What do you pull your boat with?

KeyWestBoater

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
235
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

first time poster, but i will chime in.
i tow an 17' aquasport with a 115 yamaha, using a 4WD 4.6 liter V8 explorer. you feel it (especially on pot holes) but is a beast at getting it out of the water, i just wish it was flat enough on the highway around here to get it in to O/D, between the boat and SUV, the gas bill for a week-end is never pretty.

I don't know about your vehicle but I've heard that you should not use overdrive when pulling anything, not good for the tranny. :eek:
 

199675hpforce

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Feb 27, 2004
Messages
299
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

4.0 jeep engine is a bear yo tow vehcile of the year in 90's. I used to tow this wranglers but stoping is a huge problem. Now ive got 2000 crew cab nissan frontier does ok with the low gearing. Also i pull with CRD liberty Diesel rated 5k and yes it will.
 

Bigprairie1

Commander
Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
2,568
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

My tow vehicle is an '05 Silverado/Duramax 2500 and the boat is a 17-1/2' Bayliner Capri. No problems towing the boat but the truck is a bit of overkill that I don't know if I need. No issues with it but it's one big, beautiful heavy, thirsty truck and it will always (unfortunately) ride like a 3/4 ton which after having a bunch of nice riding 1/2 tons I notice more than anything.
With some of the feedback here I'm considering downsizing to a V6 Tacoma.....I love those Toyotas!
BP:)
 

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slia67

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 11, 2007
Messages
272
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

i pull my 19ft stingray with my 99 gmc K3500 crew cab dually I know its over kill but it also drags around any thing else i need to move.

Like what? Your house? :D


Towing our Starcraft 2010SS weighting in at roughly 4500 lbs loaded, with a 2007 Sport Trac 4X4 with 4.6L V8. No problems yet, but have only towed with it a handful of times.
 

The_Kid

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
447
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I pull my 95 Procraft 180C fish & ski with a 02 Ford F250 4X4 diesel. If the boats at the house, I move it around with the Kubota.
 

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kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,385
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I know Bolton quite well! Live about 25 mins drive away (45 mins in the Land Rover!) and used to go up there for nights out in my youth. Got family up there too.

The Land Rover just keeps going and going - a bit of maintenance and the thing will run forever. Its 17 years old and has 40,000 miles on the clock. It does about 25mpg. Its draughty, full of dents and spiders but I wouldn't swap it, and most things that go wrong can be fixed with a hammer and a pair of pliers! ;)

That's just the beauty of the Land Rover !!!! Wonderful vehicle. Nothing can touch them in my book.
I am from Liverpool originally and have been in Canada for the last 19 years.
 

franco802

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
Messages
79
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I used to use a 96' Dakota with the 3.9L V6. Now I use an 04' Silverado with the 5.3L V8. There is a noticeable difference :D

I also use my 2004 Silverado excab, but with a 4.8 V8 and 3.73 gearing.
 

john from md

Commander
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
2,184
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

1985 Bayliner Capri with a 85HP Force engine and lots of fishing extras. I pull it on the original Bayliner trailer with my V6 Camri using a hideaway Class 2 hitch. Tows great and pulls up ramps with no problems.

John
 

Philthyphil

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
Messages
123
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I tow my 16 ft Doral 90 e-rude, to the cottage in the spring and home to the farm in the fall, so not lots of towing. I use my 97 Nissan 4 cyl king cab 5 speed with 300000 kms. drive nice and smooth look way up the road and have no probs. Pulls it fine no overheating, would not want to do a panic stop, but won't put myself in that position, just cruise in the right lane. Works fine at the ramp I use. Mostly I haul my dirt bikes and my sled with it and its fine for that, rest of the time it's like driving a 4 cyl car, easy on gas and super reliable. This is the third one I have had and each of the others went 300000 kms with very little repairs. It is starting to get rusty but 10 or 12 years of salty Canadian winters will do that to anything. Ya know in 25 years I'v gone almost a million kms between the three of them, first one was $7500 new next $5000 used and this one $10000 used. Nor bad thinking bout it, reckon I'll buy another one....lol
 

nateerb

Recruit
Joined
Jun 18, 2008
Messages
5
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

First time poster here, also have to chime in.

For three seasons now I have been pulling my '79 Lund fiberglass runabout I/O with my 2002 Chevy Monte Carlo. Car has a Class II hitch and a 3.8L V-6. This year it only has to go about 100 yards from the parking spot to the launch, prior years I was hauling it through town about 3-7 miles to the launch. I get the tranny flushed a couple times a year, no problems yet.

Trailer is a single-axle roller with no brakes. I am guessing the entire deal weighs about 2700 pounds (empty boat is 2000#), which exceeds the Chevy manual by 1700# and what U-Haul will rent to you by 1200#. I know this not real safe for the highway so I borrow a vehicle now for longer trips. I did retrieve it from winter storage this year with the car, about a 50 mile trip, but took backroads on an early Sunday morning to avoid traffic. The car has enough power for relatively flat Wisconsin roads but I think I would be screwed if I had to slam on the brakes for some reason.
 

cprince

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
148
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

YIKES!!

Does any one pull with a car... or am I mentally challenged? (No comments Dad!!!)

I have an '04 Impala with the smaller 6 cyl (3.4l) and a 14ft fiberglass with a 15hp OB. Was I an idiot to put the hitch on my Chev?

:confused:
 

tawd77

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
46
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I pull a 18' bass buggy pontoon, and a 16' Sea Nymph Aluminum Vhull with a 2000 Toyota Tundra v8 4x4 automatic. It does a decent job...
 

sickwilly

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 9, 2007
Messages
1,089
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I pull my 19 foot Stingray with a 2003 Honda Odyssey minivan (tranny and power steering coolers added). I am into my second season with this set up and it tows great!

Pics, see sig.
 

25thmustang

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 20, 2008
Messages
1,849
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

Tow my 27' footer with my 99 F250 V10.
 

Navy Jr.

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 14, 2007
Messages
738
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

We use an '08 Toyota 4Runner 4WD with 4.0L V-6 and tow package to pull our Lund 1750 Fisherman w/Merc 115hp. The load is about 2,600# or so. Truck does great with tow capacity of 5,000#. The V-8 version can haul 7,000# and folks who own them think they're the best. Our V-6 has done just fine so far. Decent mileage, too.

The 4WD might be overkill, but we are visiting lots of different lakes and one can't always be sure the ramp will be easy to get the boat out of. Besides, this is Minnesota, and the 4WD comes in handy sometimes in the winter...
 

obezag

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
109
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

'03 Dodge Ram with the 5.7L Hemi Magnum in front of a '92 Wellcraft 216 Eclipse with the 5.7L Mercruiser. Me like the 5.7 :)
 

daringmor

Cadet
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
16
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I pull my '1986 19' Bayliner Capri with two vehicles (1) 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 and (2) 2001 Lincoln Navigator. My Navigator will out pull that Dodge any day of the week!
 

dinghy berry

Cadet
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
22
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

I am towing an 02 bayliner 19ft with a 96 mazda mpv 4x4. Never met a ramp i could not pull away from. A little slow on steep hills but get's the job done.
Rich:)
 

fire831

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Messages
373
Re: What do you pull your boat with?

17' 1978 ProCraft Bass Boat 85 HP Evinrude pulled by 2002 Chevy 4X4 ext. cab
 
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