Short trip towing

C

Coach07

New member
Greetings, I am looking for a C-Dory 25 and have a Chevy Silverado with a 5.3 liter engine. I need to tow to the launching ramp which is less than a mile from where I will store the boat. Will that be adequate for the short trip on a quiet road? The ramp is not steep. Thanks for any input.
Steve Callaway
 
That should work as long as you stay mindful of the fact that the boat is heavier than the truck. I towed and launched my CD25 with a Jeep Grand Cherokee for a few years and never had any problems, but then no problems presented themselves on the road. I don't think it would have been adequate or safe in a panic stop, nor do I think the transmission would have liked long hauls, but for short trips at lower speeds I felt safe.

The problem is when I saw how well it really did handle it I would get to thinking that longer tows and highway speeds should be ok, too. The tow rig is a Silverado 2500HD now.

Best of luck on your search for the new boat!
 
We just towed a CD 22’ from Savannah, GA to Lancaster, PA with a 2020 Silverado 3.0L Diesel. It was more than adequate up to 70 MPH (7600 labeled towing capacity with 2WD, 10,000 with 4 WD).

My only concern will be steep and/or slick ramps. Otherwise, it’s plenty of truck!
 
The CD-25 is more than a ton heavier than the CD-22. That said, with the short distance and low speed that the OP is considering, I'm sure the truck is up for it, even if the insurance company may not be. Benefit vs risk. If it were me, and that is the truck, I'd do that... with a polite suggestion to not get tempted to tow further than that. For the record, our CD-25 with very little fuel onboard, clothing and gear for cruising, dinghy and dinghy motor not on the boat, weighed in at 8,700 pounds.
 
He did not say which silverado with the 5.3. Like the F150, it can be rated to tow over 9k - plenty for a short trip or a long trip with a 25 in tow.
 
We towed C Dory 25's many thousands of miles with a Yukon XL and the 5.3 L gas engine. We had the heavy duty towing package, and had no major issues. Recently we up graded to a Ford 250 HD diesel 6.7 liter diesel, and far better experience.

You should be fine for a short distance--you may want to put air bags on the rear axle to prevent too much sag...
 
My CD-25 weighed in at 7100 lbs on the scales. That's trailer and boat. No fuel or water in the tanks. I plan to get a fully loaded weight soon. I pull it with an F150 with the 5.0L, no problems. That includes two trips out west over the Rockies! I recently towed it with full tanks, and it still towed easily enough. I estimate the full weight at around 8200 lbs with gear. I also have electric over hydraulic disc brakes on both trailer axles. Colby
 
I came to this topic because my 2018 HD Chevy Silverado 3500, Duramax has been causing me grief at the repair shop. The check engine light is the culprit and I’m tired of the repair bill. So I was wondering if there was any commentary on the capabilities of a lessor truck for towing. Seems like the opinions are all over. I am just looking for solid advice. I used to have a 2010 Tundra with another heavier boat than my 2012 22 cruiser and the Silverado was a much better tow truck than the Toyota.
 
Coach07
I had a Silverado with a 5.3 that I hauled a 21' Pompano Diesel lobster boat from Ramrod Key Florida to Bremerton, Washington. It hauled the load pretty good till the headwinds hit and the climb up the Rockies. That having been said, the Pompano was considerably lighter. I also towed a 22'Campion with a 350 engine with an I.O. that was considerably heavier (more comparable to a CD 25 weight wise). It didn't do near as well with the Campion an I would not have done a long haul with it but did tow it 8 miles to my closed boat ramp. I had an older Silverado (2006ish), the newer ones are much more capable. The short answer is It will do it but I wouldn't recommend it for safety reasons in an Panic stop situation.
Good luck with your search/
 
Danjenni
I have owned a 2500 HD with the Duramax diesel and loved the truck till it started having issues that kept me in the garage too much with injector problems at 160,000 miles. I replace the 3 bad injectors and traded that truck in on a 2017 RAM 2500 HD with the Cummins Diesel. I love the Ram, best towing truck I've ever owned. I haul a 5th wheel trailer to Arizona in the winter and the CD 25 and it handles both beautifully.
My advise would be (not knowing your other hauling necessities) to sell or trade you 3500 Silverado for a 2500 RAM.
PS: I came to the decision to buy the RAM because I have a brother with one and he hauls horses to various events and he observed that most of the horse hauling community has switched from ford and chevy products to RAM.
 
It's amazing how much new trucks costs....totally out of my league. They're are tons of cheaper options out there if you're willing to go with gas instead of diesel.
 
I sure agree with you, TR on the new truck cost, so for the seeable future we are keeping our 2006 LBZ duramax diesel. I bought it new & have kept it well maintained & now even with its 182000 miles, trust it as much as one can for any rig for our planned road trip to Tuktoyaktuk, on the artic coast in September. Won’t be towing the HunkyDory this trip, but will be carrying a large heavy camper.

A older rig is not a bad option, gas or diesel, that fits one’s needs, to keep if well maintained & not abused or to purchase if the price is right & it’s history known.
 
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