Suggestions for tow vehicle?

[stanky]

I just bought a Scout 175 Sportfish and now I need something to get it to the water. I figure the total weight is around 2,400 lbs (boat, engine, trailer, gas and some gear). I live in San Diego near the coast, so there are some hills but nothing too bad. The worst hill will be the driveway to the place I store the boat. It is no worse than a launch ramp, but 6 or 7 times longer.

I'd like the minimum truck necessary to tow the boat so I can get decent gas mileage when not towing. Would a 4 cylinder tacoma do the job? Any recommendations?

 

[insearch]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

I don't know if I should suggest this, there was all kinds of heck going on there about some guy and his car, but maybe it will tell you what not to buy?

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=407873

 

[JoLin]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

The dry weight of your boat is 1260 lbs. Add 300 for a motor, 200 for 25 gals of fuel, 200 for 'stuff' and (educated guess) 800-1000 lbs for the trailer. I'd shop on the basis of 3000 lbs towing weight. I know the 2400 lbs figure is attractive as there are many vehicles out there rated to tow 2500 lbs, but IMO you'd be fudging the numbers to make 'em fit.

That said, it isn't a whole lot of weight and there are numerous smallish trucks and SUV's that'll handle it easily. The specs on them are all available. You need to match up:

- The vehicle's towing capacity. IMO you want 3000 lbs.
- The vehicle's Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). That's the vehicle's total capacity including the vehicle itself, fuel and passengers, PLUS the 3000lbs of boat and trailer you're towing.
Tongue weight- 300-400 lbs . Might be less, but unless you can measure it you might want to figure 10-15% of the rig's weight.

Look up the specs on that Tacoma- that'll tell you if it's a good (meaning 'safe') choice.

Good luck!

 

[JimKW]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

I figure my total weight is less than 3500 lbs, but I wanted a truck capable of towing 5,000 lbs. I got an older Envoy and it does fine. When not towing it gets maybe 18-20 mph combined city/highway.

The 98 Volvo V70 I got rid of to get the Envoy was rated 3300 lbs and it got 28 mpg highway and about 23-24 combined city/highway. Also could seat five comfortably and, of course, was one of the safest cars on the road. Sold it for $3600, which was actuall about $500 over book for that car.

If you happen to be interested in a Volvo let me know and I will also tell you which ones not to buy. The 98 model year is the best for the V70 and S70 and you want a model with a Turbo.

 

[stanky]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

Is the 2.4L 4 cylinder Tacoma's towing capacity of 3500 lbs cutting it too close?

 

[642mx]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

Is the 2.4L 4 cylinder Tacoma's towing capacity of 3500 lbs cutting it too close?

Nope... it should be fine for your needs.

 

[crqflier]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

We pull a pretty large trailer all over San Diego county. If you're going anywhere except Mission Bay (or similar) you'll be surprised at how many hills there are that you don't really notice when you're just driving around. With that said, I'd suggest getting something that more than covers your total trailer weight for a few reasons: more capacity usually means bigger/stronger drivetrain, not just bigger engine. you should also consider total length of the tow vehicle/trailer combo. A big trailer will pull your tow vehicle around in the wind. Last thing you want is a breakdown while you're trailering. Take a look at the mpg of the six at least - i'll bet it's pretty close to the four.

 

[Fisher3491]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

Nope... it should be fine for your needs.

I'll second that. A buddy of mine has the same truck and we've used it to tow my 18 footer. Its about the same weight as yours. The Tacoma is a good choice.

 

[PGFISHER]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

We bought a Dodge Nitro; it has a V6 and the anti sway breaking as standard equipment.

 

[2rz-fte]

Re: Suggestions for tow vehicle?

wow, this thread is ancient in terms of iboats.

but ill add to it. my boat/trailer/motor/gear combo is probably in the 3000 range and i tow with my tacoma all day long. here is a pic.

i have a 2.4L 5spd tacoma.