12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

[jmscottza]

Hi everyone, I am new to boating, so this might be a stupid question to some of you guys. I am currently shopping around for 12 - 14 Alumium boat, but but does have some worries.

Here is the set up of what i am thinking

I drive a 2010 Subaru Legacy, all wheel drive, 6 speed CVT transmission, 2.5 liter SOHC 170Hp engine.
Subaru did not recommand towing on this car, the max towing for it is 1000lbs (i think that is including passagers)

Subaru doesn't have factory hitch for this car, and i am currently looking at this one.
http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2010_Subaru_Legacy.htm
I will definetly go for the 400 pounds one, just to be safe.

I am looking for 12 - 14 alumium boat, (anyone know how much they weight around? i been seaching around but can't find anything.)
Plus 1 x Trailer, 1 x Trolling motor plus battery, 1 x 5hp motor, some fishing equipment (not a lot, i traval light)
Most the time i go with only my girl friend we are both very thin, we are added up around 220 lb.

Please those of you who have similar experience please share with me and give me some recommedations.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

If they don't recommend towing, then where does the 1000# number come from?

 

[jmscottza]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

http://www.cars101.com/subwarr.html

I guess it was all because of the CVT trans. The 2009 model can handle up to 2700lb, why not the 2010?

 

[Cannondale]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

I drive a 2010 Subaru Legacy, all wheel drive, 6 speed CVT transmission, 2.5 liter SOHC 170Hp engine.
Subaru did not recommand towing on this car, the max towing for it is 1000lbs (i think that is including passagers)

First, what does your owner's manual say? If it says Subaru does not recommend towing with it, I wouldn't. I don't think Subaru would be very amenable to covering warranty problems, like with your transmission (esp. the CVT tranny), if you tow with it against the manufacturer's suggestions.

If, on the other hand, your manual states Subaru doesn't recommend towing, but if you do, it has a 1000# load capacity, that's a different story. But I'd check with someone that KNOWS to see if towing voids any part of your warranty....I'm guessing you bought your vehicle new and have full warranty coverage. Be a shame to lose any/all of it because you towed a lightweight boat.

Second, towing capacity does not include passengers.....except with GCWR (gross combined weight rating....the maximum weight of a loaded tow vehicle and its attached loaded trailer.) A lot of people confuse GVWR with GCWR......while gross vehicle weight rating does affect the GCWR, it does so indirectly. (And you'll probably never find out a GCWR for your vehicle since Subaru won't publish one because towing with it isn't recommended.)

As an example: My vehicle weighs 3600# and has a GVWR of 4550#, or can carry 950# of passengers, junk, and tongue weight (the 10-15% of the towed load carried by the hitch.)

It also has a max towing rating of 5700# and a GCWR-gross combined weight rating-of 9500#.

My boat, fully loaded, weighs in at around 2000# or so, well within the towing capacity of my vehicle.

My tongue weight is approx. 300#, and it's this that directly impacts the GVWR......that 300# has to be subtracted from the GVWR before I start adding passengers, junk, etc. In my case, it leaves me 650# for vehicle load.

But you notice I've essentially ignored the 2000# trailer weight because it's well under my max. towing capacity of 5700# and even with my vehicle fully loaded to its max GVWR, I'm still well under my GCWR (9500# GCWR - 4550 GVWR=4950#.)

So, while you may be able to handle a 1000# trailer, your manufacturer doesn't seem to recommend it and I'd wonder if your brakes, transmission, etc. are up to the task long term.....I'd think you'd be better off finding a cheap, old small pickup with a four cylinder, something like a Ranger or S-10.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

If you look on the net using brand names you should find factory sites with specs.
A new Lund WD14,a bare bones full sized 14 is 230lbs. 14'6" long 69" wide,
rated for 25hp.
I prefer the full sized 14.Some smaller ones would be lighter but I feel don't offer the room,stability,and ability to plane a load easier.
I believe the cvt is not a suited to towing at this point but if they say you can tow 1,000 lbs go to it just drive reasonable speeds.keep your weights down.Don't forget the motor; an older 5hp 2 stroke is about 60lbs.10 hp about 80,Evinrude/Johnson 9.9 & 15 are both about 80 lbs. Try to use a trailer just big enogh for your boat.
While I don't necessarily reccomend Harbor freight trailers I think they do have a small boat trailer that might be suitable for light towing.

 

[lncoop]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

Most the time i go with only my girl friend we are both very thin, we are added up around 220 lb.

I won't ask what the breakdown is on that total, but I will suggest you change your user name to Slim. Joking aside, just about anything with a hitch will tow the rig you plan to buy. However, since Subie says not to tow with it you really shouldn't tow with it. Would it be okay? Probably, but for half the cost of an out of warranty tranny repair you could easily grab a little Ford Ranger or something, and everyone needs a pickup from time to time any way. We iboaters are often accused of TV overkill, and it's probably a well-founded accusation in most cases. Many a fight has commenced as a result. However, if you do decide to tow your fishing boat with the Subie have a very direct conversation with the service manager at your local dealership first. Welcome to iboats, Slim...I mean JM.

 

[WN2712NJ]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

I you were talking about an older Legacy with an automatic I would say no problem - the weight of the boat, trailer, small outboard, and gas shouldn't add up to more than 600 pounds. This is within the "don't exceed 75% of the manufacturers max towing recommendation" rule of thumb even for most small cars with a 1000 pound tow limit. With AWD the Subaru would handle wet/slimy boat ramps better than most 2wd pick-ups. The issue is that CVT... and what would happen if you showed up at the dealer to make a warranty claim with a hitch on the back.

We tow our 14 foot aluminum Duroboat (much like a Lund) with whatever happens to be at the beach house at the time, which means sometimes we use our FWD Toyota mini-van, but it is rated for 3500 pounds (and was used for many year to tow our pop-up camper weighing close to a ton).

You may want to look at a soft-bottom inflatable ("Zodiac") style boat instead. They can be transported in a large duffle bag. It and a small 2 stroke outboard (much better than a 4 stroke for carrying around and laying on it's side!) would probably fit ok in the back of an Outback with the back seats down. Downside is that they are both more spendy and less durable.

-dm

P.S. - I think a LOT of manufacturers put "towing not recommended" in their owner's manuals because their lawyers tell them to. I wouldn't be surprised if you dug into some pick-up manuals and found the same recommendation!

 

[steelespike]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

I would go with a light hitch.Your total weight will probably be 600-800 lbs with a tongue weight of 60-80 lbs.I put a 1 1/4" reciever type hitch on my 07 Imprezza
For my 18ft bare bones 57 Crestliner Bucaneer w a 65 Merc 500 50hp.Boat, motor, trailer and gear about 1300. As far as manners going down the road its perfect, of course I had the regular auto trans.Nice part of the reciever hitch is I can put my Bike rack on and carry up to 4 bicycles when not boating.
Changed to a Nissan Cube a fun practical little car but "NO TOWING" period.
Wife has her Outback so light towing is allowed.

 

[lncoop]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

You may want to look at a soft-bottom inflatable ("Zodiac") style boat instead. They can be transported in a large duffle bag. It and a small 2 stroke outboard (much better than a 4 stroke for carrying around and laying on it's side!) would probably fit ok in the back of an Outback with the back seats down. Downside is that they are both more spendy and less durable.

Inflatables are really cool, but they're best suited to a handful of very specific applications. Getting around towing issues is not one of them.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

If you don't want to pay for a trailer, worry about towing, or launching...just get a small 12 footer and rig a roof rack for it.

Like this...

 

[lncoop]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

Nice, Huron. Is that a Yak?

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

Nice, Huron. Is that a Yak?

Not sure...I just typed in "car topper boat" into google and posted the image. Don't tell anyone.

They make wheels that attach to small boats as well that make it easy to maneuver alone.

 

[lncoop]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

Not sure...I just typed in "car topper boat" into google and posted the image. Don't tell anyone.

They make wheels that attach to small boats as well that mae it easy to maneuver alone.

Oh. I just assumed that was your Aero up there.

 

[jmscottza]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

Thank you everyone for the reply. I know Both me and her is slim.

Here is what it said
Legacy-*
Subaru doesn't recommend towing with a Legacy so it is not suggested or recommended
2010- 1000lbs.*
CVT transmission- if towing replace the CVT oil 24855 miles

I guess that means towing is ok on cvt just need to change oil.

Question, sea king is a brand right? And I offen see people say Jon boat, what is Jon boat?

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

Question, sea king is a brand right? And I offen see people say Jon boat, what is Jon boat?

Montgomery Ward re-branded Starcraft tinnies and OMC outboards(Johnson/Evinrude) and sold them as Sea Kings.

Jon boats are typically flat-bottom boats, but some call semi-V hulls jon boats also.

 

[clarkbre]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

I have a 16? Lund and tow it with a Subaru Legacy with no problems. Like said above, it?s the CVT transmission that holds your car back from towing. The Subaru outback has the same engine, brakes, and other running gear as the legacy except for the tranny. Here?s a quick breakdown on the weight issue:
Trailer 300
Boat 350
Motor 90
Battery 40
Charger 5
Fuel 25
Trolling Motor 15
Gear 75
Total 900

 

[lncoop]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/V37/N3/w98d.htm

Read this when you have a moment. It's the closest answer you'll find to the question "What is a jon boat?" Plus, it's a really good read. The modern "john boat" as we've come to know it is a flatbottom aluminum boat that's designed to be used in relatively shallow water. Since it's aluminum and has a flat or mostly flat bottom (there are semi-V models) it's not especially good for rough water, but the right one will be okay in moderate chop. They are found in lengths ranging from 10'-30' with 14'-18' being the most popular sizes due to their versatility and relatively low cost. Welded models are more durable but cost more. Riveted models are fine as long as they're not abused too much. For general fishing use they're hard to beat. Here are a couple of examples for your reference. The second one is a modified-V.

http://www.seaarkboats.com/boat.php?measure=Standard&boat=1448FN
http://www.seaarkboats.com/boat.php?measure=Standard&boat=1448MV

 

[jmscottza]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

clarkbre, I like you set up, too bad I had the cvt. I start to ask my self why didn't I bought the V6 modle with regular transmission.

lncoop, thank you, that is a very good reading.

question to everyone. Is Gregor good? is all of their boat welded? $500 with trailer and 9.5 motor a great deal?

 

[pscrabber59]

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

Gregor Aluminum Boats are one the best IMHO. A friend of mine has a 13' with a 25hp and he loves it. $500 for boat, trailer, and a motor sounds good to me! Gd luck buying your boat

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: 12 feet aluminum boat on a 2010 Subaru Legacy?

You can tow a 12-14' aluminum boat and motor with anything. They're just being cautious when they recommend against it. Don't sweat it; have fun.

But.

Some vehicles are not recommended for towing due to a short wheel base, so if that's the reason, be careful.
Also they may use it as an excuse to deny warranty work, so you are taking a chance. I recall seeing a vehicle once that said installing a hitch voided the warranty. BS. But good idea about talking to the dealer to see if Subaru has been that nasty.

I towed a 13' whaler 18 hp with my 1980 Subaru wagon no problem. I may have towed a 16' Starcraft 55hp too but don't recall.