Anyone tow a boat?

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kybishop

kybishop

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Nov 3, 2004
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Location
Frankfort, Kentucky
Does anyone use there FZJ80 to pull a boat? Wondering about steep ramps and steep grades down to some of the marinas and boat ramps and how a 94 stock FZJ80 would do.

It has the towing package and the 5000 lb tow rating. Not concerned about overall towing but concerned about the steep ramps and sometimes the unseen pavement drops in the water. Some of these boat ramps and marinas have some steep grades to get to and from them. I would think low lock would get me out of the water okay if I needed to pull it up over a drop. I would take it slow up the steep hills (may have no choice ;))

The boat I would be towing is a 1982 Sea Ray 210 Cuddy Cruiser. Not sure exact total weight with trailer but around the 4500 lb range I would guess. Need to look into it more. Tandem axle trailer with surge brakes. 21 ft boat.

I will add I just purchased this 94 FZJ from board member Twiggles. I feel I am already an addict after two days of driving it. 150,000 miles, lockers, white, no roof rack.

This be the boat; These classic Sea Rays are heavy boats.


Thanks.
100_0020.webp
 
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It should do fine. You can always put it in low range to get more torque to pull it up.
 
Clean looking boat.

I see no problem towing or launching your boat with your 80.

I tow a 21 foot thats 5000 and have no issues. I always use 4 low on the ramp just so I'll never have a problem on the ramp. 4 high works just fine on the ramp as well. Hills are slower but it rolls down the road just fine. Mileage suffers some, but if you bought an 80 for mileage you kidding yourself.

There is an old saying, "If you have to ask how many MPG's you cant afford it." LOL
 
I think IdahoDoug has stories about some hairy beach launches at some lakes, seems he did okay.
 
I tow a boat but nothing like the weight you are. One of the best boat ramp mods for me has been the pin 7 mod with the added diff lock switch. It allows you to drop into low range for more tourque on a steep concrete ramp without locking your center diff. Prevents drivetrain binding on a high traction surface. The mod has several other attributes as well.

Do a search and also look in the faq section for more info.

Buck
 
kybishop said:
Does anyone use there FZJ80 to pull a boat? Wondering about steep ramps and steep grades down to some of the marinas and boat ramps and how a 94 stock FZJ80 would do.

It has the towing package and the 5000 lb tow rating. Not concerned about overall towing but concerned about the steep ramps and sometimes the unseen pavement drops in the water. Some of these boat ramps and marinas have some steep grades to get to and from them. I would think low lock would get me out of the water okay if I needed to pull it up over a drop. I would take it slow up the steep hills (may have no choice ;))

The boat I would be towing is a 1982 Sea Ray 210 Cuddy Cruiser. Not sure exact total weight with trailer but around the 4500 lb range I would guess. Need to look into it more. Tandem axle trailer with surge brakes. 21 ft boat.

I will add I just purchased this 94 FZJ from board member Twiggles. I feel I am already an addict after two days of driving it. 150,000 miles, lockers, white, no roof rack.

This be the boat; These classic Sea Rays are heavy boats.


Thanks.
Click to expand...

Kybishop:

I had a '94 for 238,000 miles and I towed my 31ft speed boat to the Lake of the Ozarks every weekend for several years. The :princess: got tired of my road rage and made me buy a place. Anyway, you don't need the 7 pin fix to take care of you at the ramp. In fact, I'd say the oppoosite. Always use your low range to treat the old gal right. Have your tranny fluid flushed and replaced with synthetic and be easy on the OD and that bus tranny will never die.

One word on the brakes, if you can adjust the surge brakes on the trailer to make them more sensitive, do so. Keep it lubricated and the trailer shoes adjusted tight and the fix I would recommend is to move to Series 100 pads - absolutely will be a blessing the first hard stop you have to make.

My $.02 from doing this with my '94 80 for several years.
 
CaptainKirk said:
Kybishop:

I had a '94 for 238,000 miles and I towed my 31ft speed boat to the Lake of the Ozarks every weekend for several years. The :princess: got tired of my road rage and made me buy a place. Anyway, you don't need the 7 pin fix to take care of you at the ramp. In fact, I'd say the oppoosite. Always use your low range to treat the old gal right. Have your tranny fluid flushed and replaced with synthetic and be easy on the OD and that bus tranny will never die.

One word on the brakes, if you can adjust the surge brakes on the trailer to make them more sensitive, do so. Keep it lubricated and the trailer shoes adjusted tight and the fix I would recommend is to move to Series 100 pads - absolutely will be a blessing the first hard stop you have to make.

My $.02 from doing this with my '94 80 for several years.
Click to expand...

Are you familiar with the pin 7 mod? It allows you to choose when you want the center locked, be it high or low range. If you have good traction on conrete, keep the center unlocked. If the back of the rig gets down into a slick moss coverd part of the ramp or a sand ramp, then lock the center. Ability to control when the center diff is locked trumps lack of control every time.

x2 on the hundred series pads.

Buck
 
98 SNAKE EATER said:
7-pin mod is great when pulling a heavy load within tight confines :)

The ability to keep the CDL unlocked in low range allows you to make full lock turns without binding the driveline :cool:

This is especailly great if you're not good at reversing a trailer :doh:
Click to expand...

And oh do I stand so appropriately corrected!:crybaby: I should have thought of this as my Dad's old GMC 2500 had the wriing on the front diff torn off by barbed wire and I was able to do that very thing in low range. Great, great point.

Not to hijack this thread, but since we're on the topic. I've been searching and I would have thought that the CDL switch install would have been in the FAQ? I find the 7 pin mod, but not the CDL nor a reference to the YouTube video showing the mod that I am trying to find (again). Am I just having a bad day>>>>>?:bang:
 
CaptainKirk said:
And oh do I stand so appropriately corrected!:crybaby: I should have thought of this as my Dad's old GMC 2500 had the wriing on the front diff torn off by barbed wire and I was able to do that very thing in low range. Great, great point.

Not to hijack this thread, but since we're on the topic. I've been searching and I would have thought that the CDL switch install would have been in the FAQ? I find the 7 pin mod, but not the CDL nor a reference to the YouTube video showing the mod that I am trying to find (again). Am I just having a bad day>>>>>?:bang:
Click to expand...

The wiring for the switch is already in the dash behind a blank next to the hazard switch. (it is for a 97 ymmv) The process took 10 minutes for the switch. The wiring for the pin 7 was a little longer.

No worries man, you'll probably correct me tomorrow :D

Buck
 
Piece o cake launch.

Any footage of him loading the boat and hauling her out. As Paul Harvey would say "and now... the...rest of the story"
 
Mine isn't quite that heavy but there is the canoe.......
boating.webp
 
Enjoy your new 80, the :princess: was going to buy it if you passed it up!:flipoff2:

I think you will be fine. The PO of my 80 towed a similar sized boat in the Cincinnati area on a regular basis.
 
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