Truck advice, please.

What is the maximum weight your truck is rated at towing? If your boat is over that weight and you have an accident, your insurance will not cover the claim.

Lots of interesting info everyone is sharing here. I have a 97 Silverado 4 x 4 with a 5.7 and I pull a 24' SeaRay Sundancer with it. This isn't a bass boat but it gives you an example of what a 5.7 is capable of pulling. I don't have limited slip but if the ramp is slick I just put it in 4-wheel drive. Honestly, the Sundancer is probably about as big a boat that I care to pull with a 5.7. I don't get in a hurry, I live in Louisville and may pull it to Taylorsville or I may pull it to Cumberland, all in all I haven't had any problems "yet"...although I'm thinking about putting a transmission cooler on just for added protection.

I pull with a 99' Chevy Silverado, Ext. cab, 4X4, 5.3 V8. It pulls great and gets fair gas mailage.

I have had a Trail Blazer, Nissan Frontier and a Chevy 1500. All of them lacking the power that I wanted for towing. Now I have a fully loaded Quad Cab 4x4 Dodge Ram 1500. (2004) Yes it has a HEMI! My boat is a 18-1/2 foot Stratos and my truck has NO problem pulling or stopping. The smaller vehicles were a little Squirrelley in the back roads and it felt like the boat trailer was in control. Now with the Dodge I feel like I am in total control and comfort. The gas mileage is decent at about 14-15 towing the boat and 16-19 on the Interstate. The small V-6's will pull but it is a pretty good strain on it. The mileage on the nissan and chevy 1500 was actually worse than the Dodge. The way I see it is that I am saving money on gas with the bigger truck not to mention the wear and tear I was putting on those small engines.

[QUOTE=kyjake;316277]Does anyone tow with a 4.3 or 4.8 Chevy?I am looking also.
Jake[/QUOTE]

I pull with a 03 chevy ext cab with a 4.8 and have no problems what so ever. I have a 1996 205LS hydrasport and have pulled it from Ky to Guntersville at 80 mph with not problems. (very heavy boat) Just make sure if you have a big boat put brakes on it no matter what you pull it with.

Big B

I have a 1997 Ford F-150 5.4 liter 4wd and I pull a 21 foot bass boat--no problems.
I feel the bigger the better. More HP if you need it and bigger brakes---you will need that. OD type transmission. Now I do only get about 10 MPG, but I have never owne a Ford truck that got better then 12 mpg.
Good luck.

The Chevy 4.8 is not a bad engine either. I have seen very few problems with them. Honestly, I have seen very little trouble out of the 4.8, 5.3 or 6.0 engines. Other than the plastic intake on them.