will my car pull my boat?

[Titanium48]

Re: will my car pull my boat?

Not every boat needs a truck to tow it. If the OP's boat really was 2500 lbs like he thought it was it would be well within the Pacifica's towing capability. Nearly every subsequent post has directed him to take the boat to the nearest scale ASAP and to find a better tow vehicle if its over the Pacifica's tow rating.

If the boat really is 4000-4500 lbs like many are predicting, there are still vehicles other than pickup trucks and truck based SUVs that are up to the task. For example, a quick search of GM's website will find the Chevy Traverse, a crossover slightly larger than the Pacifica with a 5200 lb tow rating and better fuel economy as well.

Edit - looks like it came in under 3500 lbs after all.

 

[cbavier]

Re: will my car pull my boat?

I agree with the others that your boat probably weighs more than 2000 lbs. I think you will be alright pulling it though.

You can also get your rig weighed at any place where they sell/truck sand or gravel. I wanted to know exactly what mine weighed. A Four Winns horizon 190 so I took it fully loaded and fueled and had it weighed. The boat and trailer weighed 3900 LBS so I'm sure a 20 foot boat will weigh more. Also my trailer title weight is 875 Lbs and it's a single axle trailer with 15 inch tires. So I'm sure a tandem axle trailer will weigh more than that. The only way you will really know is to weigh the complete rig fully loaded. As far as pulling it up the ramp. I would be very skiterish trying it. Ramps even concrete get wet and slippery. Many times they also have loose sand or gravel as well as sometimes that green slime, moss which is extrememly slippery. If you try it. Have a chain on board so somebody can pull you out. Just in case your SUV won't come up the ramp with the boat attached under it's own power. I pull with a 3/4 ton HD pickup with a 7.4 Litre and sometimes it will spin starting up ramp.

Welcome aboard iboats.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: will my car pull my boat?

i had everything weighed and it was (rounding up) 3400#s. that what the guy at the scale said, i will have to take it to another to verify it.

That is probably the axle weight. Add another 10-15% for the weight of the tongue on the back of the car. To weigh it properly, you need to weigh the front axle of the car, the rear axle of the car and the boat axles. Then unhook and re-weigh the front and rear of the car. Don't be surprised if the front weighs less when hitched up, and the rear weighs a lot more.

ive always towed with electric brakes not surge.

You boat trailer has electrics? That does change things in regards to adding tow bars.

thats why i was wondering what the opinions were on the pacifica of how it would handle the load with short trips to the launch. more worried about lanching it and loading it, i just dont want to have the pacifica slip down the ramp. if i have to worry about the pacifica slipping im gonna think about leaving the boat in dry stack and save the headache. i understand that it will be overloaded but im not towing at super speeds, just to the launch 1 mile away and the gas station 5 miles always all residential no speeds past 35mph. there is no roads that go above 35mph in that area its all residential the gas station is at one end of neighborhood and the marina at the other end. now that i got real input and not book input ill be using my truck to tow long distance and not the pacifica. but still wondering on the launch if it will stick or slide.

If it were me, I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

[cbavier]

Re: will my car pull my boat?

That is probably the axle weight. Add another 10-15% for the weight of the tongue on the back of the car. To weigh it properly, you need to weigh the front axle of the car, the rear axle of the car and the boat axles. Then unhook and re-weigh the front and rear of the car. Don't be surprised if the front weighs less when hitched up, and the rear weighs a lot more.
You boat trailer has electrics? That does change things in regards to adding tow bars.



If it were me, I wouldn't want to risk it.

If it was weighted properly they would have had him unhook the boat and trailer on the scales. Then pull the tow vehicle just off the scales.At least that's what they told me to do.

 

[ebry710]

Re: will my car pull my boat?

Regardless of whether it was designed for it or not, it always goes back to what you got. If I had a boat and only a bicycle to pull it to the lake, I would use the bike. What can I say?....its a boating site.

 

[FranktheTank]

Re: will my car pull my boat?

I tow a 16ft Jon boat (25hp) which weighs 700# with full tank gasoline with a a late 90's Nissan Sentra

My buddy pulled 2 motorcycles (Honda Interceptor/another crotch rocket) on a trailer behind an old Ford Escort wagon (5sp) from Wisconsin to Florida...

When we were kids we watched an old lady on a 3 wheeled bicycle tow a small Jon boat, still not sure how she did at the boat landing!