Hey guys. New member here looking at purchasing a 02-03 Ram QC1500 and wanted to get some opinions of you boat owners. My first question has to do with towing. I will be towing a 4500-5000lb(total towed weight) boat and want to know how the 4.7L engine handles this. Most of my towing trips are 5-10 miles but a few times a year we tow from Cincinnati to lakes in Kentucky and Tennesee(about 200 miles one way). The towing is somewhat hilly but by no means any big mountains. Of course I would like to find a truck with the HEMI but my current searching is finding a +$2000 difference in price. Is the 4.7 adequate or willit be struggling on the uphill runs? What diff. gear ratio are you using?

My second question has to do with 4wd and launching the boat. Do you guys with 2WD ever have any trouble launching/retrieving your boat? Do you guys with 4WD find it necessary or unnecessary to shift to 4WD when you launch/retrieve? I pretty much stick to the public ramps and have neverneeded 4WD when launching with my current vehicles(jeep cherokee &Chevy Astro launching 3000lb boat) so I would think it would be OK. The reason I ask is this would be the onlycircumstance I would want 4WD(The 2-3 times we get snow around here doesn't justify it for me). Again 4WD Rams are showing a substantial price difference so any info here is appreciated.

Thanks for any responses as this will help me narrow my search list.

Kevin

 

Well I can't comment on the 4.7 because I don't have one, but I can tell you that I have 4wd but so far I have never used it at the ramp. Although I like I having it, I launch at lake mead in Nevada and the ramps aren't the best, in order to get the boat far enough in the water to get off the trailer I have to back my truck to where the water is almost to the cab, I certainly would not want to get stuck like that.

 

I towed another car on a trailer behind my 4.7 Quad Cab with stock gears and didn't have any problems at all.

 

4.7 will tow that easily. In 9 years with 4wd, I only engaged once at a ramp and that was because it was scummy and I was in a hurry. My current 2wd 4.7 tows my 5,000# boat fine.

 

I have the hemi now but I traded a dakota for it. I pulled my boat with the dakota just fine, stock gears. usually did ramp in two wheel drive depends on ramp angle mostly. my boat weighs 4500 lbs 22ft .forget I have a boat with hemi

[IMG]local://upfiles/43636/8231163C5A734A66B8A3AF2B865EADF6.jpg[/IMG]

 

IM SURE IF YOU TAKE YOUR TIME PULLING YOUR FOR ANY DISTANCE YOU'LL
BE OK ...............
AS FAR AS USING 4X4 WHEN PULLING THE BOAT DEPENDS ON THE RAMP CONDITION ,WEEDS WHAT NOT

 

Well I dont have a hemi or the 4.7 but i thought I would chime in here. The only time I have needed my 4wheel is this past year when the lake was 7ft low. To put my boat in the *** end of my truck would have to leave the end of the ram and it would sink in the mud. Besides that ive never had to use it.

 

I had a 2002 Ram 1500 QC 2wd with the 4.7 L and towed a 5000# boat. I live in Arkansas and towed the boat 41 miles back and forth to the lake for two years. I found that the 4.7 L coupled with the auto transmission even with overdrive off at times strainded to maintain a decent speed going up hills. I never had problems with launching or loading the boat at the ramps. The transmission searched for gears quite a bit when under load. Finally the transmission began to make a weird noise when I would shift into drive and felt like it was slipping. Only at idle or just above could I hear and feel the noise. I had a FM delta 40 series so when driving the exhaust drowned out all other noises. I took it to a tranny shop and htey told me that it sounded like my tranny was going and recommended either a rebuilt or new tranny. Anyway I traded the truck in for a new 2006 Ram 1500 QC 5.7 L 2wd. My new truck tows like the boat is not even back there. I love the Hemi. I changed my tranny fluid at recommended intervals. I had heard a rumor that the 2002s had some tranny problems. I know that the 5000# boat led to my tranny problems. Just my 2 cents worth!

 

WhenI bought my boat. I had a Ford super cab 2 wheel drive. It had the 5.0 and it would pull the boat with ease. But one dayI went to pull my boat out of the water and all it did was spin wheels. Seems I had gone off of the edge of the ramp into the mud .I couldn't get out to save my self. Then this kid came by in a junky Chevy blazer 6 cylinder and 4x4. He hooked up to my trailer and out it came. the next day I had a new 95 Ford Bronco with 4x4 .Same engine 5.0 Since then no problem. I now have an 04 4x4 quad cab 4x4 with the Hemi. I don't even know the boats behind me. I piece of good advice ,make sure you have a four wheel trailer. Two wheel trailers are awful when you have tire problems.

 

On my ford I never used 4x4 on actuall ramps, BUT when our lake was down and the ramp was not even touching the water and I had to use 4x4 because i was in sand. At our lake house i see people with cars put in boats all day on good public boat ramps so i have no doubt that as long as you keep on the concrete. Purchase a towstrap as well and through it under your seat or something, that away IF you do get stuck then you will have means of getting out.