WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

[david_r]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I'm sure it has something to do with money.
Personally, I can't see going through life without a pickup truck.

Once, my neighbor ran down to the ramp with a camera when I decided to use my vintage 1945 Farmall farm tractors to launch with. Do not do this at home...great for pulling out, not good for launching. It was the only time I stood up on the tractor - tractors do not have a sophisticated braking system!

i had an old farmall i didnt ever know the year or model but the seat sat as high as the tires and to one side......i wouldnt do that again unless you have a concrete block to chalk the tires.......mine ran my brush-hog ok except you couldnt turn real sharp, almost went through my fences a couple of times.......i had it about 3 months and traded it for an old ford 8n, it doesnt push so bad in the corners.

 

[flatheadlakemonster]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I saw a 20' +/- sailboat on a trailer heading west on I-90 in central Washington last year being pulled by............a 1992 Ford Taurus Wagon. It was classic. I got a pic with my cell phone, I will see if i can get it up here.....

 

[jddenham]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

My boss goes to Flathead lake every summer.

 

[1970kayhydro]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I tow with a 02 tauras, the only problem I ever has is if I have to get out of the car. The boat sits high so I have to go till the back tires are at the waters edge and the door hits the dock. Usually the girlfriend just lines things up and hooks the bow hook and I have no problem. There has been a few times I had to climb to the other side. The boat only weighs about 600# so the car pulls it with out a problem.

 

[cadunkle]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I went out and got me a mechanically sound, rusyt Bronco with a C6 and a V8. Sure it doesn't have a lot of HP, but it has torque,

QUOTE]

Keep on dreaming about thta torque buddy. I've always referred to my small block trucks and torqueless-wonders. If you want torque get a 460 or a diesel, or run 4.56:1 or better gears in the small block and forget running on the highway.

As for the BMW... I like watching silly rich people who think it's a good idea to tow with flexy unibody cars.

 

[1970kayhydro]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Boat and car.. I just have to go back till I hear the tail pipe in the water. The 97 full size 1500 GMC truck gets the back tires in the water but the taurus tows the hitch nice and low so I don't have to tow with the motor up. Its got a v6 and you can't even tell the boat is there. The door is the only problem but the truck does the same thing.

 

[1970kayhydro]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

OHH AND F@*K A FORD!! Im a mechanic and I drive a boat!!

 

[HappierWet]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Here's one I liked from the local ramp. Wish I'd had the camea out when he was pulling out.

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

The dealers deserve some blame here.
While dickering for my new boat the dealer tried to supply me with a single axle trailer without brakes. I insisted on a tandem trailer with brakes. He didn't have stock, told me "you'll be fine", and legally I would have been. (In the end I bought a new tandem trailer with brakes from another dealer.) In my case I have a capable tow vehicle, but I'm sure this guy would have taken my money and hooked me up to a Honda Accord or my wifes Monte Carlo.

I'm sure people ask, but the salesman doesn't know, so he says "you'll be fine" to make the sale.

 

[GhettoMedic]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

My Dad has a 28ft Airstream camper. Originally when he bought it he was towing it around with a 04 Durango. The tow rating was enough to handle the camper per the maufacturer rating. But as he found out then he needed the anti-sway hitch to help. Even with that set-up he could barely pull an incline, and in a high wind or 18 wheeler draft, the whole rig was unstable and scarey to drive. I finally talked him into a pickup. I have an F-350 PS and I have it for mainly one reason. I feel safe. Big brakes, heavy duty, big power. It is not so much the vehicle tow rating to me, its the what all can it handle past that. I like to be a bit more on the safe side than the what can I barely get by with side. Much of that attitude comes from what I do for a living. I have been on the bad side of more than one incident of what happens when people try to move large trailers, with small vehicles. I would like to call them all stupid, but it wouldn't be fair to the uninformed.

 

[kyle f]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I went out and got me a mechanically sound, rusyt Bronco with a C6 and a V8. Sure it doesn't have a lot of HP, but it has torque,

QUOTE]

Keep on dreaming about thta torque buddy. I've always referred to my small block trucks and torqueless-wonders. If you want torque get a 460 or a diesel, or run 4.56:1 or better gears in the small block and forget running on the highway.

As for the BMW... I like watching silly rich people who think it's a good idea to tow with flexy unibody cars.

Hahaha, Well it does have 3.73 gears and it helps. However, I have since upgraded to an F-250 with a 7.3L Diesel and I couldn't be happier. Now the Bronco makes the daily 7mile trip to work.

I would just like to say that I got the F-205 for Fuel Milage while towing. It kicks the crap out of the Bronco in this categor as well as all others. It is way more truck than what I need for my boat. Though, I happen to like it that way.

 

[10 FOOT INVADER]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

My old 1990 town car pulls my 22 foot monterey bow rider just fine. Stops well also. I back down the ramp in neutral. I once unhooked my rig at a ramp to pull out a big cruiser for a guy who had a f350 ford. He had plenty of power just could not get traction. My town car did the trick. A friend and I pulled my boat with my town car and then his f150. Pulling power was about the same on the hwy. My town car has lower diff gears than stock. Stopping power was a different story. My town car stopped better during a emergency stop. The f150 wanted to get sideways and slide. Town car stopped shorter and smoothly. Also pulled my boat with a buick road master station wagon around a 1995 model. The road master towed with plenty of power and stopped great. Just to hard to find one in nice shape. My boat fully loaded with fuel,coolers, kids toys,fishing gear and all the other stuff that the wife thinks we need comes in around 4000Lbs. I pull the boat in the car by myself,family rides in second car. Too many dumb asses trying to jump in front of you before the light turns red around here to feel safe pulling any kind of load with any kind of vehicle. Just be aware of the cars around you when pulling.

 

[mthieme]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

i had an old farmall i didnt ever know the year or model but the seat sat as high as the tires and to one side......i wouldnt do that again unless you have a concrete block to chalk the tires.......mine ran my brush-hog ok except you couldnt turn real sharp, almost went through my fences a couple of times.......i had it about 3 months and traded it for an old ford 8n, it doesnt push so bad in the corners.

I keep a chock on all my tractors.
A PTO slip coupling would have helped your bush hogging issue.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

sheesh i remember this thread since i joined the site pretty old lol

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I guess you wouldn't call this a good tow vehicle then...

Subaru's are pretty heavy duty as far as 4 cylinder cars go. My Forester is rated for 2400 lbs

 

[reelfishin]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

Towing with that Subaru is fine but I've seen a few Foresters hitched to some pretty big boats, boats they had no business trying to tow.
What it boils down to is that most cars can deal with about 1500lbs or so with the proper hitch and some driving experience. Go beyond that and it better be a full size car or a small truck.

Not that I've not pushed the limits a bit, but common sense has to play a part in what you decide to tow.
I've pulled over 7k with my Ranger, it's not made for it, but it gets the job done. Would I take it on the turnpike with that kind of weight, No way. But running down a few back roads just moving a boat around isn't going to hurt a thing so long as I know the vehicles limitations.
I see a lot of posts about having trailer brakes, you can have all the trailer braking ability in the world, but if your overweight and going too fast for the loaded conditions, those brakes aren't going to help much. Try stopping a trailer which outweighs the tow vehicle three or four to one on icy or wet roads, brakes won't matter.
I use a Ranger as a tow vehicle because it's what works, and what I can afford. If I had to go out and buy a full size truck just to haul my boat, I couldn't afford the boat. Would it be better to have a full size truck, sure, but not if it meant I had to make payments or feed it more fuel just to get to the ramp. I drive too far day to day and can't justify a vehicle just for towing. There's no way I'd ever run a 13 MPG vehicle everyday, so I keep my Ranger and it's 21 MPG.

 

[timdan94]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

my dad rode with me towing about 80 miles and he was like the subaru towed the boat better than his old 92 dodge dakota did... granted its not the same boat. but it is the same size/type.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

2.5L Boxer has some surprising torque

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I still think you're all a bunch of jessies over the pond. Nothing wrong with towing with a saloon as long as you know what you're doing...

 

[Konowl]

Re: WHy don't people buy Proper Tow Vehicles?

I currently have a 2003 Focus ZTS - thinking of getting a 2004 Intrepid for towing purposes (can get it for $2000 and it's in fantastic shape).

I'm looking to tow my 2000 Glastron 17 foot bowride with a 90HP outboard engine - and I have no idea how much this beast weights. I currently use my grandfathers truck to tow it with (I live on the water so don't need to tow it often) but I would like the option of towing longer distances to explore other lakes.

What do you guys think? it's the 3.5 litre engine. Not much experience towing, but I took the boat over 400km when I first bought it and found reversing easy LOL - just go slow, give lots of distance and take it easy.