This vehicle ok to tow with?

[MrBigStuff]

Re: This vehicle ok to tow with?

So the total weight for the heaviest rig might be, say, 2100 pounds or so? Am I forgetting something?

Two things come to mind; gasoline and batteries.

Then add coolers full of beverages and ice

200lbs for a trailer seems awfully optimistic as well for that kind of boat.

 

[amynbill]

Re: This vehicle ok to tow with?

Heck, and I am worried about a 21' sea ray bowrider with a Nissan Armada!

You guys are brave doing this with minivans!

 

[sickwilly]

Re: This vehicle ok to tow with?

let me get this right, for less than $100 bucks from e-trailer you can get a new beefy bolt on class III hitch, but you would rather get a new truck than drop the old hitch and bolt on a new one. Yup, that sounds about right!

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: This vehicle ok to tow with?

let me get this right, for less than $100 bucks from e-trailer you can get a new beefy bolt on class III hitch, but you would rather get a new truck than drop the old hitch and bolt on a new one. Yup, that sounds about right!

Yes, I am incredibly stupid, aren't I?

First it doesn't even need to be a Class III; a Class II would do for what I need.

Second, the reason I submitted my original post to begin with was that I was suspicious that using a Chrysler minivan with front wheel drive to tow, launch and retrieve boats was probably not the most brilliant thing to do. I was simply looking for some validation.

Since that post I've visited one of the more popular boat ramps in the area numerous times. In only one case did I see a front-wheel drive vehicle parked there, and it had a really small trailer. I have seen a couple of minivans, but one was a Mazda MPV, and the other was a Toyota Sienna, both with all-wheel drive, and both with trailers that looked to be for boats no larger than the 16 to 17 foot range.

And third, my wife and I are in the market for a replacement vehicle anyway. Our current T&C is over 12 years old, has over 100k miles, has a creaking/grinding sound from the left front suspension, uses a quart of oil every 1,000 miles, and in checking the hitch I discovered it has some rust underfoot. It has been a marvelous vehicle, but now my wife is showing our youngest golden retriever at regional dog shows and needs to remove the back seat to fit the kennel and gear, so at first we were thinking of getting a 2008 T&C Limited with Sto 'n Go. (PITA removing rear seat from our current van and then replacing it afterwards). Unfortunately, Chrysler no longer makes an all-wheel drive version, so now we're looking at the Toyota Highlander with 4-wheel drive or one of the GM Lambdas (Enclave/Acadia/Outlook) with all-wheel drive. We get a fair amount of snow and cold up here in Minnesota, so the 4-wheel or all-wheel drive configuration will come in handy, especially when getting up the incline of our driveway in the winter.

But we don't need it now. There are only a couple of dog shows left in our region this year, and I can keep pouring oil into the engine. Can wait until next spring.

So, the new vehicle thing is pretty much a done deal. The boat? Who knows? If I get one, it will happen only after doing my homework and making sure I have what I need to tow and pull off launches/retrievals without incident.

 

[204 Escape]

Re: This vehicle ok to tow with?

We pull our 204 LARSON Escape deck boat (3100#'s). with a 2001 F-150 4 X 4 FORD Super Crew, with tow package. There were just a couple of times that we used the 4 wheel drive on the ramp, and that was because of the moss that was there.

We did hook onto a 2 X 4 Chevy single cab once at the ramp, that got to sliding on the ramp, because of the moss. He was pulling out a 22' Chapparrel bow rider.

I'd go V-8, for a boat of any size, and weight.

My opinion, is that it is better to have the power, than not have the power. However, the price of gas is a consideration as well.

 

[jevery]

Re: This vehicle ok to tow with?

I?ve towed with a front wheel drive Toyota minivan rated for 3,500 lbs for over two years now. Class III hitch and airbags in rear springs to control rear height. I frequent about a dozen lakes, mostly Corps of Engineer lakes in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Ramps in this area are all corrugated concrete. First boat towed with this vehicle was a 17 ft Crestliner with Mercury 115 4-stroke, (no trailer brakes), at around 2500 lbs loaded. More recently have been towing an 18-1/2 ft Ranger with Yamaha 150 at around 3,300 lbs loaded, (with brakes). Never have had difficulty retrieving either boat from the water, and have used some very steep ramps wet and dry. Never had a tire spin. Some of the ramps have been algae covered where the water meets the ramp, but front drive wheels are well above the slick area. Only real issue has been the lack of brakes on the first boat significantly increasing braking distance. The only circumstances that would persuade me to go to an alternate ramp would be a wet smooth asphalt ramp, but I?ve never seen one around here.