Tow with a Three-on-the tree?

[Travisarmenta]

Originally Posted by davepl

I'm afraid towing would scratch the chrome on my hitch ball...

[special-K]

I was looking for a towing with 3spd video and found this instead. Yes, you can tow a boat with a 3spd truck. And you can also tow a flaming boat down the hiway

https://i.imgur.com/wwJwv4f.mp4

[dmjlambert]

Now I'm enthused. I wonder if I could get an automatic light flaming boat. It would burst into flames when I go, and when I stop it would go out. I would buy fuel for that just for the amusement factor. Better than the Batmobile tail jet with its puny little flame.

[LILREDGMC]

Special K and Grumpy - I agree - you can do almost anything with what you have if you realize the consequences.

I towed a 71 Buick 225 4 door on my 18' tandem with the 71 GMC SWB 307 and 465. Trick here was the trans got me launched. Figured I had close to 6K behind a 4K truck. My buddy wanted to tow it with his 75 Monte Carlo and a bumper hitch. Glad I made him wait until after work.

Look ahead, don't be in a rush, be patient, don't work the truck and harder than necessary, etc.

Towed my 16' Larson ski boat with 100 merc with same truck, and used it to launch and retrieve. Yes, I had a few issues occasionally on a slick ramp (non posi) and I used granny 1st most all times. Some of my buddy's didn't use first but new how to use the parking brake and clutch to pull me out without burning the clutch out in second.

So, yes a dry run on a street would be suggested and you need to know the ramp.

LILREDGMC

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by LILREDGMC

you can do almost anything with what you have if you realize the consequences.

Agreed, and I'll add a non-towing related example which I have posted before. I do not recommend anyone do this, and I'll never do it again.

Decades ago I hauled a verified 3 tons in the bed nearly 50 miles over a mountain road. Certified scale showed 11,300# loaded and 5300# empty. The K20 rode & steered a bit oddly but we made it.

[Myoldtruck]

Take the boat to a local scale and have it weighed, also check the tongue weight. I always used my own rubber wheel chocks at the ramps, use the chocks. Avoid low tide on larger incline ramps. Avoid driving on anything that you cant walk on with sneakers within reason.

I use to tow a 16ft glasstron speed boat with my 94 jeep sahara, not a granny gear box. No brakes on the trailer. I never had any problems, but you do need to be quick with your feet. Make sure your carburetor is in good tune at low speed, and no dead spots when you hit the gas pedal.

Use good brake pads and adjust rear drums properly. Use common sense you will have no problems towing that boat.

[Resto-Rand]

Thanks for all the replies. I decided that with the boat restoration I'm not going to have time or funds to make my C10 into a tow truck. So I'm going back to my original plan to put the truck up for sale. I'll just put all the stuff in the back and sell it as a package.

I already feel relieved that I won't have two projects.