Level kit and towing a boat

[rickyranger8]

whats up y’all? I’ve got a 22 tremor and I’m hoping to install a 2” level eventually. Preferably the fordrangerlifts one. But I’ve also got aspirations of owning and towing a bow rider. Specifically one that would be 19-22’ and topping out around 4-5k dry. Does anyone have any personal experience towing while leveled and particularly with a 2” kit? I also currently have the stock 265/70/17 general grabbers and stock wheels so I’m also hoping to upgrade to 285/70/17s once I get the level installed. Anyone have any insight on how well that fits with the 2” kit and stock wheels as well? Really appreciate any help!

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[Frenchy]

I'm going to chime in right now and say DON'T!!

Why you ask? Simple, as the truck sits now chances are it will level out when you hook up the trailer and boat.

If you level it out and then hook up the trailer and boat you will start to dog squat. This will cause you to take weight off the front tires making them want to loose contact with the ground as you go down the road.

After that you will do the silly thing of adding air bags to fix the problem you created when all you have to do is not level it.

If you plan to keep the truck stock and no intentions to go OffRoad then leave it as it is. It will be your best option.

@Wes Siler has a few different writeups related to suspension stuff that can give you a better understanding as well.

 

[rickyranger8]

I'm going to chime in right now and say DON'T!!

Why you ask? Simple, as the truck sits now chances are it will level out when you hook up the trailer and boat.

If you level it out and then hook up the trailer and boat you will start to dog squat. This will cause you to take weight off the front tires making them want to loose contact with the ground as you go down the road.

After that you will do the silly thing of adding air bags to fix the problem you created when all you have to do is not level it.

If you plan to keep the truck stock and no intentions to go OffRoad then leave it as it is. It will be your best option.

@Wes Siler has a few different writeups related to suspension stuff that can give you a better understanding as well.

Thanks! Ive heard the squatting occurs pretty easily once hooked up. Is it safe to assume a more capable truck like an f150 or 250 wouldnt run into this issue with a similar sized boat? Or I guess any truck is susceptible to that happening?

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Not a real 1:1 comparison but close.

I towed a roughly 6k trailer with a Jeep combo through the mountains of NC effortlessly.

60mph uphill was easy.

My truck has Bilsteins in the front at 1.8 lift, Tremor leafs in the rear with Bilsteins, and running 265/70/17 tires.

It sits pretty level when empty with a very slight rake.

Here is how much it drooped in the rear (very little) and I couldn't really adjust where the Jeep was on the trailer so tongue weight was probably more than what your boat will be since your boat will have the engine at the rear.

I'm pretty certain you will be fine.

 

[rickyranger8]

Not a real 1:1 comparison but close.

I towed a roughly 6k trailer with a Jeep combo through the mountains of NC effortlessly.

60mph uphill was easy.

My truck has Bilsteins in the front at 1.8 lift, Tremor leafs in the rear with Bilsteins, and running 265/70/17 tires.

It sits pretty level when empty with a very slight rake.

Here is how much it drooped in the rear (very little) and I couldn't really adjust where the Jeep was on the trailer so tongue weight was probably more than what your boat will be since your boat will have the engine at the rear.

I'm pretty certain you will be fine.

No thanks, thats really helpful, I appreciate it! Ive heard the fordrangerlifts 1" tremor level is much more suitable for towing than their 2"...just wondering if I could fit 285/70/17s with that...

Really like your build too!

 

[YaBoiNewton]

Thanks! Ive heard the squatting occurs pretty easily once hooked up. Is it safe to assume a more capable truck like an f150 or 250 wouldnt run into this issue with a similar sized boat? Or I guess any truck is susceptible to that happening?

I've towed a similar boat and there was no squatting to be seen. In my experience you have to load up quite a bit to get a noticeable squat.

Here's my truck yesterday with a bed full of telephone pole segments. I have the Fox 2.0 2" leveling kit and this is the most squat I have ever seen. Wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't drive on the road like this. Only hauled these across a forest preserve to our build site.

 

[Glocker]

I have the Eibach ProTruck kit on mine, and it is set to 3.5" of lift up front. I had just a touch of reverse rake to the truck so I ended up with Autoleaf add-a-leaf out back. It towed my bow rider great!

 

[N559br]

Let's say you're thinking of a 22' sea ray bowrider. It's got a specd weight of 3800, add a trailer, say 1,000. All up, 4800 pounds, so 500lbs on the hitch. Get 2 of your buddies to sit on the tailgate and see how the truck sits.

My 26' bay boat is only about 4500, + 2k trailer putting about 650 on the hitch. I sit pretty level loaded. However, the front get a little light when coming out of the ramp so i would not want the front any higher than it is already.

 

[Frenchy]

Thanks! Ive heard the squatting occurs pretty easily once hooked up. Is it safe to assume a more capable truck like an f150 or 250 wouldnt run into this issue with a similar sized boat? Or I guess any truck is susceptible to that happening?

Put simple any truck is susceptible to squatting when loaded if leveled. As you can tell with other replies other individuals had to add stuff to the rear like an Add A Leaf. Zaius simply went to the Tremor Leafs with the Bilstein shocks and I believe the front is still lower than a stock Tremor. How much stuff is in the bed? Hard to say, but with that jeep and U-Haul I suspect it's a good bit of tongue weight that is making him squat a bit.

 

[Dgc333]

No thanks, thats really helpful, I appreciate it! Ive heard the fordrangerlifts 1" tremor level is much more suitable for towing than their 2"...just wondering if I could fit 285/70/17s with that...

Really like your build too!

IMHO, a 2" lift on the front of a Tremor makes the nose sit high. A 1" lift is perfect (I have 1" on my Tremor). Also, I use the rocker as my reference for if the truck is level. When the rocker is level the wheel arch in the back will be a little higher than the front arch.

FWIW, I purchased a 17' travel trailer (3245 lb empty, 450lb tongue weight with propane and batteries up front) used this past spring and the hitch the PO gave me had the ball to high resulting in the trailer being nose high. After having some sway issues on my last outing I asked for advice from the group. Between the advice and the setup instructions for the Reese load distribution hitch I believe I am set up correctly.

With a new shank that allows the ball to be even with the trailers coupler when the trailer is level I get about 1.5" of squat in the rear and about 1" rise in the front. When I attach the load distribution bars the trailer comes back to less than 1/2 a bubble from level (nose down) and the truck is less than a 1/2" from its unburdened numbers. The sway bar was also not set right so it was all cleaned up and set to a more appropriate tension.

Heading to Maine tomorrow so I will report how it does

 

[Frenchy]

IMHO, a 2" lift on the front of a Tremor makes the nose sit high. A 1" lift is perfect (I have 1" on my Tremor). Also, I use the rocker as my reference for if the truck is level. When the rocker is level the wheel arch in the back will be a little higher than the front arch.

FWIW, I purchased a 17' travel trailer (3245 lb empty, 450lb tongue weight with propane and batteries up front) used this past spring and the hitch the PO gave me had the ball to high resulting in the trailer being nose high. After having some sway issues on my last outing I asked for advice from the group. Between the advice and the setup instructions for the Reese load distribution hitch I believe I am set up correctly.

With a new shank that allows the ball to be even with the trailers coupler when the trailer is level I get about 1.5" of squat in the rear and about 1" rise in the front. When I attach the load distribution bars the trailer comes back to less than 1/2 a bubble from level (nose down) and the truck is less than a 1/2" from its unburdened numbers. The sway bar was also not set right so it was all cleaned up and set to a more appropriate tension.

Heading to Maine tomorrow so I will report how it does

When it comes to a weight distribution hitch it definitely helps prevent squatting of the tow vehicle. That said only certain trailers can use them. How so you ask? Well if a trailer has surge brakes the tongue will move too much with braking. Trailers with electric brakes and no brakes don't have that issue. What I suspect with the OP's trailer for the boat is surge brakes since the trailer will go to into the water

 

[EAC83]

If your wanting to fit 285s, level the truck, and tow you could do as i did and add the 2” front lift and the 1” rear shackle lift from BDS . The truck doesn’t sit level when not towing but it is lifted for more clearance and allows me to tow without squatting too much. Also install is pretty easy. I had to tow my daughter’s car home(Ford Edge) on a 16’ trailer recently when her alternator went out and my rear sat about 1” lower than the front and had no problems at all. My truck (‘21 Tremor) has the same rake as a ranger with the 1” level kit installed only the front and rear are both sitting 1” higher. I’ll post a pic of my truck with the 1” front level installed vs my truck with 2” front level and 1” rear lift for comparison. I’m not running 285s but plan to eventually.

 

[rickyranger8]

If your wanting to fit 285s, level the truck, and tow you could do as i did and add the 2” front lift and the 1” rear shackle lift from BDS . The truck doesn’t sit level when not towing but it is lifted for more clearance and allows me to tow without squatting too much. Also install is pretty easy. I had to tow my daughter’s car home(Ford Edge) on a 16’ trailer recently when her alternator went out and my rear sat about 1” lower than the front and had no problems at all. My truck (‘21 Tremor) has the same rake as a ranger with the 1” level kit installed only the front and rear are both sitting 1” higher. I’ll post a pic of my truck with the 1” front level installed vs my truck with 2” front level and 1” rear lift for comparison. I’m not running 285s but plan to eventually.

Thanks for the input, really helpful! Love the look too. What wheels?

 

[Cabose-1]

Well, you cant have both worlds, off road and work capabilities, it is a scale that leans one way or the other, and if in the middle, still cant work/tow, off road as a more caoable vehicle. I have about 1400lbs in the truck (to include my buddy and I, and tongue weight) and about a 6000lb trailer (car and all steel trailer). Normally when towing 6 to 7k i use no weight distribution, tow work vehicles, and usually have an empty truck, it sits level and tows really great. More than my uncles f150 trucks, and chevy 1500. 20 year old trucks, good for their times. They at least have useful beds lol. Anyway, its up to you what you decide to do. Lift level, tow on ocassion, just be aware, lifts, and all this other stuff changes the dynamics of the truck. I use my uncles taco for serious off road, and he calls me to tow.
So just be smart, tow careful, keep the rubber side down.

2022 xlt fx2

 

[EAC83]

Thanks for the input, really helpful! Love the look too. What wheels?

I believe they are sport terrain tk 12 wheels 17”.

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