Is this doable

[torombolo]

Happy Monday everyone!!! I have little knowledge about towing/trailing my question for the experts is, I have a 2001 Monterey 262 Cruiser on a loadrite aluminum trailer I need to trailer this for 38 miles, my towing vehicle is a 2001 Toyota 4Runner 4 x 4. Is this doable, to tow my boat with this Runner? It is not a weekly thing more like a one time deal. What do the experts think?


Thank you in advance!!!

 

[64osby]

The boat weighs 5500# dry, add misc and trailer you could be at 7500#. The 4 Runner tow capacity is 5000#.

Could it be done, probably. Should it be done, probably not.

Enlist a friend with a bigger TV, borrow or rent a bigger vehicle.

My .02

 

[Challenger604]

Mornin Torombolo,

I would say you have a great question. I will say this however. NO. This is why. You most likely will be over your towing capacity. You will loose stability with you truck. It wont matter if you get in an accident leaving the marina or 37 miles down the road you will be at fault and most likely your insurance wont cover the damage. Worse yet somthing catastrophic could happen and it would be somthing you would have to live with. If you get pulled over it could be a hefty fine. Also think about your safety. Do I think your car can pull it, YES however there are to many variables that say this should not be done due to safety reasons. I would rent a truck or if you have a friend with a fullsize truck use that.
If you decide to use your truck I would do this trek in the middle of the night when traffic is less.

This stuff is just my opinion. Hope you have a great boating season. Its right around the corner.:joyous:

 

[torombolo]

Thank you!!!! Advise WELL taken, not worth the risk.

 

[Robbabob]

To add in, it was a GREAT question. For others to learn from, "it is not whether you have enough hp or gearing, it is your ability to stop (quickly) or swerve with stability."

Happy boating, y'all!

 

[smassey22180]

I have rented Avis F150s for $50 for 24 hours. Most seem to have a hitch. For that price it is not worth the wear on your rig. Not sure what their policy on towing is.

 

[smokeonthewater]

I will also throw my .02 in... there are a bunch of variables here whereas it MIGHT be ok EXCEPT your first line is a deal breaker... being inexperienced you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you HAVE to know what to do.... or else.... unless you are SURE you'll know what to do.... Now that said... if I knew the route was all secondary road, light traffic, minimal hills where I could SAFELY run 35 mph or less as needed with the hazards on I'm confident I could safely get the move made.... Insurance is always brought up on these questions... of course it would pay.... If doing something stupid was a no pay kinda thing 99% of claims would be unpaid.

sooooo while the above advice to find a bigger truck ABSOLUTELY IS the best advice, if the route is an easy one and you have a much more experienced driver it wouldn't be absolutely impossible....

Example, my jeep has either a 1000 or 2000 lb tow rating and I have moved my 10,000 lb boat all over the yard and onced moved a 7000 lb boat 2 miles down my country road to a friend's house with it.... all at 5-15 mph and never for a second was anyone in any danger....


Higher speed, steep hills, heavy traffic, etc would all make for a VERY bad day FAST.

Normally I tow my boat with a crew cab diesel dually

 

[Chad Flaugher]

I second that. If you can avoid primary roads and high speeds, it can be done on a one time basis... The best thing to do, would be to see how it feels going around the block. Try to stop hard at 15mph, and see how it feels? I always lean on the side of safety, so trust your gut. If it feels too sketchy, than IT IS TOO SKETCHY.

 

[agallant80]

You can rent a Ford F350 at home Depot for $20/hoour. do that. also the tags on your 4 runner won't cover the combined weight which can be a rather large fine if the Dot catches you

 

[torombolo]

Thanks for all the advice, I will go with the rental route, the problem is that around here it has not been easy to find a rental truck with the proper hitch, most car rentals what have is the hitch ball mounted on the back bumper. But will definetlly NOT go with my runner

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Home depot trucks have a hitch but they weld a bar in the receiver so you can't tow with them.

 

[Illinoid]

Some states the towing vehicle is licensed for the combined weight, In Illinois you license the truck for its weight and the trailer for its weight, except semis.

 

[Challenger604]

You might be able to findsomthing at Uhaul. I think Menards has F150s to rent as well. Not sure if that will be enough truck though. Another option would be Penske truck Rental.