Towing a salt water boat

curt

New member
Jun 27, 2023
1
0
Gilroy, CA
I have an existing F150 I use to tow and launch my boat in salt water. I always pressure wash the rear brakes after every trip to get the salt out of the system. Despite this, I had to replace the rear disc brakes after 45K miles due to corrosion. I am interested in purchasing an F150 Lightning, but I am worried that corrosion would be a problem for both the disc brakes and the regenerative brake system. For sure, that repair would cost a lot more than just replacing the disc brakes. Does anyone have any experience with towing like this? Any sign of corrosion issues?

Also, my boat and trailer weigh 7000 lbs. I tow at 55 MPH over mostly flat ground. I've read that range while towing this type of load will be reduced by 50%, but I've also read range is reduced by 66%. Anyone with real world experience under similar conditions?

Thanks,
Curt
 

vytec

New member
Jul 11, 2023
2
0
Austin, TX
I have an existing F150 I use to tow and launch my boat in salt water. I always pressure wash the rear brakes after every trip to get the salt out of the system. Despite this, I had to replace the rear disc brakes after 45K miles due to corrosion. I am interested in purchasing an F150 Lightning, but I am worried that corrosion would be a problem for both the disc brakes and the regenerative brake system. For sure, that repair would cost a lot more than just replacing the disc brakes. Does anyone have any experience with towing like this? Any sign of corrosion issues?

Also, my boat and trailer weigh 7000 lbs. I tow at 55 MPH over mostly flat ground. I've read that range while towing this type of load will be reduced by 50%, but I've also read range is reduced by 66%. Anyone with real world experience under similar conditions?

Thanks,
Curt
Not a real world owner yet, but from what I've seen yes the range does decrease a lot and a lot depends on what your towing and what kind of aerodynamic efficiency it has. If the boat is large and has a tower and large windshield, a big block hitting the wind, then it will decrease a lot. If the boat has a lower profile and fits under the cab, then it has less wind resistance and less impact on mileage. Weight does play a role, but from watching real results on YouTube videos, the weight is less of an impact than the shape of what you're towing. Wind resistance is the big killer of range.

I too would be interested if anyone is using the lightning to tow a saltwater boat and what they've experienced.
 
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