Can a 1500 Silverado 2 wheel drive handle 7000 pounds of boat on the road and ramp?

Question

I have a 2005 1500 Silverado with the factory tow package and am boat shopping now. I found a boat I like but with engine, full tank of gas, and misc items in the boat it will be pushing 7000 pounds. I can of course look up what the official trailering rating is, but I prefer voices of experience.

Answer 1

7000 lbs would be pushing the limits of what your truck is rated to tow, and a 2-wd truck may have some problems pulling that load up a steep, wet, slippery launching ramp. Also, make sure your trailer brakes are functioning properly, because that extra weight on the rear is going to make it more difficult to stop.  

If cost were not an object, I'd want a 3/4 ton 4X4 truck, but your 1/2 ton Silverado should be OK if you take it easy.

Answer 2

Best to get the specs,  there are different tow packages available.  

This much boat would have to be balanced on the trailer,  and require an electric brake set-up installed as well.   Standard bumper hitch out of the question,  be sure to check the class # rating on whatever hitch you have.

Answer 3

YUO! it sure can...i have

Answer 4

No, it will not. I have a 22' center console that weighs about 5500 lbs. We pull it with a 2004 Ford F250 diesel 4 wheel drive. But we do pull it 300 miles each way. That much weight of a boat you will need a 4 wheel drive at the ramp., Sometimes the boat ramp is wet or has even a little gravel on it, you will start spinning your tires. I know this for a fact, I had a Chevy 1500 2wd, sometimes it would spin the tires pulling a 15' bass boat out of the water.  As for the tow package, all that really does is increase the tongue weight capacity, maybe stiffer springs and occasionally a transmission cooler. It may be rated for that much tow weight, but it is rated on level ground. Not a 30 degree wet boat launch ramp or 20 degree incline on the freeway trying to go 70 mph.  Or braking capacity going downhill at 70mph,,,

If you live in Central Florida where it is flat, going to pull the boat less than 20 miles each way, launch is nice, clean, dry, good traction surface, not sloped very much, or going to store the boat in boat yard where they will launch it for you, then it would be OK,,,I guess,,,make sure your truck has 4 wheel disk brakes,,,that is a lot of weight to stop, trailer does have brakes, they do go bad, they are bad on my boat now,,

Answer 5

Im driving a 05' Silverado-1500, towing a 21 foot maxum--which is abut 5000-6000 lbs without a worry.

I've pulled it off the ramp in 2 wheel drive, I would worry if the ramp is SLIMY with algae growth you may have trouble with the 2x4...

Answer 6

If you like what your towing to whip around when surpassing 45mph.

5,000 pounds max with towing package on truck.

Answer 7

Your truck IS rated to handle this sort of thing, however, if it were me I'd get one of those front tow receiver hitches to pull your boat out by backing up.  There are alot of boaters who believe 2 wheel drive with the front tow hitch is cheaper than the 4X4.

Answer 8

Okay, reality check here:   Chances are that, NO, you cannot safely or legally tow that much weight without overloading your truck.

Here's why:  

"1  Maximum trailer weight ratings are calculated assuming a BASE vehicle, except for any option(s) necessary to achieve the rating, plus driver. The weight of other optional equipment, passengers and cargo will reduce the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow."

Your max tow rating varies depending on what cab you have...regular, extended, crew, and what bed length you have.

So let's say you have the one that's rated for 7700lbs.   Okay, that's for the most base model you can get, plus a 150lb driver.   Any weight you add to the truck itself takes away from the max trailer weight.   Are you more than 150lbs?   Anything over comes off your trailer max.   Full tank of gas?  Yep, add 6lbs per gallon and subtract from your trailer total.

Taking anyone to the lake with you?   Subtract their weights.   Cooler with ice and drinks?   Gear?   Options on the truck over what comes standard?  Sunroof?   Sliding rear window?   Running boards?   Bigger tires?   Bed cap?  

Yep, all of that takes away from the truck's payload, and the trailer tow rating.  

You cannot exceed any of these three numbers:  GVWR, GCVWR, and Max Trailer Capacity.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the max your truck is allowed to weigh, fully loaded.  

Look in the driver's door on the sticker and it'll tell you how much that is.   Curb weight on a 2wd runs from 4225 to 4986lbs for non-HD models.  Again, that's on a base model.    Driver, Passengers, cargo, gas, tongue weight...all add to that weight.   GVWR runs from 6100-6800lbs.   Weigh yours as it sits, and you'll know how much payload capacity you have left to go.

Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating is the max that truck and trailer are allowed to weigh.   This is the one that's going to get you, most likely.   It's either 12000 or 13000, again, depending on what exact truck you have.

So add your 7000lb trailer to even the most base-model truck's curb weight at 4225 (and that truck doesn't truly even exist in the real world) and you're at 11,225lbs with no passengers, no driver, no full tank of gas, and no cargo, and not one single option on the truck.

So the moral of this story is, no truck can REALLY tow what it's rated to tow by the factory if you do all the math.   There are TONS of caveats and footnotes on all tow ratings, and if you read them, you'll realize that factory tow ratings are bogus sales gimmicks.  

Most professionals like myself recommend you don't exceed 85% of the max recommended tow rating.  

Can your truck physically pull this load?   Yes.   Will you be miserable doing so?   Absolutely.  

I personally have a 04 Z71 Suburban and pull  a 22ft boat with it, and I wouldn't go any bigger at all with this truck.   And my Sub has at least the same tow rating as your truck, but my boat is nowhere near 7k lbs.  

You need a bigger truck.