Towing with a compact car

[mbratz2]

I have a 1997 Lakeland 1578 with a 40hp tiller that I use for fishing. I am wondering if I could tow this boat on short trips (typically less than 20min) with my 2011 Chevy Impala with the 3.5 liter V6. I have a truck right now that tows the boat like its nothing but I am thinking about selling the truck and just using my car. The boat is 15 ft. long and it is fiberglass but it's fairly light, it's just basically all deck space for fishing. Do you think this is a reasonable idea? I just don't want to strain my car to much or wreck the transmission.

 

[robert graham]

I doubt it will hurt that Impala at all....especially for short hauls.

 

[gm280]

mbratz2 :welcome: aboard iboats. Glad you joined us...

If you were to check the towing capacity of your Chevy Impala, I bet it is totally capable of towing that boat setup without any issues. Just have a quality trailer hitch installed and of course the trailer plug for the lights and all, and have a great time fishing. JMHO

 

[Scott Danforth]

Towing capacity for the 2011 impalla is 1000#

The boat itself without fuel, motor or gear is 800#

http://boatspecs.iboats.com/Lakeland...7/bp/66b132010

The motor, gear, and fuel alone will put you over the tow capacity. Add the trailer and your double the towed weight

 

[bigdee]

I doubt it will hurt that Impala at all....especially for short hauls.

My thoughts too but I mostly travel rural roads. IMO 1000# for an Impala is on the conservative side for normal highways. What kinds of highways will you be using? Heavy/busy traffic? Any steep hills or moderate terrain?

 

[jbcurt00]

If the Chevy fellas limited towing to 1K, I suspect yourr transmission wont appreciate towing 1500-2000lbs, even at moderate speeds on mostly flat terrain.

IMO, tow at your (and your transmissions) peril....

 

[H20Rat]

If the Chevy fellas limited towing to 1K, I suspect yourr transmission wont appreciate towing 1500-2000lbs, even at moderate speeds on mostly flat terrain.

IMO, tow at your (and your transmissions) peril....

Sadly, US tow ratings have almost nothing to do with capacity and far more with idiotic drivers with no training. That exact same car is rated between 1000-1250kg in europe. (aka 2500 pounds)

Towing is 90% driver. A skilled driver towing a light load for short distances is far less abusive on the transmission than your average stop and go driving. There are lots of people who I wouldn't feel safe towing that boat with a diesel F250.

 

[bigdee]

Sadly, US tow ratings have almost nothing to do with capacity and far more with idiotic drivers with no training. That exact same car is rated between 1000-1250kg in europe. (aka 2500 pounds)

Towing is 90% driver. A skilled driver towing a light load for short distances is far less abusive on the transmission than your average stop and go driving. There are lots of people who I wouldn't feel safe towing that boat with a diesel F250.

Amen,amen!! Drive with a little common sense, accelerate slowly and smoothly and your transmission will be just fine.

 

[charleso]

IMHO, no I would not. Insufficient trans cooler, insufficient brakes, insufficient cooling system for the engine. And trying to haul that load up a boat ramp out of water that is trying its best to hold on to it. Sell the Impala and keep your truck.

 

[oldjeep]

Sadly, US tow ratings have almost nothing to do with capacity and far more with idiotic drivers with no training. That exact same car is rated between 1000-1250kg in europe. (aka 2500 pounds)

Towing is 90% driver. A skilled driver towing a light load for short distances is far less abusive on the transmission than your average stop and go driving. There are lots of people who I wouldn't feel safe towing that boat with a diesel F250.

Same car likely has a diesel engine and manual trans in europe.

 

[Silvertip]

I just happen to have sold my Impala which is identically equipped and would not hesitate to tow short distances with that car. STAY OUT OF OVERDRIVE and go fishing. When you get to the ramp use your noggin. Parking brake on FIRST, then transmission in PARK. Do it backwards and you run the risk of screwing up the parking pawl or not being able to get the shifter out of PARK. That applies to all automatics, not just your Impala and has been policy since the automatic transmission appeared. The BANG you hear when jerking the tranny out of park is the parking pawl releasing..

 

[fhhuber]

Sadly, US tow ratings have almost nothing to do with capacity and far more with idiotic drivers with no training. That exact same car is rated between 1000-1250kg in europe. (aka 2500 pounds)

Towing is 90% driver. A skilled driver towing a light load for short distances is far less abusive on the transmission than your average stop and go driving. There are lots of people who I wouldn't feel safe towing that boat with a diesel F250.

Sorry... but if you are exceeding tow capacity and get into an accident, get ready to pay and pay and pay. You can be cited for reckless endangerment and other crimes for violation of laws. Your insurance may decide not to cover also.

The tow rating is a LEGAL requirement.

Don't do it.

I have a car which probably has the power to tow your boat... but no shop would put a hitch on it EVER. 0 lbs tow rating. Caught towing with that by a cop with a clue and they'd immediately impound it.

 

[R055]

Sorry... but if you are exceeding tow capacity and get into an accident, get ready to pay and pay and pay. You can be cited for reckless endangerment and other crimes for violation of laws. Your insurance may decide not to cover also.

The tow rating is a LEGAL requirement.

Don't do it.

I have a car which probably has the power to tow your boat... but no shop would put a hitch on it EVER. 0 lbs tow rating. Caught towing with that by a cop with a clue and they'd immediately impound it.

I've personally never heard of a personal vehicle getting fined for towing too much, never heard or read of someone's insurance claim getting rejected because if towing to much and never heard or seen someones car getting impounded for towing much. Maybe it has happened but I've never heard of it happening to anyone.

 

[Scott06]

I wouldn't give it a second thought. Used to tow my sea ray 175 and my dads Catalina 22 with a ' 98 Honda Accord, again shirt distances and low speed. You can find 3500lb hitches for that vehicle, so I wouldn't keep a truck just for a couple tows a year.

 

[bigdee]

This is an interesting read that should shed some light on this subject. The SAE towing standards for determining towing capacity is based on some extreme conditions. If your not towing under these conditions and drive sensible the Impala is more than able to tow that little boat. The talk about transmission failure,lawsuits are to be taken with a grain of salt. Pulling that load puts very little stress on the car. The applied stress comes from a heavy foot.http://www.trucktrend.com/news/163-0910-truck-towing-capacity/

 

[redneck joe]

Caught towing with that by a cop with a clue and they'd immediately impound it.

??

I see cars/trucks obviously (visibly) towing over capacity all day long, every time I hit the road and have never seen one even pulled over, let alone being impounded. Are you here in the states or some other country?

Yesterday saw one apparently headed to Bonnaroo - 1500 extended cab short bed Chevy. Towing about a 25' camper that probably was close the limit - then in the bed, one of those water tanks completely filled up. The tank was about 5' cube so do the math on that weight alone. He passed me and I was doing 73. I decided to take the next exit and take the old highway home..

 

[Slager]

I would do it. Get a suitable hitch and use your parking brake on the launch ramp. Don't drive with a led foot and you'll be fine. I towed a 1600 lb boat trailer combo with a Hyundai sonata with a 2.4 L 4 cyl and it towed awesome. Sedans are great tow vehicles because they have a low center of gravity and a small rear overhang (distance from back axle to hitch) compared to the wheel base. Don't believe the myth that your insurance won'the cover you, read your policy to be sure, but pretty much all insurance companies will cover you. Unless you are a comercial vehicle or exceeding the capacity with the intent of it causing an accident. Towing capacities are a manufacturer recommendation meaning towing over will void any warranty, but as far as I know none of the states have not made it a legal requirement unless again, you are driving a comercial vehicle.

 

[gm280]

I am a stickler about safety, but common sense has to factor into every idea. When towing specifications are offered, I see it more as towing constantly with the vehicle and not a few trips to a local lake or river. I would be more worried about stopping the trailer when towing anything, then the transmission capabilities.

I have built a lot of automatic transmissions over the years (and worked on a few manuals), and one thing all of them have in common is how they lock up each speed with steel and clutch packs. Once the clutches and steels lock up, there is no more movement between them. And so the transmission isn't really doing much at that time. And we all know that at any speed the engine only needs a small fraction of its horse power capabilities to maintain speed until a hill comes up. Then there is a more demand called on the engine.

So such a small light weight setup would not bother me in the least for a few trips. But again common sense has to be used. I certainly would not want to be towing with the Chevy Impala daily across the country, but all this is just my opinion.

 

[Slager]

but as far as I know none of the states have not made it a legal requirement unless again, you are driving a comercial vehicle.

I just reread that and realized I meant to say: "none of the states have made it a legal requirement"

 

[bigdee]

I just reread that and realized I meant to say: "none of the states have made it a legal requirement"

In my state there are no regulations on tow vehicle size or rating. It all comes down to driver's responsibility.....reckless driving can be charged no matter how big your tow vehicle is. The only regulations are for mirrors and proper hitch attachment. The rest of the regulations are on the trailer itself.