Tow Vehicle for C32 CB

J

joefish24

Active member
Joined
Jul 17, 2019
Messages
32
Fluid Motion Model
R-23 (Outboard)
Hull Identification Number
FML32C02F122
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Cutwater C32 CB
Vessel Name
Seaquel
MMSI Number
338426122
Upgrading from a C24 to a C32 CB and my Ram 1500 wouldn't cut it anymore so I traded in for a Ram 2500 Turbo Diesel with 19,800lb towing capacity. It's not a dually, now wondering if I made a mistake. Anyone have any experience towing a C32CB with something similar? Only going 5 miles from storage to my slip once a year and back.
 
Dually gives a more stable ride but it is 400 miles for us to get to the lake. For your 5 mile trip I don't think you made a mistake not getting the dually, especially if you intend to drive it to the store or for a few things other than towing.
 
I had a Ram 1500 and realized that this is certainly not the truck for towing my R31CB. I bought a new Ram 3500, cummins turbo diesel (not a dually) and find it to be a great tow vehicle. I was considering the 2500, but I wanted to do longer hauls. The 2500 is fully rated to tow your boat and if you are only doing short tows, I think you are fine. Agreed that dually is helpful with stability, but I use my truck to go to work and parking on campus would be a bit of a pain.

Best,
Bobby
 
If you only tow 5 miles a year, wouldn’t it have been cheaper to hire a tow vs. upgrade (or even rent a 2500 or 3500 for the two days you need it!)
 
FlyMeAway":302haar0 said:
If you only tow 5 miles a year, wouldn’t it have been cheaper to hire a tow vs. upgrade (or even rent a 2500 or 3500 for the two days you need it!)
Click to expand...
Yes for sure!! Between the truck and trailer I can hardly justify the expense but I really wanted the flexibility to be able to haul whenever I want to (repairs, a storm, etc)
 
You might consider adding airbags to your rear suspension. It will help level the truck out and keep the front tires in good contact with road. Adds a measure of stability and safety.
 
SKI3PO":j9gyg2sx said:
You might consider adding airbags to your rear suspension. It will help level the truck out and keep the front tires in good contact with road. Adds a measure of stability and safety.
Click to expand...
Zero reason to add airbags to a Diesel truck with only max 1500 lbs on the hitch. Just one more thing to maintain and repair.
 
dgiles":299fd0sm said:
SKI3PO":299fd0sm said:
You might consider adding airbags to your rear suspension. It will help level the truck out and keep the front tires in good contact with road. Adds a measure of stability and safety.
Click to expand...
Zero reason to add airbags to a Diesel truck with only max 1500 lbs on the hitch. Just one more thing to maintain and repair.
Click to expand...
You bring up a good point, I was unable to find the tongue weight anywhere for the C 32 command bridge, is it 1500 pounds?
 
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Since you asked three times and no one answered I thought I would reply. Your tongue weight should be roughly, 10% of the total weight of boat, trailer and equipment. Hope this helps! Bob
 
Thanks, had a glitch there it said the posts were not successful. Much appreciated!
 
For a boat the size and weight of the C32 I would always recommend the dually. I’ve long distance (multi hour+) towed boats (and other loads) of that size and weight or greater. The difference in confidence and ability between the two at highway speeds can be substantial. The only time I would go SRW is if you travel short distances infrequently. Which you definitely qualify for!

My opinion, you bought the perfect truck.
 
Thanks for all the great feedback, I'm feeling much more confident now about my purchase. Can't wait to get my new C32CB!
 
I would like to offer a different opinion for optimal tongue weight than Bob D. did earlier. He is correct for a single axle trailer used for the R-21 he owns being optimal at 10% of gross towing weight. Your triple axle trailer is a very different animal!
After personally talking to the engineers at LoadRite, EZLoader and Tuff trailers several years ago, the consensus for tongue weight on a multi axle trailer is that it should be between 6-9% of the total weight of boat and trailer combined. Others have posted on this site of good results towing with a tongue weight as low as 5% of gross towing weight for a triple axle trailer.
Also very important is that the trailer frame be level to the ground when being towed. This is to ensure the weight distribution between both, or all three, axles is the same. Having the tongue high puts too much weight on the aft axle. Tongue low puts too much weight on the forward axle.
That’s where airbags come in - they can be used to ensure the trailer frame is level to the ground. A different and equally valid solution is to have a height adjustable (aka drop/rise) hitch rated for your towing load. Regardless of the method, getting the trailer frame level is the goal.
Even though you’re only towing 5 miles, it’s a good idea to have things set up correctly when towing.
PS: You also need to ensure that the tongue weight of your trailer doesn’t cause the weight on the rear axle of your new truck to exceed it’s rated limits. That’s a different limitation than your trucks towing rated capacity.
 
Depending on the trailer the recommended tongue weight should be between 7 to 12% of the weight of the loaded trailer. That is why I said (roughly) 10% for a good figure for knowing if his truck was up to the task for the job. The biggest concern is to not let the tail way the dog! Though I pull a single axle boat trailer with a R21, that is not the only load I pull down the road, most of the time it's live animals that shift there weight which is a whole different experience. Just be safe! Bob
 
Bob,
It’s my understanding that the triple axle trailer Cutwater supplies with their boats is built by EZLoader. Haven’t confirmed that lately but think it’s still accurate.
Per page 13 in the EZLoader owners manual, they recommend a tongue weight of 5-10% of gross trailer+boat weight. They don’t give the percentages but use an example that equals those numbers.
http://www.ezloader.com/images/20160915 ... e6e07e.pdf

LoadRite says,"Improper tongue weight on the tow vehicle hitch ball can cause loss of control of the tow vehicle and result in serious injury, property damage, or even death. Depending upon trailer model, proper tongue weight should be adjusted to 5% to 7% of GVWR when fully loaded."

And from Venture Trailers, "A minimum of 5% tongue weight and a maximum 10% tongue weight of the trailer GVWR must be positioned over the hitch ball. The Trailer tongue should be parallel to the ground. Too much weight can cause premature brake actuation and loss of control of the towing vehicle. To little tongue weight can cause the trailer to fishtail, resulting in loss of control of the tow vehicle and trailer (total trailer weight GVWR includes weight of the trailer plus load)."

Tuff trailers, who built my trailer recommends 6-9% of the gross weight and I’m towing consistently at near 7% without any issues.
 
Thanks for the great feedback, I suppose the one question that needs answering...is anyone out there towing a C32 CB with a Ram 2500 (non dually, without airbags?). That would give me peace of mind knowing this combo is ok for my use. I will try to level it as best as possible but I'm not sure how to do that without having various hitches at different heights.
 
Your post is very timely as I am in a very similar situation! I, too, bought a Ram 2500 diesel with the expectation of towing an R-31CB and have been questioning the decision as I've been running the numbers. I can't tell you anything from experience yet, but I can share my thoughts.

The diesel has plenty of power for the job, but my main concern is exceeding the GVWR, which is 10k lbs on the 2500. I took my truck to a Cat Scale and it measured 8200lbs with just me and a full tank of gas (a little heavier than I expected - damn that leather interior!) That gives me 1800 lbs payload to play with. The boat with a little gas and a few accessories will probably weigh 12k lbs. The trailer around 3k lbs. So, assuming the tongue weight is 10%, that adds a payload of 1500 lbs, leaving 300 lbs for my wife, kid, dog, and any additional items. That's getting VERY close to max GVWR! If the tongue weight is closer to 8%, that'll buy me a few hundred more and I'll be more comfortable, though I still sorta wish I'd gone for the 3500.

My game plan going forward is to give it a try. If it doesn't look right or feel right, I'll stop and find another solution (whether it be hiring a driver, renting a bigger truck, or ultimately buying a bigger truck). By the numbers, it should be legal and capable, but you just can't tell until you've got it all hooked up!

I did find a case on the Facebook TugNuts group of someone who towed an R-31CB from Portland to Newport with an F250 and didn't seem to have any issues. Not sure if that truck had airbags or not.

My last big question is - do I need a Class A CDL to do this? The answer seems to hinge on whether or not this counts as a "recreational vehicle".

Hope this helps!
 
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