The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Can a 55 2nd pull a 6,000 pound trailer with proper upgrades?

I'm in a tight spot. I need a truck to pull a 6000lb tandem axle boat trailer with brakes. I either have to sell my 1955 2nd 1/2 ton so I can afford another truck, or upgrade the 55' to do the job. Can a 1955 truck be built so that it will handle a trailer like this safely? I trust you men on here that know more about this than me, so I will be very thankful for any help you can give me. Here is what I'm thinking:

350 V8
New tranny ( suggestions? )
Completely new front end ( suggestions? ) I want to keep the stance as close to stock as possible, I don't want a lowered truck at all. I love the old farm truck look. Truck had a frame off resto done 20 years ago and is just about all original. Would like to keep it looking like that.
Replacement rear-end ( suggestions? )
Anything else you folks can think of?

The scope of this project, along with my limited access to a suitable shop at the moment, and my work schedule means I've got to let someone else do most of the work.
If anybody on here knows someone within 200 miles or so of Mobile, AL, they would trust to do this work, please let me know.
I was going to spend around $12k to $14k on a used truck, so that is my proposed budget. Not sure if it can be done for that or not.
Thank you men for any and all suggestions.

The short answer to this question "Can a 1955 truck be built so that it will handle a trailer like this safely?" is, Yes. First thing to remember is these trucks were made to work. If it's in GOOD original condition to include brakes, steering and suspension then with the right old farmer or old truck driver it'd safely pull your trailer most anywhere in stock condition. At about 45 or 50 mph. The reason I mention experienced drivers is they are not going to overdrive a loaded rig. If they see a vehicle approaching a stop sign, they'll assume it's going to pull out in front of them and approach accordingly. They'll time stop lights so they won't have to stop. They'll allow a lot of stopping distance to the vehicle they're following. You get the idea. I've pulled 16' trailers with my 3600 loaded with 100 bales of hay, total trailer likely 7,000 lbs. But it was on back roads that I might very well not meet a single vehicle on the 12 mile, field to barn trip. This is a stock truck and we only run 30 to 40 mph since it a generally narrow combo paved and gravel road.

So the above said, how and where will you be driving, freeways around Mobile or country two lane roads where 50 mph is fine? Hills or flat country? Is your truck on 12 volts (to actuate electric brakes)? If any of the suspension/steering pieces are less than perfect, make em perfect and you'll be fine. Make the original brakes perfect and install a vacuum booster. If in heavy traffic or hills, front disk brakes shed heat much better than the stock drums and would be a good upgrade. Rearend, the stock unit is likely all you need.

Tongue weight, how much weight will the rear bumper see. In all likelihood you'll want to install a proper receiver hitch or at a minimum have someone with proper skills upgrade the rear bumper.

Engine, a 350 is plenty. Me, I'd go with a bigger than original 6 if upgrading. You likely have a 235 now, a 261 is a perfect upgrade and offers a substantial power upgrade. But that's just me. A much advanced option is a LS engine, quite, great power and fuel efficiency. See this thread..



Others will join in and you'll get additional opinions.

The driver is a huge part of the equation, upgrading that one part will offset a lot of shortcomings.

Good Luck,

RonR

Anytime the loaded trailer weighs as much or more more than the tow rig, you're getting into potentially dangerous territory. a 350 engine and a SM 420 transmission, or Maybe a Turbo 400 automatic will have enough oomph to get the load rolling, assuming you've got a 3.50:1 or lower geared rear axle. A 3.73, 3.90, or 4.10 would be better if you plan to do a lot of towing in hilly terrain. A load leveling hitch and very good trailer brakes will be a must. Most boat trailers use surge brakes, which don't impress me much. I prefer to be able to apply trailer brakes only to get a sway under control, which can't be done with hydraulic brakes and a surge type coupler. LT rated tires are going to be a necessity as well.

As Ron has already mentioned, individual driving habits and lots of experience towing a heavy load will compensate for marginal equipment to some extent, but pushing the envelope with either equipment capability or running faster than is wise can get dangerous in a big hurry. Set up your tow rig as thoroughly as possible, and drive carefully. Have fun and be safe!
Jerry

I personally wouldn't do it...I'd find a used 3/4 ton semi modern truck (you say you have a $12-14k budget) to use as the tow vehicle and have two trucks...best of both worlds.

The biggest problem I see is your short wheel base, a 6000# boat (I assume this is the total of both the boat and trailer) is more than likely at least 25' long and any cross wind or 18 wheeler passing you will have the tail wagging the dog...not good. Swapping the drive train out of the '55 will take 3-times longer than expected, a lot more money AND will devalue the truck in the end.

Mike B

Sell the mega boat and buy a fishing boat and go fishing. BOAT= B-reak O-ut A-nother T-housand

Mike B makes a very good suggestion. Buy this, or this, or this.

All the trucks above are rated to pull heaver trailers than you're looking at. Price is low allowing repairs that may be needed and you keep the 55 and have a modern vehicle to do the heavy lifting (towing).

Good Luck,

RonR

Get a 3/4 ton or bigger and 4wd. Boat ramps get slick.

Another option would be to keep it in a marina at the lake, bay or river you will be boating at.
A lot of places have an in/out service.

Definition of a power boat?
It is just a hole in the water that you throw money into.
But it does draw chicks!.
Don't ask me how I know.

Don

Yep. My boat and trailer are probably that heavy. I've had all 4 (or maybe 3, since the front dif is open) wheels on my F250 slide on the ramp when pulling out in 4Low.
Your current truck won't have near enough traction coming up the ramp. Maybe if you added another 1/2 ton in the bed it might work, but I wouldn't count on it.

It's a pretty sick feeling, watching your trailered boat pull your truck backwards down the boat ramp, and hoping the tires can get a bite before the bed goes underwater. I had a square tube hitch receiver mounted to the front bumper of my Class A motorhome for two reasons- - - -first to be able to back the trailer down boat ramps and see where it was going, and secondly, to keep the drive wheels on a dry part of the ramp. I got a lot of double takes while pushing my boat from the campsite to the launch ramp!
Jerry

Front hitches are the bomb. Makes maneuvering a trailer very easy. It's almost cheating. I had one on a truck years ago.

If you are transporting the boat from point A to point B, the stock truck with an older driver that grew up with old trucks will pull it (although it may not stop it, see the comments by Moparguy).

If you are going to be backing down a ramp into the water..........................NO! Insufficient mass (weight) of the truck, insufficient traction. Doesn't matter if you put a 454 in the truck, still not enough weight!

Be safe!

Jon.

It really depends on what you want, old or new. My 2011 F150 ecoboost 3.5 twin turbo will easily tow way more than 6k. An older 1.5 ton would easily do it too, as long as the brakes, steering, and suspension have been gone through.

The issue isn’t capacity, it’s age. If your 1940s-1950s truck has been sitting in the weeds for decades, then it’s likely to have brake and other issues that come with long times sitting. It’s not that the old trucks don’t have the capacity, it’s that they’re much more likely to have been neglected.

Mechanically go through your old truck and it will tow 6k easily.

Might be a dumb question, but how often do you plan on towing this boat? If it's once a month in good-weather months, why not just go to U-Haul and rent a 1/2 ton truck for the day? That would save you from modifying your 55, taking a huge safety risk, or buying another truck.

My '02 2500 4x4 Silverado has 205,000 miles on it and I wouldn't be afraid to pull your boat anywhere. It's very rusty and not the best to look at but it runs and pulls great. If I were to sell it I probably couldn't get more than a couple thousand bucks at most. You should be able to get yourself a decent high miler in better shape than mine for less than half of your budget.

That's what I would do.

John

You guys are missing the OPs point. He can’t have 2 trucks. Sell the old one and get a new one or make the old one serve his needs. Of course we all want him to keep his truck, right! So, upgrade with a good used LS and auto transmission to match. Disc brake conversion and power steering. A/C is a must in Alabama. Doing some of the work yourself and your budget will be around $6000 to $8000. That leaves $6000 for a party at the lake.

The issue here is how often and where this boat will be towed.

I towed a boat and trailer weighing in at about 3000 pounds with my shop truck (1/2 ton, 435 HP). Towing was no problem, nor was stopping IN A STRAIGHT LINE with electric brakes (the truck has power discs).It got a wee bit squirrelly stopping in a corner (the truck simply did not have enough weight!).

The issue was backing the boat down the ramp into the lake. I was very thankful when the boat floated, and the tires stopped sliding!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only way I could get it up the ramp was by partially holding the hand brake to lock the rear wheels.

After that I used my shop van which was 4 wheel drive. And this one was only 3000 pounds!

Completely concur on the front hitch. Learned that on the farm more than 60 years ago!

OP - if you do modify your existing truck, AND plan to put the boat down a ramp, one modification you NEED is a PTO-driven winch with a long cable on the front (long enough to hook on to the big tree on the other side of the parking lot!).

I hate to see you sell that '55, but BE SAFE!

Jon.

Martin, you are correct. I was just offering my honest opinion. Night and day difference between a 1955 half ton versus an '88 or newer for pulling trailers.

John

Somewhat off topic.
I have busted my butt more than once putting a boat in or taking it out.
One time I backed down the ramp alone to launch the twin V-8 IMP.
Forgot to lock in the front hubs. Every time I would let off the brake, it would slide backwards.
And if I tried to pull back out, the back tires would spin and slide some more.
Had to sit in the truck till someone walked by and had him lock in the hubs.
Then no problem. Truck stayed put in low range and granny gear, then pulled right out.

Some videos to watch. Just do a search for boat ramp fails. There are a bunch of them.
The last one is the best, but has foul language in it.




Don

I think really boils down to safety. Do you really want to regularly pull a 6,000# boat with a 3,500# truck.
I wouldn't.
It's not safe for you or others on the road.

Curt33 has left the building. ..... and so have I

I like Green 98 suggestion. It would be a long post, but for reasons of my own, I plan to use the rental plan when I have to go out of town on long trips. Not Uhaul but Enterprise.

Thank you all for your input. Sorry I took so long replying, but a free minute to enjoy some computer time is pretty hard for me to come by right now. I feel like the best option for me is to not try and make a tow truck out of my '55. I've pulled many trailers over the years, from heavy farm loads to boats big and small. Been pushed by heavy loads when the truck and brakes weren't up to the load, and slid down more than one boat ramp until the boat floats and lightens the load ( my current boat will float the entire trailer if you leave the back tie down straps on, found that out a couple of times). With past heavy load experience that wasn't always the safest, I think I'm gonna go smarter this time. I just don't think Ole Blue will make a safe tow platform. I dive and spearfish frequently, and we're pulling boats over a hundred miles sometimes, at interstate speeds. I had a one ton ford with a powerstroke 7.3 when I had a farm years ago, and it was an awesome puller, but it would be a little too much truck, as would a 1/2 ton be a little too little. I think a 3/4 ton should be about right. Now, gotta find the $$ for a nice used truck and boat. Guess I'll be working some more overtime.........

I hope this means you'll be able to keep your 55'.

In 2000 I ordered and bought a new F-250 with the 7.3 and six speed tranny.
Just now turned over 203,000 miles. Had to put the first clutch in it at 190,000 miles.
Very little issues with it and have had 10,000 # + loaded trailers hooked to it.
Pulled good, trailer brakes are a must have and I run 24,000# plates on it.

Let the Ford bashing begin!
Don

You won't get any from me, Don.
I have essentially the same truck, just a year older (nearly old enough to drink) and about 30k more miles on it. I haven't had as good luck as you have on maintenance, but I'm still not giving it up. Completed a 12,500 mile road trip with it last spring.

Couple of points: In 2010, I tried to rent a U-Haul pickup to pull my snowmobile trailer, when my tow vehicle was laid up from an accident. They would not rent the truck to me to pull a trailer. I tried all of the major rental company’s in NY with the same results. I suppose I could have rented the truck and said nothing, but was concerned if I had an accident towing the trailer, so I opted to skip the trip.

In dry conditions a 3,500 lb. truck would have no problem handling a 6,000 lb. trailer equipped with brakes. Once the environment changes such as rain, snow, or a slippery boat ramp, all bets are off. I towed my snowmobile trailer that was half the weight of the AWD SUV in snowy conditions that totally changed my assessment of tow weight vs. tow vehicle weight. Plenty of power to pull uphills but going downhill was such a scary experience, having the trailer push the vehicle around with very little control. I did make it home unscathed but vowed never to repeat such an experience.

U-Haul is nuts. I wanted to rent one of their car hauler trailers to haul a '92 Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon to a demolition derby, and filled out their online thingy with my F250 7.3L, and the info on the Buick. It came back and said my truck wasn't capable of towing the load. It has a tow rating of 10,000 lb, and I've come close to that on occasion (a load of wet fill dirt in a dump trailer comes to mind). Anyway, I tracked down a car hauler trailer to borrow and managed to demolish the Roadmaster (won the first round )

But in their defense, probably half the drivers on the road shouldn't be driving, let alone pull a trailer.

U-Haul will default to C.Y.A. mode at the slightest hint of a problem. They tried to back out of a 5X8 foot box trailer rental one time when one turn signal failed to operate- - - - -worked on the tow vehicle but not on the trailer! Who knew that the car I was driving had separate fuses for all the trailer connector circuits? After half an hour of me reading the owner's manual and tracing wiring, they finally let me pull off the lot with all the signals working!
Jerry