The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Can a stovebolt pull a boat?

Here's what I've got. '54 chevy, original 235 engine, 4 speed granny in the floor- all in excellent shape. I need to pull a 2 axle trailer with 2000 boat, surge brakes on trailer. If I put the largest shocks I can find on the rear end, and I make sure the drum brakes are in very good shape, can I safely pull this load? I'm not talking about pulling the Rockies- just mild rolling hills.

Sure, why not. I've seen people pull bigger boats with smaller trucks, a 'Bolt'll do it just fine. Wire it up for trailer lights and put a good hitch on it, you'll be fine. You may have to fabricate or modify a hitch to fit.

Remember to give yourself some braking room when towing with drum brakes. Other than that should work just fine.

When I was a kid in the 60's we pulled a boat or a travel trailer all over the place with our '58 1/2 ton with a 235. No problems that I remember.

add a brake controller and the proper hitch and they can pull their share and do it safely..

click to enlarge..

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/Avette4me/My%2058/th_brakecontroller.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/Avette4me/My%2058/th_BPhitch.jpg[/img]

I have a 1950 1-ton dually, 216 with 4 speed, we pull 4 horses in a goosneck with no problem. Top end an incredible 50 mph but it get's it done.

I wouldn't even worry about putting different shocks on if yours are working.

You can in a pinch do even more with a bolt. When i was young we hauled hay wagons, and raked the hay with a 3/4 ton. I even hooked up a 2 bottom plow one time and plow a little with one. When pulling sometime that hard it will heat up on you if you dont have a good clean cooling system. You should be able to do most anything a modern truck does with your bolt, after they were all there was once upon a time.

When I was a kid...my dad had an early 50's GMC. We pulled an 18' runabout - single axle to the mountains often. The bed was full of camping gear, me, and my brother. We probably didn't break any speed limits but I recall it hauled just fine. Sounds like you are pulling more weight though.

So? Do you have to put 6 volt bulbs in all of your trailer lights or does everyone upgrade the truck to 12 volts?
Scott

I have pulled several heavy loads in various trailers with my 61. It has a 235 with a 4 speed in it. Does an admirable job, brakes are a little chancy, I feel better towing a trailer that has its own brakes than just a dragger. I would feel comfortable towing a boat with my truck, so long as I did not need to get on the freeway. Go for it!

Kyle

I sometimes pull a small 14' boat around. Boat, motor and trailer weigh about 1200 tops. I can only tell it's there it on the really steep hills.

yep these old "bolt" brakes work hard to stop "just little ol me", but I think the Boat and trailer would need a little extra time and distance.

Cliff59

use your gears to help slow down and take it easy it will do fine

These are trucks for crying out loud! They were built to work! I used to pull a 18 foot car trailer with my 66 C20. Pulled hay wagons and a 2 horse trailer with a 85 S-10 15 years ago.

Ok guys-you convinced me. Taking the Chevy to Myron the weldor today to get fixed up with a hitch. Then shock upgrade probably. Yes I've gone over to 12v long long ago- in fact its based around a Painless system.

Hey ya know, these trucks were made to work. Changing shocks should not be ness. if you shocks are in good shape.
My only conserns would be is my tow vehicle heavy enough to stop a large load and do my surge brakes work. Surge brakes are ok if you have a good brakeing system on the tow vehicle, at best a 54 1/2 ton had ok brakes. I would add an electric brake system to my trailer. Just my 2 cents. James

Unless you are putting shocks with overload springs or air overload, the shocks make no difference in towing or load capacity. Normally the early ton and a halfs came without rear shocks.

My Dad dropped 3 complete Olds 455 engines from the wreckers into the back of my 58 1/2 ton. I had to drive around town for a week before he came and got them.

I had almost no accelleration but I had unbelieveable traction on the steep and snowy streets of Medicine Hat, Alberta.

I've pulled a loaded car trailer behind my '55 1st GMC Suburban. GMC 270, SM420 and 3.08 gears under the rear.

With 70's vintage drum brakes on the rear and disks on the front, slowing it down without a brake controller can seem scary and I don't think I'd choose to do it again.

With my rear gears running 70+ on flat ground with an empty trailer isn't hard. But it sure can be slow to accelerate, especially once I get a load on that trailer.

Nahhhhhh ya's gots to push a boat..hehehe