Dear Car Talk,
I am new to this chat but thought I would just ask you all and see if someone out there knows about Chevy Silverado’s! I want to buy this cute little white truck in bangor Maine. Its 2 wheel, not 4 wheel drive - will it pull the 21 foot seaway boat that is 2000 pounds (approx?!)
Also does anyone love these trucks and would love to spread the love and let me know if its a great truck? or is it trouble?
this particular truck has 47,000 miles, says it runs like new, 6 cylindar.
Thank you!!
The biggest questions when buying a used truck are
(1) how was it used
(2) how was it maintained.
Without knowing those two things it’s a genuine crapshoot.
the truck might be just fine, but pulling a 21’ boat with a 6 cyl. engine? Not a good idea. If this is a short trip kind of thing, perhaps. If you plan on towing the boat 50 miles then not a good idea.
Since it is not a 4X4 you don’t have “low range” so pulling a 21’ SeaRay up a steep launch ramp could be interesting. Not an easy assignment for the transmission.
Here’s the problematic areas of this truck.
1-Intake manifold gaskets.
B-Suspension components.
*-Transmission if automatic.
You couldn’t GIVE me one.
Tester
thank you soooo much for the responses!! so helpful!! great help for us!
ok, we live 2 miles from the ocean and would be ideal to trailer the 21’ seaway seafarer that 2 miles to the ocean. there is a public landing - Lincolnville beach maine. then basically take the boat out of the water and bring it back up the hill home. we cant get a morning yet so we have to trailer it for the rest of the season.
the person that is selling the truck:
a grandmother gave it to his grandson and now grandson wants to sell it to help pay for college in bangor maine. mother says that grandmother hauled the latest pop-up “tag - a - long” trailer no problem. so possibly our 21’ seaway seafarer would be similar and no problem. also mother said the truck drives like new and is in excellent condition.
***tomorrow morning mother is going to take it to mechanic across from her work (hospital near bangor) and mechanic will hopefully give me some good answers.
Would anyone be so kind to give me some good questions to ask?
THANK YOU!!
Lincolnville, maine
.
ok - will ask about suspension, intake maifold gaskets, and transmission !
will also ask about how it was maintained by the grandmother. (I was just told that the grandmother is ill and wanted grandson to have truck to drive. she basically gave it to him and now he wants to sell it since he has a motorcylcle and other car.
mother would like son to keep it, but accepts he wants to sell for college funds.
any more questions we should ask would be greatly appreciated.
ann + peter
Ocean ramps with wet algae and seaweed do not help underpowered 2WD trucks haul out 2000 lb boats. Especially if that light rear axle is shod with all-season tires. A good set of rubber can overcome a lot of sins but much will depend on ramp conditions…
thanks for the advice! but isn’t it the wench that will haul the boat up? maybe i should just give this truck up and look for a 4 wheel drive. it’s just that i really liked it, and like 2 wheel drive trucks in general/ the ramp is well maintained and in ponobscot bay, so not so much sea weed…
but isn’t it the wench that will haul the boat up?
My wife will occasionally power load one of our boats but she doesn’t appreciate me calling her that
The winch only pulls the boat onto the trailer once it’s at least partially on the trailer. To get the rear part of the bunks/roller wet, you have to back in far enough. A lot of ramps that puts the rear tires of the truck at or in the water. Regardless, all those prior launchers and retrievers have hauled their wet boats and trailers out and the lower part of the ramp is perpetually wet.