Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

Hi,

Just found this site - Fantastic wealth of info here!!

I am considering buying a small pleasure boat - something like a bayliner 175.

I would like to tow this boat short distances (100km or less) with my 2012 Toyota Sienna (V6, tow rating 3500lbs). I currently tow a popup trailer that weighs about 2500lbs without issue (I have airlift air bag kit int he back springs). The van tows great and I have no doubt the 265 hp motor if plenty to pull with.

My concern is more about launching the thing, I will mostly be launching it at well maintained concrete ramps but I am worried about the front wheel drive issue, slipping and skidding while trying to pull the boat out.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of setup or something similar (Honda Ody perhaps?)

Any advice is appreciated! (I don;t have the resources to go out and buy an F150).

D In Mtl!

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

I have no such experience. If you sold the minivan you certainly would have funds for a good used full size pickup. Just laying out an option. I wouldn't even launch with a 2wd pickup, say nothing about a minivan. Though I will admit I usually am overly prepared and I tend to overkill just about everything I can.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

I used to tow a 17' 6" boat with a 92 Dodge Caravan. Never had any problems on any ramps. You should be fine.

You can let the air out of the front tires if you are desperate for traction, just bring a 12V air compressor to pump them up again.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

So ignoring the inherent safety issues with my story...I used to tow my sig boat that weighs in over 4000lbs on the trailer prior to owning three full truck based suv's with a minivan. It was 180hp/210tq well used minivan with the 3500lb rating and the air springs. Your van is like a rocket compared to a horse drawn buggy power-wise. Only a couple times at the worst/heaviest use ramps where the cement was very slick did I ever have an issue with spinning. You just shut off the traction control which will apply the brakes (ignoring stability control and the differences between the two systems) and eventually you get up the ramp. As soon as I replaced the worn tires with new ones I never had that issue again. While not the best tow vehicle the overall length and substantial weight of minivans plus the air springs tricks you into thinking it is a better tow vehicle than it is. For a light boat such as your proposed boat you will be just fine. The tires really made a big difference at the ramps. I now go to ramps that I could never have even dreamed of with a minivan as truck based suv's with 4wd, locking rear differentials and large v8 engines and just a substantial robustness about them are almost unstoppable at ramps or so they have been in my experiences. I can't tell you how many times with the van I'd get the boat in the water then be worried the whole time out on the water that I wasn't going to be able to get the boat out. Now I almost hope at some point I will get to see the suv's struggle even a little bit but they just don't.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

Recovering the boat on concrete or otherwise paved ramps will not be a problem. Unfinished ramps will be a problem.
Source: 2004 Ford freestar & 2001 bayliner 185

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

zealer said:

Recovering the boat on concrete or otherwise paved ramps will not be a problem. Unfinished ramps will be a problem.
Source: 2004 Ford freestar & 2001 bayliner 185

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My Caravan never had any issues at all on dirt ramps.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

I pull my 22' boat out of the lake on a gravel (rocky) unmaintained ramp with my 2011 Sienna without issue. However, it's AWD. I've pulled the same boat out of the water with a FWD Venture but that was on a concrete ramp. That might be 50% more weight that you are pulling so I would not worry. If you do start to slip you might, or might not, want the traction control on. (It can be a hinderance or a help) The trick is really just a steady pull and don't stop until it's dry or more level.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

Guys,

Thanks for all your input. I feel a little better about proceeding now. The ramp I will normally use is a well maintained concrete structure with a very shallow slope, so I will probably be good to go.

So glad I found this site...great folks!

D

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

dmanmtl said:

Guys,

Thanks for all your input. I feel a little better about proceeding now. The ramp I will normally use is a well maintained concrete structure with a very shallow slope, so I will probably be good to go.

So glad I found this site...great folks!

D

Click to expand...

I pull a 22' boat with a 2006 Sienna. The van tows my boat quite nicely (I have the airbags in the rear suspension). One thing I found with the van is that some ramps are quite slippery in/near the water. Having FWD helps a lot getting up the ramp because the drive wheels are usually above the slippery part. One ramp I used was so slippery in the wet part you could hardly walk on it, would have been very difficult to get up without FWD.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

ssobol said:

I pull a 22' boat with a 2006 Sienna.

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How much does this boat weigh?

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

bruceb58 said:

How much does this boat weigh?

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If it's glass, it'd have to be thousands of lbs heavier than the 3500lb sienna limit. Even the cheapset 22 footer is more than 3500lbs. Towing with a minivan as much as I did and having it be so far below modern hp and tq standards taught me that the power isn't really the issue but the frame of the truck and just the stoutness you get is where the biggest benefits are. I literally never had to do anything but idle my boat out of the worst ramps with that old minivan. SUV's shine when you can take off and keep up with traffic just fine and in the unforseen emergency maneuvers on the highway. My first tow with the suv and we had what would have been a catastrauphic incident had I had the far less capable van. I couldn't believe my luck that I had just upgraded. I used to think the minivan did a respectful job all around until I got my first suv. It was an eye opening experience.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

My father inlaw used to pull a 21 ft Malibu Sunsetter with a Grand Voyager. We used to sit on the hood to get enough traction to get out of the water

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

I'd be concerned about strain put on the transmission, not just when pulling the boat out of the water, but also when starting from a stop and trying to get up to speed in a reasonable amount of time. You will need to follow the more stringent factory service schedule in your owners manual, the part that says "if you tow with your vehicle." Pay particular attention to when you should change the transmission fluid and filter.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

It's a six speed automatic. He's got lots of gear ratio and can run a 16 second flat 1/4 mile time.
But yes, you should always pay attention to transmission fluid if you're towing.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

bruceb58 said:

How much does this boat weigh?

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Boat, engine, trailer come in at 3000# according to each manufacturer's information. That leaves ~500# for equipment, gas, water, etc. When towing any distance I try to have the fuel and water tanks as empty as possible. One of the reasons I bought this particular boat is that the weight fits the vehicle I have.

I also picked the Sienna because of the interior space it has and the towing capacity, although I did have a different boat at the time I got the Sienna.

I have not actually weighed the boat on the trailer. Based on what I've read on Sienna forums, I also tow the boat in 4th gear instead of 5th. This is supposed to reduce the strain on the transmission.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

I am towing and launching my Bayliner Capri (15') with a Chrysler Town and Country, V6 3.2 Liter. So far so good on paved ramp that's not too steep.

I remember when I was younger, my dad had a 17' and we were towing that to Lake Ontario with a Chevette and launching it w/o issues. Granted, the ramp was paved and not steep. The drive was only 5 miles from the house.

Re: Towing a smaller boat with a toyota sienna

For those who don't know what a Chevette is, it's a compact car made by Chevy that cost around $6k and was GM's answer to Toyota's small cars. It was a horrible car with brakes that wore out very fast. But since my family works on the GM line, that's what we bought.