I just bought a 16' boat that weighs exactly 2060 lbs. total tow weight. I have a list of parts that I need for the truck already generated, but wanted to run it by the guys that tow alot!

My truck: 1995 Pickup 4x4 single cab 22RE

1. Brand new monroe shocks all around
2. Brand new marlin clutch w/ resurfaced marlin flywheel including shifter bushings
3. All preventative maintenance in my control, IE: air filter, oil, spark plugs
4. Helwig helper leafs. My brother uses these on his 2wd taco, and that thing doesn't sag more than an inch with a 2000 lb. camper.
5. Hawk super duty towing brake pads
6. Adjust rear brakes
7. I have 31's on it now, I am reverting to stock size 225/75/15
8. Try and tow it around the block to see what happens?

What do you guys think. I know other people tow more than this with thier rigs.....but just to reassure myself!~

 

Tow hitch/receiver

Towing it won't be the problem...stopping it and not getting pulled into the water on a steep boat ramp will be the problem.

 

Yea that's what I figured, sorry I didn't say before, but I have a class 2 hitch!

 

does it have trailer brakes on the boat trailer?

cause those help you stop
if they dont, you might wont to get some

 

One thing that can be a big problem with loading boats in toyotas is that they are so light if the ramp is wet they have a hard time pulling the boat back out of the water they just spin. I had this problem in my 90 pickup towing a 15' aluminum bass tracker. I had to have the truck in 4wd to pull it out everytime and my boat is one of the lighter ones

And the manual transmissions make it that much more fun when u start rolling backwards to hit the break and keep sliding....

 

you mention nothing of a Trans cooler! I have a 17' fiberglass boat that weighs somwhere in that neighborhood. even with a V6, I would'nt dream of towing anything without one. Also you can save yourself all the trouble of installing all that suspension if you have your trailer set up right, tounge weight should be between 8-10% of the boat weight. I use a jackstand on a good bathroom scale to check this. I'm also installing air bags to help out when needed. your truck is going to ride harsh with alot of extra spings.

 

you might think about some gears too

 

Actually that 2000 or so lbs is more then within the standard rated tow weight of our trucks so you really don't "need" a lot of extras IMO.
All the preventative maintenance stuff off course. If you have an auto the trans. cooler is a good idea... The helper springs? either way they may help you tow flatter but they also will stiffen the ride a bit when you're empty... Heavy duty brakes? always useful in any case...
I would step up to a class 3 receiver hitch set up for increased safety...
watch how you load the trailer/truck you may want/need a bag of sand or two up against the cab in the box for some extra traction on steep ramps and to help keep some weight on the steering axle to reduce your chances of "wagging"