Let's see your Tow rigs with your boat!

[MNStCroix]

Hey everyone! I just recently joined the chat.. we will be placing the order to build a 2023 R8S on Friday, hopefully completed Feb/March. We are upgrading from a 2019 Chaparral 21 H2O. Super excited and it will help get us thru the long MN winter. My question is this. Currently I have a 2015 Suburban LT with the max tow package which gets me 8,000 lbs tow capacity. It has the trailer brake control also. The R8S with trailer I think is in the 7,700 lbs range. Is that cutting it too close?

[CobaltDeadHead]

I think you are underestimating the weight of the package. It is listed as having a 6700# dry weight. I imagine a trailer for that size boat exceeds 1000#. Add a little bit of fuel and you are over 8k # easily. Probably more like 9k #

I question whether even an Expedition or Wagoneer with their higher towing capacity are beefy enough to tow an R8 safely. Getting it moving won't be an issue, but stopping might be.

[MNStCroix]

Thanks. Yes and I don’t want to make it dicey to be towing it around. We keep the boat moored on the water all summer so I’m not towing it around that much. I may explore trading in the Suburban for a used F-150 with max tow package which can get 12-14k lbs capacity. Does anyone have any thoughts on the F-150 for towing an R8S?

[AsLan7]

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Hey MNStC...so glad you found us.

Yes you will exceed the max towing capacity of your Suburban with that R8 boat and trailer set up. The dry weight of the R8 is 6400 pounds excluding fluids (dry ). Add another 500 plus pounds for your 80 pound fuel tank, 200ish pounds for gear and at least 1800 pounds for that trailer. That will push you easily north of 8,900 pounds.

There are always two tow rating specifications to consider when towing. Max tow rating and the other forgotten one....Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). This is the maximum weight rating for the vehicle stamped on the plate normally on a door or door sill. You are able to calculate if you are exceeding this value by taking the vehicle curb weight (which includes fluids) and adding your tongue weight of your tow rig (normally 10% of your rig or in your case roughly 900 pounds) and your occupant & cargo weights. Add these all up and make sure they do not exceed GVWR.

Here is a great summary about towing weights and a helpful answer to your F150 question.

And as a general rule, tow vehicles these days are great at pulling with advances in engine design allowing for increased torque and horsepower. The larger concern is normally can you stop that load safely.

How did you spec out your R8?

And welcome aboard mate!

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[Snowman8]

Thanks. Yes and I don’t want to make it dicey to be towing it around. We keep the boat moored on the water all summer so I’m not towing it around that much. I may explore trading in the Suburban for a used F-150 with max tow package which can get 12-14k lbs capacity. Does anyone have any thoughts on the F-150 for towing an R8S?

I have a R5 on a custom Loadmaster trailer and I was told from Loadmaster that my trailer weighs 1800lbs. Keep that into consideration because a trailer for an R8 should be all of that.
I tow that easily with my wife’s F150 and wouldn’t hesitate to tow an R7 or 8 with our F150. Heavy trailers don’t bother me one bit though because quite often I am pulling trailers close to the 15,000lb range with my F350. Some will say that is too much for a F150 I wouldn’t worry about it. To each their own. I run load range E tires on our F150 and I realize it doesn’t change the trucks payload but they definitely make the truck more stable.
I would recommend getting a trailer with electric brakes or electric over hydraulic brakes though. I wouldn’t want surge brakes on a trailer of that size.

[MNStCroix]

Thank you Aslan and Snowman for your responses both with helpful information. I'm thinking so long as I am cautious, have trailer e-brakes, and avoid too much grade (3-4% or more) I should be ok with a F150 with max tow package. If anyone else thinks I am wrong in that please speak up!

As for my R8S build out.. will be finalizing the specs in two days with the dealer.

[dsthomas]

Thank you Aslan and Snowman for your responses both with helpful information. I'm thinking so long as I am cautious, have trailer e-brakes, and avoid too much grade (3-4% or more) I should be ok with a F150 with max tow package. If anyone else thinks I am wrong in that please speak up!

As for my R8S build out.. will be finalizing the specs in two days with the dealer.

Congrats on your new boat you'll love it. My 2022 R8 surf with a tank of gas on our boat mate trailer weighs in on the cat scale at around 9,300 pounds. Just fyi. We love our R8S I'm sure you will as well!

[MNStCroix]

Great information DSthomas, thank you!
On your R8S.. is there anything you wish you did different on the build out or any recommendations based on having used your boat?

[dsthomas]

We are really happy with our options.

We did the frost slate interior with white stitching, Prizma Folding Arch with rotating sunshade, wireless phone charger, larger Garmin screens, Platinum sound with arch speakers, rear facing camera, soft-trac on the gunwales, triton wakeboard racks, covers for speakers and racks, bow filler cushions, Cockpit heater, electric helm seat, led interior lighting, softrac mat in the cockpit, stainless steel foot tread, storage compartment lighting, transom lighting, and the wood interior accent package, battery charger, underwater lights, and I’m a trim tab guys so we got those as well.

Of those options the only one looking back that I think wasn’t worth it is the electric seat, i got it because I thought it’d be nice to adjust up and down… I think in the long run it’ll go out or break, so thats the only thing I really regret getting that I wouldn’t do again… the under water lights we’ve had before, I really like them when we use them but we don’t use them real often so those would be the second thing to go if I HAD to AX something. The heater was all my wife, that’s not something I’d do but it made the admiral happy so we ordered it. We are a year in and she loves it and we’ve had a few cooler nights so she has been using it, though sometimes I think it’s more to prove me wrong than it is for actual heat :0), only one person can benefit from it because it only really works through the pull out hose, but she’s the only one of the four of us that needs/wants it so it works out.

[MNStCroix]

Yes keep the admiral happy! Glad you are loving the setup.

[sailor55330]

Welcome- Unfortunately, I think the advice is spot on....your 'Burb is gonna protest and puke with that weight. An F150---maybe for shorter distances, but I wouldn't go across the country with that on the back of a 1/2 ton personally. The good news is it sounds like you aren't trailering far and MN is pretty flat (former resident). Regardless, get the best trailer you can and definitely EOH or electric. I wouldn't even think of trying it with surge brakes.

[Tuscany]

Suspension, power etc…vehicles specked for towing have other factors considered.. Engine and trans cooling comes to mind first.
Next, and even more critical, without the correct speced rear end, an overloaded differential may not be able to handle the load and heat will build, and fail.
The other is brakes. Smaller trucks have smaller brakes which isn’t ideal when faced with an emergency stop.
Short tows aren’t as big of a deal, but on a long tow, you better have the right equipment.

[AsLan7]

Suspension, power etc…vehicles specked for towing have other factors considered.. Engine and trans cooling comes to mind first.
Next, and even more critical, without the correct speced rear end, an overloaded differential may not be able to handle the load and heat will build, and fail.
The other is brakes. Smaller trucks have smaller brakes which isn’t ideal when faced with an emergency stop.
Short tows aren’t as big of a deal, but on a long tow, you better have the right equipment.

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Hey T . Great to hear from you buddy. How’s the meat biz?
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[Krob1114]

I'm just wondering if this is the most popular thread on the website?

[dsthomas]

I'm just wondering if this is the most popular thread on the website?

Yeah... who doesn't like to show off their boat