trans. will get pretty hot if you tow without one and shorten its life considerable:D

[wannagofishin]

but is a 15 -18 foot fiberglass boat considered a 'big boat'?

I guess my best option would be to ask the seller to weigh at some scales (and just cover his cost if any)

[hogster]

I would not consider it a Big boat no.And you should be fine pulling it with your SUV.But if you were going to go for really long pulls 200+ miles in hilly country i would definately do some work on the SUV as far as add ons and such.JMO

[drfishjd]

Hogs, should he be concerned with the weight of the Escape compared to the weight of the boat? My buddies have always warned me about having a boat that will push the car, making it hard to stop. Is that a big enough vehicle slow down a fiberglass boat?

[beagle man]

something to think about is the size of the car vs the boat It sure made a difference when I when I parked the tracker and went to the fisher way more noticable behind the truck. I think I would go with a trailer with trailer brakes,they would help the small auto.. JMO good luck what ever you decide. be safe not sorry

[Pole Bender]

Wannagofishin you are doing a good job of thinking your boat purchase through and you should also consider the boat trailer. I have seen way too many people ignore the trailer and have some real problems. Like everything else they must be maintained and in good working order. This can also make a difference is ease of pulling it. It takes very little time to do this right, I always check my tire pressure, grease my bearings, check leaf springs, lights, etc… before I leave the drive way. You may also want to install a hitch on your vehicle in order the change the trailer tongue height. If the trailer tongue is too high or to low it can cause the tow vehicle to bounce up and down as you are going down the road. You can also change the boat position on the trailer a little more forward or backward to get the best position for your individual set up. This may not seem like it is necessary but can make a difference when towing your boat on longer trips.

NADA also offers some information on boat weights when you look up used boat pricing. I did look up the model you are looking at and the weight was not listed, but have found the weight listed for other boats there.

[Chadku]

I think you would be ok...I have a Toyota Rav 4 and added a after market hitch.....its on a 4cyl engine....says it will tow up to 1500lbs and I have a 17ft Tracker which ends up around 1400lbs and it does just fine unless I am going up and down big hills all the time, but I do not have to worry much about that living in Kansas...

[hogster]

Hogs, should he be concerned with the weight of the Escape compared to the weight of the boat? My buddies have always warned me about having a boat that will push the car, making it hard to stop. Is that a big enough vehicle slow down a fiberglass boat?

Absalutely I would want a trailer with at least surge brakes on it to pull with a smaller SUV.60 mph panic stop and any boat will push ya a good distance further.But with trailer brakes in working order it don't effect it that much.