hey all,

this winter i'll be towing my girlfriends parents 34ft' Cobalt boat down to fort lauderdale area from michigan. having only hauled a 9k horse trailer loaded up and driving an '05 LLY i was wondering if i will really have to worry about overheating? The boat weights 14K without fuel, i'm sure there will be a little bit in the 200 gallon tank but around 14k lbs. don't know how much the actual trailer weights but it wont be that much.

A: Should i have my predator at 40hp or all the way down to stock with my stock tranny?
B: at highway speeds (60-70 MPH) should i keep overdrive off?
C: i'm guessing since its going to be in the winter time i'll be ok until i get to the Tennessee Kentucky area with the over heating issue. is that right?

sorry i'm very new at hauling heavy loads for a long distance and rarely on the road. my old powerstroke never had trouble hauling 19k around the farm. but i never broke 15 mph.... haha

you're tips would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance

you won't have any problems. Keep the tune below 50HP and run with the tow/haul mode on. Lock the cruise at whatever you are comfortable with, the truck can handle it.

I have pulled just about that same route with a 17,000 pound enclosed GN without problems. Plus, the boat has a nice aerodynamic shape to it.

The one thing I do suggest is to make sure the surge brakes work on the trailer, I have pulled a few boats with those and they haven't worked very well.

I'm not sure which way you are going, but if you are taking I-24 into Chattanooga their is a long 6% downhill grade that sucks without trailer brakes (trust me).

I don't think you'll have any issues and will be pleasantly surprise how easy your truck will handle it. As Premis mentioned, make sure everything including the trailer brakes are in good operating condition since it's a long distance.
On the flats, I just leave it in "D" with the tow haul on, and shift manually to anticipate grades. Either the 40 hp tune or stock and I don't travel much over 60 mph when I pull a trailer. Take your time and enjoy the drive.

alright thanks guys, now with the tow haul is that the one that puts the trailer light on in the dash? that makes the shift points higher? or do you mean both the trailer light and OD off?

alright thanks guys, now with the tow haul is that the one that puts the trailer light on in the dash? that makes the shift points higher? or do you mean both the trailer light and OD off?

Yes the trailer light on the dash. That changes shift points and trans braking operations. Start with leaving your OD on, if you find that the transmission is frequently shifting down a gear then turn it off.

sweet thanks guys!

Just for fun, you should put it back to stock for awhile during the trip and then ask yourself if the Predator was even worth the money. ;)

Is the boat on a tag trailer or gooseneck? If its on a tag, I would upgrade your hitch. The factory hitch is a weak POS. They have been known to fail under heavy conditions, and 14 K is heavy on that hitch.

I'm sure it is a tag.

Boat trailers are pretty balanced, so you should have 1400-1500 pounds on your tongue. Probably ok, but it's never a bad idea to reinforce.

i towed that last weekend i have efilive 100hp tune never relly got hotegt wise but tranny did

pretty sure it's a tag too, havn't seen the trailer though. but most all boat trailers are tags until you get to the big ass yachts

If your 05 has the same POS hitch my 06 came with, look at the weight tag on it....750 LBS and 7500 with weight dist. I tow a 8K Arctic Fox tag..when I switched to the Putnam...now Curt I think ...OH MY WORD...totally better feel..and class 5..no flex...stock feels like its spring loaded due to the "tube"...or torque tube... I have towed 12K tag...the truck will LOVE it...no problems at all,,,I just think the stock hitch for what these trucks can do SUCKS !!!

If your 05 has the same POS hitch my 06 came with, look at the weight tag on it....750 LBS and 7500 with weight dist. I tow a 8K Arctic Fox tag..when I switched to the Putnam...now Curt I think ...OH MY WORD...totally better feel..and class 5..no flex...stock feels like its spring loaded due to the "tube"...or torque tube... I have towed 12K tag...the truck will LOVE it...no problems at all,,,I just think the stock hitch for what these trucks can do SUCKS !!!

750lbs, are you sure? If correct that does suck. 07.5-09 2.5" hitches are 7,500lbs non-weight distributing and 13,000lbs with a weight distributor.

I looked all all my buddies truck last night and the 05 o6 must have had two hitches, some of their trucks 750/7500 1000/10000 then 100/1000 and 1250/12500 wieght dist.
I can tell you that is why GM used a BETTER hitch on your 07...we diid not get 2.5 my old hitch must have been a leftover 1/2 ton model..POS When I took it off it was about 25 lbs maybe 35...the new Putnam was 50 lbs or better ! and is bolted a lot farther down the frame....do a search for pictures and if you tow heavy from the bumper .....$135 for a class 5 well spent.

I agree, look into a better receiver hitch for that much weight.