Towing with the 22RE?

[NorthernWoodsman]

So, I'm thinking about purchasing a small sailboat. Found a sweet deal that might be to good to pass and I've been wanting a sailboat for many years.

With that said, I'm wondering about towing the boat with my truck. The boat is 21' long, probably around 2,500#, plus trailer. I'm driving a 1994 4wd pickup with the 22RE.

Does anyone have any experience with this truck/motor combo and towing?

 

[corax]

Do you hae bigger than stock tires and if so, have you reared to match. What type of roads are around you? Are there alot of long uphill/downhill grades? Manual or auto trans?

Mostly flat or slight hills with stock size tires, or oversized but regeared, you should be fine.

 

[getlost4x4]

my toyota truck could barely get out of its own way when it was stock. there's no way in he** i'd ever tow with one. one small headwind and i was stuck going 55 mph in 4th.:Wow1:

 

[Mr. Leary]

21' and 2500lbs is a small sailboat? :elkgrin:

You'll be fine... just convince yourself that the people giving you the international sign of the bird are wishing you good luck and fortune as they speed past you! :smiley_drive:

 

[Owyhee H]

I tow with my 22re and it is fine but 2500# is a lot. I had a 94 PU and now have an 854runner. I pretty much try to stay below 1500# because that is what feels to be a good limit for my trucks. Im sure you can pull 2500# but braking and starting will wear heavily on your rig. How far were you planning on pulling? If its within 20 miles I say go for it but you have to decide.

22RE's are grrrrrrrreat.......:wings:

 

[getlost4x4]

put a V8 in it and some bigger axles. then you can tow just fine and safely.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

Thanks for all of the input.

I thought it would be a stretch to tow something that large with my truck. The plan would realistically involve towing the boat to and from the river every week or every other week to sail. Wishing I had enough extra cash flow to afford a slip for the summer. Then it'd be just be one tow there and another in the fall back home.

I would really have to upgrade the brakes and I'd probably end up having to rebuild my already old and tired trans. if I towed every week or so.

Got to do some more thinking on all of this.

 

[ntsqd]

Re-gearing would be the key to maximum clutch life, but you're not in a race. Americans tend to think that they need 400HP to tow a single jetski & trailer.
Surprise, you don't.

Brakes would be the bigger issue. Can you stop the truck and trailer? I would look into brake system upgrades. Not because the OE brakes won't stop it, but because some transplanted Californian is going pass you and then expect you to be able to stop like his/her sports car when they too miss the green light.

 

[tanglefoot]

It definitely works on fairly flat terrain. I hook up Dad's 18' runabout to my '85 4Runner every once in a while. It's 2200 lbs with the trailer. The braking isn't bad. It takes a little bit to get going, especially on an up-hill start. I use low-range on the boat ramp just to take it easy on the truck.

It won't always do the speed limit but just take it easy, feel at what speed the combo feels comfortable, and don't push it. The hurried folks can get around you.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

totally agree...

Re-gearing would be the key to maximum clutch life, but you're not in a race. Americans tend to think that they need 400HP to tow a single jetski & trailer.
Surprise, you don't.

Brakes would be the bigger issue. Can you stop the truck and trailer? I would look into brake system upgrades. Not because the OE brakes won't stop it, but because some transplanted Californian is going pass you and then expect you to be able to stop like his/her sports car when they too miss the green light.

like i need a 3/4 ton turbo diesel to haul my one dirt bike. haha.

my truck is geared for 235/75/15 tires and has 31/10.50/15 tires on it right now. I'm not so sure I have the extra money to re-gear the truck at the moment. Not even sure what I would need to re-gear to.

(By the way, having the larger tires on right now and wanting to keep that size when i upgrade to BFG A/T tires later this year; is there a different gear I should be running to compensate for the increased size, even though it is minimal?)

The brakes are decent and I definitely could stop the boat/trailer in the city, but on the highway might be a different story. I will definitely need a brake upgrade, which I want to do anyway. V6 truck, T-100 or Tundra brakes if they'll fit with 15" wheels.

Still not sure what to do. I might see if there are any extremely cheap slips I can rent so I can leave the boat in the water.

 

[tanglefoot]

I have the same situation with the 31x10.50 tires and stock gears. It hasn't been a problem. I've run 225/75 R 15's as well and I can't really feel a difference.

For those who do re-gear with 31x10.50's, they go to a 4.56:1 axle ratio. The stock ratio is 4.10:1. I have no plans to re-gear though. There's even a pop-up truck camper on the truck now and I think I'll still hitch on the boat too this summer. The boat has more engine than the truck, but that's alright.

 

[ntsqd]

Forget the Taco/Tundra brakes. They won't bolt up and they don't fit inside of a 15" wheel.

The best, easy upgrade is the V6 4rnnr calipers. Search IH8mud for details. If you're IFS then I think that you have the biggest rear drum brakes offered.

 

[DangT-100]

For the last 5-10 years I've watched this old boy pull a old school pontoon/house boat out of the water at the ramp with his '82? SR5 beat to ****-4x4.
Never saw him on the 1 road. East TN. so we have hills, give it a go. I pulled a 23' Paceship sailboat (heavy) with my '98 Tacoma 4 cyl.4X4. steep ramp & hills, slow but I'm used to sign langusge.

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

Here is a good site with a towing discussion.

http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=629550

Looks like your biggest concern might be with the front brakes. I bet you can search the site above and find more info on the subject.

I want to see a pic of the boat!:costumed-smiley-007


.

 

[slus]

Forget the Taco/Tundra brakes. They won't bolt up and they don't fit inside of a 15" wheel.

The best, easy upgrade is the V6 4rnnr calipers. Search IH8mud for details. If you're IFS then I think that you have the biggest rear drum brakes offered.

They make a kit to fit them on, and the taco/3rd gen 4runner calipers will fit inside lots of 15" wheels with a little love from the grinder.

http://frontrangeoffroadfab.com/nfo...d=136&osCsid=9bfaf80286832fd307d69f514760d29b