Hauling a tomcat255

[joechiro30]

I really like the Ford F-150 v6 3.5L ecoboost 2015 aluminum frame. I want an everyday commuter truck that can hull a fully loaded tomcat from everett to westport a few times a year. I know there are several good trucks that can do this but I wanted to get input from people who have hulled their tomcat 255 in various ramps and hills.
What truck or class of trucks can you get away with? I am currently hoping that the f150 2015 v6 3.5 Ecoboost can do the job

We have a 2006 tomcat 255 with twin suzuki 150's

I appreciate the input as I am wanting to buy a truck

[gulfcoast john]

Hi Joe!
Excellent and common question.
I see from google maps you are posting about a one-way under 180 miles jaunt 'a few times a year'. The new Ford 150 is a remarkable truck by all accounts. The tow rating is marginal for a cruise-mode TC255.
http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/specifications/towing/
I am the only TC255 owner to put the damn thing on a truck scale and post about it... I got 11, 800# with 3/4 gas and 1/2 water, empty holding tank and your 'cruise mode' will vary...a LOT!
Full Gas alone weighs 900# in this mother, and your truck bed loading, and passengers, affects your overall tow rating a lot. Perhaps you will want to pump out 150 gallons of gas from the boat to lower your towed wgt. Perhaps you will not want to do that. I sure don't want to.
I would suggest you be honest with yourself and your loved ones you are hauling with this boat and put it on a scale in YOUR Westpoint Cruise Mode with Typical Gas load. If that added to All The Stuff you would put in the F150 pickup bed + the ACTUAL TC255 TOWED WGT is within Ford published limits, then you should go with the F150 3.5 Eco-Boost.
Unfortunately, I give you 95% odds you will be exceeding those safe limits. What you want to do about that is up to you. My impression of the best compromise is to buy an older (but not that much older) HD2500 diesel truck/SUV and be ready to safely tow anywhere in the country (Deisel FUEL here is $1.56 today). It can still be your commuter truck, and even with the diesel fuel, cheaper in the long run than a new F150. Run the math. It's a bear to park at WalMart, but, it tows that rig a LOT better...so much better you will never go back.
As far as 'what you can get away with', I just plain don't advise going there...ever. Not in your towed boy toys, not in your finances, not in your professional life, not in your boat battery bank capacity, and sure as hell not in your love life.
All that said, you should make your own decisions.
Cheers!
John

[Jake]

Not positive Joe but I believe that's a no vote from John.

From what I've read on this forum, don't think you're gonna get any yes votes except maybe from the guys who tow with the Toyota Highlanders.

Jake

[Gene Morris]

Joe;

We purchased our 2007 TomCat new and towed it from Portland area to Eureka Ca, with a 2002 Ram 2500 Diesel. Tow rated at 9900 lbs. It did Okay at first. But, the more we used it the weaker it got as a tow vehicle for as much weight as the Tomcat presented. The 1st trip to Blaine Wa. and BC cruise we had to tow up I-5. those long hills had us towing as slow as 10 MPH. I didn't want to spend the $ for a new truck so we tried to find new routes that would eliminate the longest hills. After three times doing this it became to much of a problem and worry, not to mention the extra miles and time to use these alternate routes. So we purchased a 2012 Ram Diesel High output truck, tow rating 13500. The first time going up I-5 the speed didn't drop below 55 mph. My suggestion is to get what ever truck you like that has a tow rating of at least 12500 to 13000 lbs. The diesel Fords all have that or higher rating. You will not be sorry for having more power than not enough power.

Just my two cents.

Gene

[joechiro30]

Thanks you guys for your input. I am now leaning more towards an HD 2500 ford truck diesel with a tow capacity of at least 12500lbs. I want to hull our tomcat to various parts of vancouver island that probably has many hills.

[Sea Wolf]

The 3/4 ton HD pickup with Diesel power seems to always come up as the final agreed upon non-nonsense answer in these discussions about towing a Tomcat and a CD-25 as well, over varied terrain and longer distances. Fortunately, the price of fuel is making that ownership a bit easier.

Joe.

[thataway]

Theoretically you could use the Ford F-150 v6 3.5L ecoboost , with 3.55 or 3.75 rear end--but then it would not be all that good a daily driver. (This gear ratio would give you up to 11,700 capacity...but I suspect that is with a 5th wheel hitch, not a class V hitch.)

Agree with the choice of the 3/4 ton Diesel. Also strongly consider electric over hydraulic brakes, with any of the Western grades you may encounter.

[Discovery]

My vote would be for the Ford F350 diesel truck. The same engine and torqshift trans as the F250, but heavier springs. The cost should be the same for an F250 or an F350. I have this set-up in a 2012 model. last summer we towed our TC 255 to Skagway Alaska with no problems. Loaded for a two month cruise.

[chriscarrera]

When we bought our tomcat my 2006 dodge diesel had no problem towing to Bellingham from the Bay Area. Anything less would be sketchy unless it's a couple of miles. We could just barely hold 60 mph going up the pass to mount Ashland with the truck floored, I was impressed.

[T.R. Bauer]

I just bought a 2015 F150 with the 5.0 and 3.73 gears. In crew cab form like mine, it is rated to tow just over 10,000 pounds. I don't think I'd dare try to pull a tomcat with it, but a CD 25 would probably be fine. With the 157 inch wheel base you'd think it would tow stuff like a dream, but I have only hooked the 22 up to it so far and that isn't much of a test. I think with the load of a tomcat, you want a F-250, F-350, or equivalent.

[joechiro30]

Anyone try to pull one with a toyota tundra 5.7l v8?

Any thoughts on it?

[Boomer]

You shouldn't even think of towing a Tomcat with an F150. You know it, I know it, and everyone reading this thread knows it.

[joechiro30]

[joechiro30]

[joechiro30]

I am going to rent the 2015 f150 3.5l v6 ecoboost and put it to the test.