What size engine to pull this setup?

Hi guys,
I have this 15' all fiberglass boat (see pic) with a 40hp Suzuki sitting on a steel single axle trailer. I am about to sell my GMC Sierra and would like to buy an SUV (medium size) which could tow this setup. My problem is that I have no idea how much the boat+trailer weight and since I haven't taken it to the ramp yet, I also have no clue how hard it will be to pull it out of the water. I bought this boat 6 months ago (my first) and about to finish replacing the trailer axle, bearings etc...
I would appreciate if anybody could give me an idea of what size engine I will need. I live in South Florida so except for a few bridges, everything else is flat. My only concern is pulling the boat out of the water...don't know how much power will be required.

Thanks

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

any suv w/6 banger should handle it.

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

seriously, the smallest 4x4 SUV that you could find would yank that out of the water. Pulling a boat off the ramp isn't the problem.

Anyway, that is a light boat, pretty much anything rated to 2000# is going to tow it. Doesn't even need to be the v6/mid suv class.

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

Or, do what I did and get a 7.3 Powerstroke F-250

Everyone asks me if I really need a this truck, and my answer is "absolutely not!"

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

If I had to hazard a guess, I would expect that boat to weigh no more than 1000 pounds with motor and gear, and trailer about 300 pounds. Not that I am recommending it, but there are passenger cars that could pull that rig!

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

Thanks guys! Maybe I was worrying a little too much about pulling the boat off the ramp. Better safe than sorry though so I'm glad I could get some answers!

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

Pulling a boat out of the water is less about power and more about traction. Traction depends on what the ramps are like where you boat most. Paved ramps can get slippery due to algae build up so front and rear wheel drive vehicles can often have trouble on those ramps as well as unimproved ramps where loose sand and mud are factors. As a minimum any small SUV will tow the boat whether it be a 4 banger or 6 cylinder. You need to be more concerned with traction so as a minimum you need a good set of grippy "traction" tires. If the rig has 4 wheel or all wheel drive so much the better but not absolutely necessary. But then there always those who feel you need a dually diesel to haul a gallon of milk from the grocery store.

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

A v6 minivan would even do a fine job for you. I can speak first hand how little engine you need for even the steapest ramps with a two ton boat/trailer. The slightest bit of algae however and even good tires can only do so much. When I think medium or midsized suv, I think body-on-frame, Trailblazer, 4runner, up to a Tahoe, etc and if you aren't planning on upgrading to a heavier boat, those vehicles are way overkill.

Re: What size engine to pull this setup?

Silvertip said:

You need to be more concerned with traction so as a minimum you need a good set of grippy "traction" tires. If the rig has 4 wheel or all wheel drive so much the better but not absolutely necessary.

Click to expand...

To go along with that, the type of type of tire needs to match the type of surface for the best traction. Aggressive offroad/knobby tires are great on sand/gravel, but are some of the worst when you are on algae. (which is more or less very similar to ice conditions, where knobby tires aren't worth even trying to drive with) Just something to keep in mind, if you have algae/seaweed covered ramps you want a tire with as many horizontal edges as possible. (look up 'siping', its a trick winter tires use to get really good ice traction, cut hundreds of tiny slits into the normal tread pattern)