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Question: We are looking for a towing vehicle. We are considering the Dodge diesel 3/4 T (VERY expensive) and the Ford diesel. What have owners towed their Nor'Seas with and what can they recommend? Thanks! Martha Beth
The 2nd was a 1987 E350 Ford 1-ton van, 4.11 rear end, and 6.9 liter diesel engine. This did better, giving 9-10 mpg. Automatic transmission. ( A friend also has a Nor'Sea , and he tows with the same van, but with a 454 cubic inch gas engine. He gets 5-6 mpg at 55 mph.)
Last year we bought a used 1993 F350 Ford Crewcab Dually, 4.10 rear end, and 7.3 liter turbo diesel. It is the best I've had. The power is there, and the longer wheelbase plus the duallys give a much improved road stability and handling. We tow comfortably at 65 mph, versus 55 mph with the previous rigs, and get a shade better mileage. Our transmission is a 5-speed manual. We also have a "splitter" where we can effectively change the rear end ratio to 5.13. When pulling the boat we start out in low-low gear and leave it on the low side until 4th gear. On level grades, we even tow in 5th gear.
I guess I'm partial to Fords right now, and I wouldn't have anything but a turbo diesel. In looking for a truck to replace the '87 van, I checked into diesel-powered Dodges but learned they were having a lot of transmission problems. A friend is on his 3rd transmission in a '95 Dodge...and he still likes his truck.
The company that provided the EZ-Loader trailer to us 15 years ago is still in business as Pacific Trailers in Chino, CA, and still selling trailers to Bob Eeg for Nor'Sea. I stopped and visited with them a couple of weeks ago when I picked up a new bow support...another story...and they were very helpful.
The Nor'Sea 27 should be carried on a 3-axle trailer.
Consider: The boat weighs 8000 lbs. bare, and you'll add at least 1000 lbs. of gear, minimum. A 2-axle trailer weighs about 2500 lbs., giving you a total of 11,500 lbs. If you check the load rating of the tires on the trailer and multiply by 4 (load rating "D" is 2350 lbs. and load range "E" is 2680 lbs.), the total for the load range "D" tires is 9400 lbs and 11720 for "E". Based on this you can decide on how "close" to the edge you want to live. Even with six load range "D" tires you can handle over 14000 lbs. (Load range "E" tires may even be hard to come by in some areas.) Bottom line...if you have a blowout with a 2-axle trailer, how long is that one remaining tire going to hold???
Our 3-axle trailer weighs about 3000 lbs. and with the 9000 lb. boat = 12,000 lbs. We also have replaced the surge brakes with electric brakes and transport "Minds Eye" with greater peace of mind. This means we must now launch using a hoist or travelift, but the electric brakes give a significant increase in safety with better control. We can descend long grades without the brakes actuating as with surge...been there, done that.
As an aside regarding electric brakes...it is very important that the negative wire from the brake magnets is carried back to the tow vehicle negative through direct wiring. Do not connect the magnet negative to the trailer frame!!!
I also replaced the standard, 10,000-lb.-rated, stamped-out, coupler with a forged steel coupler made by Bulldog(R) and rated for 12,500 lbs...2 5/16 inch ball.
Another consideration is the need for a support under bow. When we first started trailering, I would look in the rear view mirror and see the hull flexing as we drove on roads that were not the smoothest. Internal bracing was added/glassed inside the boat, but to reduce the pressure, a supplemental support was added to the trailer half way between the front axle and the trailer winch stand. This I got from Pacific Trailers in Chino, CA, which provides trailers to Nor'Sea Marine. Roger Treichler, the owner, has always been helpful over the past 15 years and delivers quality service and product. Their phone number is 909-902-0094.
We are towing a Nor'Sea with a one ton Chevy 454 with automatic transmission. No problems. We have only towed from Oxnard (CA) to Avila Beach (CA), about 120 miles. And then from Avila to Bakersfield (CA), about 152 miles. The truck is a 1986 dually flatbed.
In reference to your questions on tow vehicles, I have been in the towing industry for the past two years. I have asked all the questions I could think of for answers from the experts themselves. These experts would be the people and companies that operate tow vehicles on an everyday basis. Along with my own experience I can tell you that the Ford turbo diesel is the unit to use.
I have been pulling a 42-foot trailer with two conversion vehicles or three cars on top for the past six months. This sometimes puts me at 32,000 pounds gross with full fuel tanks. Still no problems and 9 mpg.
We got rid of our '86 Suburban and, in September, 1997, purchased a new Dodge Ram 3/4 ton with a Cummins Turbo Diesel. We love it! Period.
We towed the Nor'Sea and on the road, fully loaded, and we get 15MPG with the cassette player and air full on. Without the boat, we get a whopping 22MPG.
The ride is great! It feels just like a car. The best, though, is that it actually goes where you point it! The Suburban wandered all over the road. It's a wonder that I never got stopped for DWI!
I read with some interest and amusement the letter in the Newsline about the guy with the Suburban who had oranges and lemons painted on it. It sounds just like when we towed with our Sub. The problem is related to the steering system in those trucks. They NEVER go straight. Putting highway tires helps. The wide tires cause a lot of wandering, but generally they all steer the same way. With a Nor'Sea on the back, the tail sort of wags the dog! A 160 thermostat in the Chevy engine helped a lot, but...!
The cooling system on the Cummins is massive. The new truck was expensive, but it was for a Nor'Sea, right!?!
The Suburban was a cheap way to get a Nor'Sea to Florida (6 mpg) but an expensive way to move drums. The Cummins is a cheap way to do anything.
John went by a used tractor/trailer yard the other day. We can get a used tractor - - one with the cabin area behind the cab so we can sleep there overnight instead of having to climb aboard the boat and battle all the tied-down rigging - - for about $4000. He's giving it serious thought. Hot doggies! Maybe Mama's gonna have a brand-new truck! And whattatruck!
As to Suburbans, we got rid of ours, too (1990 model). It was pretty much a lemon from the start, unfortunately. Other than things just falling off (interior pieces), our problem was mostly transmission; didn't want to leave 2nd gear (even without the boat). We got about 6 mpg towing and not a whole lot better without (think it was 11 mpg). At any rate, filling up those two tanks was always a shock at the cash register! We had the heavy-duty towing package, 454 engine, and put on the inflatable shocks. We tow a three-axle Pacific trailer.
As to the drums in Ed's note, above, he and Ellen are professional musicians.