Re: Best Pontoon For Towing
Let's start with the towing situation. It is possible to tow virtually any pontoon of any length provided you have a suitable trailer. What you need to consider is what you intend to tow the pontoon with. Your minivan is a front drive vehicle which make poor vehicles on sandy, slimy, slippery or unimproved ramps. Thats problem number one. Problem number two is because you have limited towing capacity (3500 pounds) that limits the size of the pontoon. Remember, that what you put INTO the van counts as weight so you need to add that to the weight of the boat and trailer. So if you have two kids plus the better half, you add that weight and all of the gear, fuel, water toys, adult beverages, fishing gear, batteries, etc. I can tell you that a bunk style pontoon trailer for an 18 - 20 foot pontoon weighs about 800 pounds. A basic 18 -20 foot pontoon weighs 1100 - 1500 pounds (dry) so you are already at 2000 - 2300#. Add an engine that weighs 300 - 350 pounds and you are at 2650. Add 25 gallons of fuel and you have another 150 pounds. Add a battery and that's another 35. See how quickly this stuff adds up. So from this example, I can tell you that with an 18 foot pontoon, 50 HP four stroke, the usual furniture, you will be at or slightly over the 3000# range. A 20 footer will probably put you over the tow limit without anyone or any thing in the van. I tow an 18 foot Misty Harbor with an all-up weight of just at 3000 pounds with a Chevy S10 Crew Cab pickup with 3.73 gears and a 4.3 V6. I would not want any less power. But I also want excellent performance and low stress on the vehicle which this vehicle has since it's rated for 5000# plus. Your vehicle would be at or over the tow limit and that is not generally good for the vehicle. It's unfortunate that you bought the vehicle before the boat but if that's what you have, then you will be limited to an 18 foot pontoon, or a 20 maximum. Even at that you are really pushing the capability of the van.