Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

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bekosh

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

EDIT: Sorry, just went back and saw that you don't have room for the 3rd vehicle. I'll leave this in case someone else reading this can use the idea. :redface:

Just an off the wall idea. If you have a place to keep a 3rd vehicle, consider buying an older full sized truck or SUV just for tow duty and buy a newer smaller car for driving.

My wife and I went that route. We bought a new 2009 Hyundai Accent for a daily driver and picked up a 1994 Ford F250 extended cab truck for towing.

We bought the Ford for $2500, had to put some money into repairs to make it road worthy, but for about $4500 we have a real beast of a tow vehicle. The long wheelbase and big V8 makes towing a piece of cake. And best of all, no monthly payment on it. :D

Oh, and we are all set for the next, bigger boat when it comes along. :cool:
 

indy440

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

Honda Pilot, for $20k maybe 2-4 years young with low miles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Pilot


Thats what I have! My boat is probably 3000lbs on the trailer full of gas and gear and it tows it so damn effortlessly you wouldn't believe it! I put a big transmission cooler in it. We tow all on very very hilly and winding country roads. No issues.

I used to tow the same package with a CRV, it was way too much for it.
 

superbenk

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

I used to tow the same package with a CRV, it was way too much for it.

I'd worry about towing a canoe with a CRV, personally. :) I didn't even know you could put a hitch on them. CRV is pretty much just a tall Civic.
 

indy440

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

^ well, its a little more than a tall civic, but yes you can put a hitch on them. My boat was way too much weight for the CRV and it was not safe or legal to tow that much with it.
 

cheetah90

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

I'd worry about towing a canoe with a CRV, personally. :) I didn't even know you could put a hitch on them. CRV is pretty much just a tall Civic.

LOL!!! Tall Civic, good one:D
 

indy440

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

One thing I've learned here is that when you ask for towing advice on this forum is everyone will tell you to get a bigger vehicle than you probably need.

If you take the advice from most of these people too seriously then you'll end up with a 1 ton dually pickup with a diesel to tow a row boat! haha.
 

superbenk

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

^ well, its a little more than a tall civic, but yes you can put a hitch on them. My boat was way too much weight for the CRV and it was not safe or legal to tow that much with it.

I'm not lying:

"The Civic has been rebadged for international markets with such models as the Honda Ballade and Honda Domani/Acura EL. The Civic platform also served as the basis for the CR-X sport compact, the CR-X del Sol targa convertible, and the CR-V compact SUV."
(From Wikipedia's Honda Civic page)

Gearing might be a little different, but you're pulling with a modified Civic frame.
 

jeff6898

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

I have a 17ft bass boat I tow with a 2003 Honda Pilot here in Florida and have not had a bit of problems. I only tow about 8 miles one way though. MIne does have the transmission cooler and towing package from the factory.
 
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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

When you say foreign, why do you only think of Japan?
This is what you want! can tow about 6000 pounds, and reach 30MPG, and thats an '82, '94 engine.
(PS, the BMW is rated at 2ton - 4480 pounds!)
 

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Jeepster04

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

Be careful with broad statements like mentioned about Grand Cherokees having a multitude of problems.. Most problems with vehicles are limited to a certain year/option, etc.. We bought an '04 Grand Cherokee with the inline 4.0L 6cyl, it's a great/trouble free vehicle, but that same year if you got the optional automatic climate control there was an issue with the "blend door actuator" in the dash that is incredibly expensive to have fixed.. We found a GC without that option to avoid that issue. Do some research at places like MSN Carpoint to check reliability ratings, reviewer feedback etc.

Very good point. Weve got a 1994 Grand Cherokee(I-6 engine) and a 2006 Grand Cherokee(5.7 engine). Both have been great, trouble free Jeeps. I drive a Liberty(3.7l engine) and its 'ok' for towing. Ive never had any trouble towing our 18ft Four Winns(4,000lbs loaded) but it does get slow on the hills. Hills are not a problem in Florida though. Id personally tow 5,000lbs without worries if I had one of the Diesel Jeep Liberty's.

The problem with threads like this is most of the replies are just opinions. Its all based on your driving habits, terrain, what the actual weight of the boat is, etc. When I tow stuff with my Jeep Ive gotta think about whats going on instead of just running down the interstate without worries. Youve gotta know your limitations. Personally Ill never buy anything that has a V-6 in it again for towing.
 

asm_

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

One thing I've learned here is that when you ask for towing advice on this forum is everyone will tell you to get a bigger vehicle than you probably need.

If you take the advice from most of these people too seriously then you'll end up with a 1 ton dually pickup with a diesel to tow a row boat! haha.

Could not have agree more!!!

I am all for following the mfg's tow spec. on the tow vehicle. Stay below the max. towing capacity of your mfg's spec, you'll be fine. 4000# for a 18' boat even with gear and trailer included is actually a bit on the heavy side. But, then again, may be some of you own boat that has 1000# ballast :p
 

Gary H NC

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

So,Whats wrong with a 1 ton dually truck?:p

That will be my next tow vehicle...Duramax diesel,6 speed Allison tranny and a Banks kit....ARGH!!!:D
Can't beat a tuned up diesel....love the black smoke and burnt rubber!
 

jdsgrog

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

Not sure if your (i.e. OP's) question is answered or if this thread is confusing you more. In all honesty, I'd look into something in the full size class of SUV (Trailblazer, Explorer, etc). They have sufficient wheelbase and will tow a good load. I believe the Honda Pilot fits into that category, but never been crazy about Honda's. Also, look into a V8. Though a V6 is adequate, everyone I've known that bought a V6 to tow a 18-19 foot boat regrets not paying a little more to get a v8. At $20,000, a new vehicle is out of the question.

For safety, it's generally not recommended to go smaller than that for towing that size of a boat.

BTW, when considering buying a boat, ask what the total package weight is (Rigged boat, motor, and trailer) and add about 500-700lbs. That will likely be closer to your tow weight. And then consider getting a vehicle that has a tow rating of an additional 1200 lbs or so to take into consideration of passengers and luggage and other gear in the truck.

Also, tow ratings can be confusing. The "max" tow rating is with a vehicle that has a factory tow package and usually assume brakes on the trailer. Otherwise the "standard" tow rating is generally considerably less.

EDIT: meant mid size pickup instead of full size. a full size would still be best, but the OP does not seem comfortable with the idea of a full size.
 

Jeepster04

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

Could not have agree more!!!
4000# for a 18' boat even with gear and trailer included is actually a bit on the heavy side.

On the four winns site it says the dry weight of the boat is 2400lbs while the trailer weighs 900lbs. Full tank of gas alone puts that up to 3,500lbs.
 

JoLin

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

One thing I've learned here is that when you ask for towing advice on this forum is everyone will tell you to get a bigger vehicle than you probably need.

If you take the advice from most of these people too seriously then you'll end up with a 1 ton dually pickup with a diesel to tow a row boat! haha.

The OP came here looking for some real advice. He asked about an 18-19' boat, and general consensus is that he'll weigh in fully loaded at 3500-4000 lbs. I haven't seen a single response that recommended anything as extreme as that. I do however, in nearly every thread, see a comment like that one eventually.

Legitimate responders generally align themselves to one of 2 groups when it comes to choosing a tow vehicle. There's the group that says anything that has sufficient tow capacity will work, and some claim you can even afford to fudge the numbers a little.

There's another group that says that isn't enough to do it all safely. You need to consider the total package- weight and length. You need to look at all the capabilities of the tow vehicle- tow capacity, GCWR, weight and wheelbase. My (very) elementary understanding of physics and geometry, along with first-hand experience, tells me that the first group is being too simplistic in their analysis.

In the case of the 2 boats and tow vehicles I've owned, I took the time to figure out what I was hauling, and what capabilities I needed in the vehicle. Both times paid off. I've never had a white-knuckle ride because the rig was twitchy, and I've never felt afraid that a sudden maneuver or stop would have disastrous results.

First was a 1/2 ton 4x4 Chevy pulling a 21' W/A cuddy at 4000-4200 lbs.
Second is the 3/4 ton Dodge in my sig- I pull close to 8000 lbs (and about 27' of rig) with it.

Overkill? It's possible. Unfortunately, there's only one way to find out that what you're driving is 'underkill', and it may not be pretty.

Good luck to the OP- I hope you find the boat you want and have a blast with it!

My .02 and last post in this thread.
 

jdsgrog

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

No such thing, I pull my 1750lb boat with a hemi ram.

I wouldn't take her comment out of context. Of course literally there is no such thing as a tow vehicle too big, but I'm assuming she is not comfortable with such a large vehicle, either because she may feel it's too difficult to handle or too impractical as a daily use vehicle or for whatever other reason. It seems that she is new to boat ownership as many people are or new to towing. The question she is asking is about buying a new vehicle as her daily use vehicle and has towing capacity. Her husband is the one who wants it as a tow vehicle. It seems she would be just happy with a regular sedan except for her husband's desire to pull a boat.

The decision is difficult because you cannot have the best of both worlds. There is always a compromise. The reality is that she's either got to get a tow vehicle that can minimally pull an 18-19 foot boat (which may compromise safety) or get a larger tow vehicle that can "safely" pull the boat (which may compromise personal confidence and daily practicality) or get a smaller boat (giving up some of her desired purpose for the boat).
 

maharg

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

I know, I was being funny.
 

Fishing56

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

Most of the time, a particular vehicle will come with several towing packages. I have an Explorer with a 4.6 V8 that has a 3.73 rear end and class 4 towing hitch that has a towing capicity of 7300 lbs. The same engine and model has different ratio rear ends that only have 3500 lbs capacity. You definitely want to look for a vehicle with a towing package. That usually means a transmission cooler, class 3/4 hitch receiver, and often a beefier suspension.

I have pulled a 3500 lb boat with a v6. Does ok for short trips, but as SUV ages puts more strain on motor and tranny. I hardly notice that same boat is behind the explorer with the V8 and towing package. Can go up hilly terrain and temp gauge doesn't ever move from normal.

Fishing 56
 

OldNBold51

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Re: Smallest vehicle to pull 18-19' boat?

Let me chime in on the virtues of the Nissan Pathfinder SUV, anything 2005 model and newer, which has a longer and wider body than previous platforms, with a 4.0 L six that puts out nearly identical HP and torque numbers as the 4.7L Ford,Dodge and Toyota. A 5 speed auto that is NEVER in the wrong gear, a trans cooler, 3 row seating and 21 mpg hwy, 18.5 town.

Mine has 170K miles.

I tow a 23.5' Wellcraft, dry weight of 3900#s. Add trailer,gear, gas and I know I'm over 5000#s. I tow in the Texas Hill Country and so far, my Pathfinder tows up the hills and down without any worries (and I'm a worrier).

It's a helluva little "Mighty Mouse".
 
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