Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

[riz3333]

I am trying to tow an 18' boat that weighs 2000 lbs with my Ford Taurus 2004 model. The car has 225 HP and the trailer hitch is rated up to 3500 lbs with a maximum tongue weight of 300 lbs. Several people have told me that there is no problem with my car towing that kind of weight for short distances even though my car manual says maximum towing weight is 1500 lbs.

My wife is concerned about the car's ability to stop and control the trailer while transporting the boat to the boat ramp (approx 30-45 minute trip). My question is also with front wheel drive. Am I going to be able to retrieve this boat out of the water. The ramps we would be using have relatively mild inclines.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

Welcome to iboats.
There have many a discussion on this subject in the trailers and towing forum.

 

[John_S]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

Welcome to iBoats.

I use to tow with our '98 Taurus. It had the 200hp DOHC engine and 4WDisk Brakes. I will have to check the door pillar tonight, but I thought the towing capacity was 2000-2200lbs. The heaviest I ever towed was a 14' alum starcraft, approx 1000-1200lbs. It handled it well on the highway, but the one panic stop for a family of racoons, well a couple of them didn't make it. It was at night and taveling at about 50-55mph. The front wheel drive can have some traction problems on certain ramps. Mild inclines may be a problem with floating the boat off the trailer. You made need a trailer tungue ext.

If your boat is 2k without trailer, forget it, you need something with 3-3.5K capacity. If the actual towing capacity is 1500lbs and boat, gear, and trailer is 2Klbs, forget it.

From 1998 Manual:
3L Vulcan
w/300 passager and cargo = 1250lbs if you add more cargo, subtract from towing capacity

3L Duratec
w/300 passager and cargo = 1750lbs if you add more cargo, subtract from towing capacity

Use what your manual says, and do the calculations.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

Trailer brakes should keep your wife happy also.

 

[DJ]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

I am trying to tow an 18' boat that weighs 2000 lbs with my Ford Taurus 2004 model. The car has 225 HP and the trailer hitch is rated up to 3500 lbs with a maximum tongue weight of 300 lbs. Several people have told me that there is no problem with my car towing that kind of weight for short distances even though my car manual says maximum towing weight is 1500 lbs.

My wife is concerned about the car's ability to stop and control the trailer while transporting the boat to the boat ramp (approx 30-45 minute trip). My question is also with front wheel drive. Am I going to be able to retrieve this boat out of the water. The ramps we would be using have relatively mild inclines.

Your hitch may say 3500# but that is not a factory hitch. NO hitches (factory) were offered by Ford for the 2004 Taurus. They (Ford) don't even sell one, that should tell you something.

Your Taurus is rated to tow 1000# MAXIMUM. The body is NOT designed to accept towed weights over 1000#.

I have the entire 2004 Ford towing guide, in my possesion. Taurus is NOT mentioned, at all.

If/when something fails, don't blame the car.

 

[JB]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

A no brainer, Riz.

Rated towing capacity one half of estimated weight.

No way. Not even down the street to the corner.

DJ knows Ford products and he knows boats and trailering. Believe him.

 

[Hoss the Hermit]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

This is what I tow mine with

 

[Ezrider_92356]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

i wouldent even think about doing it

 

[dave11]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

If you want problems, tow that boat with your car. To begin with, towing a 2000# boat with that car is illegal. If you are ever involved in an accident, no matter who causes it, the accident will be your fault, because you are overweight. Rent a truck and leave th boat in a slip until you get a proper tow vehicle.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

Yeah, forget about it man! Insurance won't cover your damages since you weren't properly equipped.

 

[rndn]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

Don't buy a nice boat and then try to cheap out on a tow vehicle. There are plenty of low priced vehicles that will tow and stop your load and designed to do just that.

 

[javsam]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

yup! I agree with the rest.About the only boat I would tow with a taurus would be a 14 or 15 ft aluminum boat,with a total weight of around 1200 pounds.

 

[Ezrider_92356]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

i wouldent even tow that much with one. maby a small utility trailer with trailer and load under 1000lbs and i wouldent want to do it often. they arnt strong cars to begin with weak trannys and not made for towing

 

[SmurfOnAScarab]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

A little off topic, but does anyone know what a 1989 Mustang is capable of towing?

I have the original Brochure to my recently sold 1989 Bayliner Capri. And on the cover, it shows it being towed by a mustang...

lol

Just thought you might get a laugh out of that.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

Please start a new thread for your question. Tacking it onto a 9 month old thread generally won't get you the answers.

 

[Hitech]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

To begin with, towing a 2000# boat with that car is illegal. If you are ever involved in an accident, no matter who causes it, the accident will be your fault, because you are overweight.

??? I've seen cars that could easily tow a 2000lb boat. Can you quote the law that makes it illegal? For that matter, can you quote the law that makes it illegal to be "overweight"?

Based on what I've read here I wouldn't tow the boat with the car, but that's because I would be afraid of ruining the car.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

If you want to tow a 2000 lbs trailer with a car, get a 4000lbs Lincoln Towncar. Its rated for 2000 lbs without trailer brakes. I tow my 1600lbs and 1800lbs trailers with a '98 Town Car with no problems at all. And I get 17 mpg while towing!!!!

A Ford Crown Vic is a good second choice.

From what I have read from Lincoln technicians, the tow rating is greatly under rated.

 

[109jb]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

??? I've seen cars that could easily tow a 2000lb boat. Can you quote the law that makes it illegal? For that matter, can you quote the law that makes it illegal to be "overweight"?

Based on what I've read here I wouldn't tow the boat with the car, but that's because I would be afraid of ruining the car.

While no specific law may exist, you are open to the general "reckless use" laws. You can bet that if involved in an accident and the officer recognizes that you have exceeded the manufacturer's tow rating you will be getting some kind of ticket for it. If there is an injury, you are open to civil litigation too with virtually no defense because you exceeded what the manufacturer prescribed. Laws aside, it just isn't safe.

 

[Hitech]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

While no specific law may exist..., you are open to the general "reckless use" laws. You can bet that if involved in an accident and the officer recognizes that you have exceeded the manufacturer's tow rating you will be getting some kind of ticket for it. If there is an injury, you are open to civil litigation too with virtually no defense because you exceeded what the manufacturer prescribed. Laws aside, it just isn't safe.

If there is not law against it there isn't anything to write a ticket for. One can attempt to argue that exceeding the man. weight rating caused the accident, but you're going to have to prove that in court. Contrary to what many seem to think, it is anything but automatic that you will loose. Actually, it is likely that you will not loose based solely on being "overweight", unless grossly so.

 

[dave11]

Re: Towing a 2000 lb boat w. a 2004 Ford Taurus

??? I've seen cars that could easily tow a 2000lb boat. Can you quote the law that makes it illegal? For that matter, can you quote the law that makes it illegal to be "overweight"?

Based on what I've read here I wouldn't tow the boat with the car, but that's because I would be afraid of ruining the car.

There are both state and federal laws dealing with weight limits. Why do you think there are weigh stations for trucks all over the country. If there were no laws, you would have three axel rigs hauling 200,000 pounds and our roads would look like back country rutted dirt roads.

Ask any cop or stop by a weigh station. I am sure they can quote the laws from memory.