I have a smallish 17 foot cobia I/O fiberglass boat and I was wondering if I could pull it with a 1994 2wd toyota pickup? Not sure of the weight of the boat and trailer, but I don't even notice them behind my lifted 1971 blazer. Yup, gas prices are what's making me ask. The blazer tows fine, but gets 11 mpg. I do have lake ontario 15 miles to the north, but would like to check out other boat launches in the fingerlakes region. Max distance one way would be 60 miles. The toyota does have one of the decent aftermarket bumpers on it with a 2 inch ball, and I can pick up the tongue of the boat by myself. That said, the other thing I am worried about is the toyota not being able to get the boat out of the water. Should I add weight in the bed for traction?
Have you towed the boat with the truck yet? If not, hook it up and see what the performance is. And yes I would worry about the ramp. Put two mud terrain tires on the back and add some weight. One thing you could do for the first time up the ramp is take a friend along who has a winch on his vehicle.
Thanks, It does have 29 inch aggressive allterrains on it now. Weight in the bed, and bring a buddy.opcorn:
I pull my buddies '78 18' Bayliner w/ a SBC in it with my S-10 and it manages. It is slow and I have to ride the clutch alot to start on hills but it manages. It is probably pushing 3500-4000lbs loaded with the trailer. I pull it off of my bumper with a 2" ball. The thing I would be afraid of on the ramp is roasting my clutch not spinning the tires. I would find a steep hill around town and try to get the load moving on that 1st. Good luck and post pics!!
Hardest part is getting the boat out of the water. If the ramp is wet, you are done for. A picture of the pickup and boat would be really helpfull.
