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Author Topic:   235 CONQUEST Weight and Tow Vehicle Rating

thirdrail1 posted 06-23-2009 03:16 PM ET (US)
[What is] the weight of a 235 CONQUEST full of fuel and on a trailer? And dry? Not the weight from the manual. [Seeks] approximate weight of boat, trailer, engine, and etc.
Bella con23 posted 06-23-2009 03:28 PM ET (US)
My 23 Conquest with 225 2 stroke on a LoadRite steel trailer, full fuel, safety and fishing gear weighs approximatly 7,100 lbs.
Subtract 777 lbs for an empty 125 gal. tank.
Joe
thirdrail1 posted 06-23-2009 03:31 PM ET (US)
I have the 250 verado. I would assume that is more then. I'm trying to pull it with a Sequoia that is rated for 6200 lbs. and it doesn't like it at all.
Bella con23 posted 06-23-2009 03:53 PM ET (US)
thirdrail1 - Looks like your at or over the rating of the towing capacity. Your outboard weighs about 150 lbs. more then mine. (493 vs 635)
Personnally, I would not have a problem towing it for short distances, say 20 miles or less.
But then again I'm a little more hap-hazard the the next guy.
Joe
diveorfish posted 06-24-2009 02:12 PM ET (US)
Thirdrail1: When I first bought my boat (2001 23 Outrage w twin 135s) the salesman told my I could tow it with a half ton "no problem.” My half-ton was rated to tow 8000 lbs.
When I weighed my boat and trailer fully combat loaded it weighed 8,200. Add three more male passengers to ride with me I was looking at 8,800 lbs towing weight.
My half-ton couldn't handle it at all, so I got a 3/4 ton gasser rated at 10,000 lbs with a 4:10 rear end. Even with that truck, on any kind of hill, I thought the engine was going to blow up on some occasions. After 5 years of stressing out with that truck, I broke down and got a diesel truck. That is the way to go. You barely even know you are towing.
You really need to weigh your boat. Remember the brochure weight listed is just the hull. It doesn’t include any options or the engine or fluids. The hardtop is an option and it alone must weigh at least 300 lbs.
So just for starters and this is a conservative estimate:
Boat weight from specs 3730
Engine 650
Hard top 300
Fuel 750
other fluids and options water, oil, seats, bolsters, head, canvas etc, 300
trailer 1800
gear and passengers 600
total weight 8130
Also your tongue weight is going to be about 700 lbs or so.

If you are going to tow any distance at all the Sequoia simply cannot handle a fully outfitted 235 Conquest.
Whalers are very big heavy boats relative to their length. You are almost in Diesel territory
David Pendleton posted 06-25-2009 10:36 PM ET (US)
Wow, I need to get to a scale again.
These numbers seem really high to me.
I will agree though, your Sequoia is not up to the task.
Tohsgib posted 06-26-2009 02:28 PM ET (US)
An aluminum trailer will drop about 800lbs off that.
diveorfish posted 06-26-2009 03:59 PM ET (US)
Wow those aluminum trailers are light.
Mine is galvanized steel. Can you dip the aluminum one in salt water? I'm assuming its ok given that many boats are made of aluminum. Everybody I know that launches in salt water has galvanized steel. Is aluminum just more expensive?
[A comparison of aluminum to steel for use in boat trailers would make an excellent discussion of its own, but I do not think it is directly related to the weight of a 235 CONQUEST. Perhaps a new thread on that topic could be started to follow up on those questions.--jimh]
jimh posted 06-27-2009 11:51 AM ET (US)
I have seen a Boston Whaler 235 CONQUEST on a trailer. Just judging it by eye there is no way a vehicle rated 6,200-lbs towing capacity should be used to haul it on the highway.
You can easily discover the weight of the boat and trailer for an investment of $9 at a certified scale. This will end all speculation.
The rated tow weight for most vehicles has to be reduced for any weight in the vehicle other than the driver. When you add passengers, fuel, and gear to the tow vehicle, their weight must be subtracted from the tow rating. It seems prudent to allow at least 1,000-lbs for those factors.
It is also prudent not to tow with the maximum rated load permitted. When you allow some margin, your towing experience will be better. How much margin is needed may depend on the nature of the towing, how long you tow, and the terrain. Obviously towing a short distance on level terrain on back roads may need less capacity than towing long distances in hilly terrain on crowded highways.
Nauti Tauk posted 06-27-2009 04:32 PM ET (US)
My feeling is you are defintely in need of a good diesel to pull the rig. I'm partial to Ford but any of the 3/4 -1 ton trucks with a diesel will do what you need. With massive amounts of torque they make wonderful towing vehicles. Also it's been my personal expierence that a longer wheel base makes towing, especially a fully grown up rig like a 23 Conquest, much,much easier and enjoyable. At the very least a 3/4 ton F-250 will be rated to tow in excess of 10,000 lbs. This may sound like it's to much but the extra margin that Jim alluded to is an absolute must in my opinion. Anything less will probably bring about a very good case of "white knuckles".
duckear posted 07-18-2009 12:06 PM ET (US)
When you get above 6K or so trailer weight, the difference towing with a 3/4 ton diesel vs 1/2 gasser is very noticable.
I would much rather tow my Dauntless with my 2500 Dodge than with our Suburban and it is nowhere near 7K trailer weight.
Big toys are demanding and tend to be expensive in ways you never imagined. Ask me how I know.

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Author	Topic: 235 CONQUEST Weight and Tow Vehicle Rating
thirdrail1	posted 06-23-2009 03:16 PM ET (US) [What is] the weight of a 235 CONQUEST full of fuel and on a trailer? And dry? Not the weight from the manual. [Seeks] approximate weight of boat, trailer, engine, and etc.
Bella con23	posted 06-23-2009 03:28 PM ET (US) My 23 Conquest with 225 2 stroke on a LoadRite steel trailer, full fuel, safety and fishing gear weighs approximatly 7,100 lbs. Subtract 777 lbs for an empty 125 gal. tank. Joe
thirdrail1	posted 06-23-2009 03:31 PM ET (US) I have the 250 verado. I would assume that is more then. I'm trying to pull it with a Sequoia that is rated for 6200 lbs. and it doesn't like it at all.
Bella con23	posted 06-23-2009 03:53 PM ET (US) thirdrail1 - Looks like your at or over the rating of the towing capacity. Your outboard weighs about 150 lbs. more then mine. (493 vs 635) Personnally, I would not have a problem towing it for short distances, say 20 miles or less. But then again I'm a little more hap-hazard the the next guy. Joe
diveorfish	posted 06-24-2009 02:12 PM ET (US) Thirdrail1: When I first bought my boat (2001 23 Outrage w twin 135s) the salesman told my I could tow it with a half ton "no problem.” My half-ton was rated to tow 8000 lbs. When I weighed my boat and trailer fully combat loaded it weighed 8,200. Add three more male passengers to ride with me I was looking at 8,800 lbs towing weight. My half-ton couldn't handle it at all, so I got a 3/4 ton gasser rated at 10,000 lbs with a 4:10 rear end. Even with that truck, on any kind of hill, I thought the engine was going to blow up on some occasions. After 5 years of stressing out with that truck, I broke down and got a diesel truck. That is the way to go. You barely even know you are towing. You really need to weigh your boat. Remember the brochure weight listed is just the hull. It doesn’t include any options or the engine or fluids. The hardtop is an option and it alone must weigh at least 300 lbs. So just for starters and this is a conservative estimate: Boat weight from specs 3730 Engine 650 Hard top 300 Fuel 750 other fluids and options water, oil, seats, bolsters, head, canvas etc, 300 trailer 1800 gear and passengers 600 total weight 8130 Also your tongue weight is going to be about 700 lbs or so. If you are going to tow any distance at all the Sequoia simply cannot handle a fully outfitted 235 Conquest. Whalers are very big heavy boats relative to their length. You are almost in Diesel territory
David Pendleton	posted 06-25-2009 10:36 PM ET (US) Wow, I need to get to a scale again. These numbers seem really high to me. I will agree though, your Sequoia is not up to the task.
Tohsgib	posted 06-26-2009 02:28 PM ET (US) An aluminum trailer will drop about 800lbs off that.
diveorfish	posted 06-26-2009 03:59 PM ET (US) Wow those aluminum trailers are light. Mine is galvanized steel. Can you dip the aluminum one in salt water? I'm assuming its ok given that many boats are made of aluminum. Everybody I know that launches in salt water has galvanized steel. Is aluminum just more expensive? [A comparison of aluminum to steel for use in boat trailers would make an excellent discussion of its own, but I do not think it is directly related to the weight of a 235 CONQUEST. Perhaps a new thread on that topic could be started to follow up on those questions.--jimh]
jimh	posted 06-27-2009 11:51 AM ET (US) I have seen a Boston Whaler 235 CONQUEST on a trailer. Just judging it by eye there is no way a vehicle rated 6,200-lbs towing capacity should be used to haul it on the highway. You can easily discover the weight of the boat and trailer for an investment of $9 at a certified scale. This will end all speculation. The rated tow weight for most vehicles has to be reduced for any weight in the vehicle other than the driver. When you add passengers, fuel, and gear to the tow vehicle, their weight must be subtracted from the tow rating. It seems prudent to allow at least 1,000-lbs for those factors. It is also prudent not to tow with the maximum rated load permitted. When you allow some margin, your towing experience will be better. How much margin is needed may depend on the nature of the towing, how long you tow, and the terrain. Obviously towing a short distance on level terrain on back roads may need less capacity than towing long distances in hilly terrain on crowded highways.
Nauti Tauk	posted 06-27-2009 04:32 PM ET (US) My feeling is you are defintely in need of a good diesel to pull the rig. I'm partial to Ford but any of the 3/4 -1 ton trucks with a diesel will do what you need. With massive amounts of torque they make wonderful towing vehicles. Also it's been my personal expierence that a longer wheel base makes towing, especially a fully grown up rig like a 23 Conquest, much,much easier and enjoyable. At the very least a 3/4 ton F-250 will be rated to tow in excess of 10,000 lbs. This may sound like it's to much but the extra margin that Jim alluded to is an absolute must in my opinion. Anything less will probably bring about a very good case of "white knuckles".
duckear	posted 07-18-2009 12:06 PM ET (US) When you get above 6K or so trailer weight, the difference towing with a 3/4 ton diesel vs 1/2 gasser is very noticable. I would much rather tow my Dauntless with my 2500 Dodge than with our Suburban and it is nowhere near 7K trailer weight. Big toys are demanding and tend to be expensive in ways you never imagined. Ask me how I know.