Guys, the old boat is now sold, and I'm shopping for a new one. Of course, following the rule of boat ownership, It HAS to be bigger than the last one.
This has created a problem. I've chosen the class of boat, but I still own a 1/2 ton truck. (F150) New trailer weight is going to be right below the max tow rating on the Ford. In fact, if I fill the gas tank on the boat it goes over by about 100 lbs. Tongue weight is within spec, and I have a receiver hitch. Boat and trailer together are 28 ft long and the trailer has brakes and tandem axles.
What do you think of this situation? Most of my tows are short range, 20 miles or so, though some of the areas can be hilly. Maybe five or six 800 mile trips a year. I'm also worried about the ability of getting the rig up the boat ramp. Some of them in this area are quite steep and long.
I've always preferred to stay at about 60/70% of the posted max tow rating, but buying a new truck AND a new boat really isn't possible.
Think I can do this without making a grenade out of the transmission?