Any experience towing a TomKat with an F-150 or similar?

[gulfcoast john]

Hi Kaelc!
The Big Three truck makers are market savy enough to only include the most advanced safety (and other cool) features on their more expensive models. Of course, Mercedes Benz does the same thing, and with time and economy of scale the costs come down and the same features eventually appear on all models.

Rear cross-traffic radar dash alerts and blind-spot radar alert (in rear view mirrors) are very helpful. The 7-camera Ultimate Trailering pkg with trailer backing aid is awesome. According to my manual, Ford’s Pre-Collision Assist system ‘charges’ the brakes but never applies them. “Brake support does not automatically apply the brakes. If you press the brake pedal, the system could apply additional braking up to maximum braking force, even if you lightly press the brake pedal.”

You want a trailer boat EOH system that is compatible with your in-cab controller, which should have a thumb slider mechanism which allows you to selectively and within a range apply ONLY the trailer brakes (when going down a steep hill in the Rockies, for ex). When you press the cab brake pedal, both tow vehicle and trailer brakes are applied proportional to pedal pressure (on the good models). Most use an inertia/pedulum to detect deceleration and require only a connection to a 4-pin plug under the dash. Direclink connects directly to the On Board Diagnostics plug as well, which is how it knows/alarms for transmission oil high temp etc. I doubt they have 10% of the overall market.

https://tusonrvbrakes.com/collections/direclink-brake-controller

BoatUS article on boat EOH trailers:

https://www.boatus.com/magazine/trailering/2013/february/electric-over-hydraulic-brakes.asp

One glance at the picture makes me suspect “Inadequate tow vehicle!” and I’m surprised BoatUS endorsed it by picturing it. I’d like to see the SUV specs and a truck stop scale weight ticket for that boat. But I digress…

Many features, like remote starting the truck engine using your cellphone, strike us as millennial era dumb.

Have you ever accidentally butt-dialed someone? No? It must just be me. Dumb way to run through 34 gallons of deisel at $3.60 a gallon plus DEF fluid.

Ford no longer includes any CD player in trucks. Hopefully we can connect the 8-track to play our Air Supply tapes.

Hope I answered your questions. Take the BoatUS article when you shop for a EOH trailer.

Cheers!
John

[localboy]

[Sealizard]

Just had our "new" 2006 Tomcat shipped from Washington. We asked the trucker to have it weighed at one of the truck scales enroute.

The combined weight of the 37 ft. galvanized EZ-Loader trailer, the 25.5 ft. boat with 4 batteries, twin Honda 150s, canvas, dinghy, dinghy motor, unknown quantity of fuel and water, and one bottle of wine and chocolate (from thoughtful previous owner) came in at 11,560 lbs.

Driver drove a 2015 F450.

[gulfcoast john]

Congrads, Sealizard! It’s a great boat, and you’re going to love it! (Although I always say that, to date no TC255 buyers have disagreed that I know of).

Congrads also on becoming only the third other TC255 owner since the 2006 TC255 intro (13 years ago) to post an actual scale weight of a TC255 on C-Brats! Let us know when you determine the fuel that was onboard for that weight (two 75 gal tanks full of gas @ 6#/gal is 900 lbs). A full water tank (under helm or nav seat in sponson) is 30g @8#/gal or another 240 lbs if you can access that. The black water tank holds another 9 gallons.
So you might need to add as much as another 1,200 lbs to that 11,560 lbs (though I doubt all those tanks were empty for your weight ticket).

And that’s before you provision for a month in the boondocks with your own personal stuff.

The waterways of the continent are beckoning, all available 24/7 without a permit while trailering at 65 MPH right through a thunderstorm. Now THAT’S a high performance boat!

Enjoy!
John

[cmetzenberg]

i've been meaning to take mine to the dump and get it weighed. That's a bit more than i thought they weigh.

[kaelc]

Thanks John! We are close on buying a trailer and will definitely try and weigh our 25 Cruiser before we finalize it, considering what the Tomcats are weighing in at. Our Lorwance network alone seems to be creeping into the hundreds of pounds range, not to mention the hundreds of pounds of fish I plan to catch this summer. We did have a 49 and 61 lb halibut but only one per day so far!

On the truck side it sure looks like either a new F150 with max tow, or 2011 or newer F350 or 3500HD is in my future....just have to sell my truck and four wheel camper combo! Wish I had the change for the new F350 but still have too poor money into the old C-Dory and the house this month!

Keep going on the weight measurements, I'm surrounded by either waters or mountains and hope to get a Tomcat in 2030 when I retire!